Tutor a Teenager?

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Originally Posted by laserlight

However, it really is intended for beginners to C++.

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Maybe. but...
A beginner to C++ and a beginner to any programming language is not even close to being the same.

You can teach someone with a prior knowledge of "any" programming language how to work with C++ quite rapidly by building on earlier knowledge of how to program in another language.


Teaching how to program requires that you explain to someone how to decompose a problem into subproblems, and how to translate those subproblems into logic.
You'll also need an introductory course into boolean algebra.
...etc.


Accellerated C++ may be a good book to teach C++, but it may not be a good book to start programming. (I don't know the book so I can't say). I have in the past taught non-programmers how to program by using c++ with success, so it is definately possible with c++ as it should be with most other languages. But it does take a different approach for someone new to programming vs someone knowledgeable about programming but new to C++.





that said, I do find it strange that someone started on C++ and burned out, then managed to pick up java and do well. Language wise, they are very similar just working on a different underlying system (real hardware and OS vs a VM).

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Originally Posted by HarrisonTZ

Sorry for being difficult :P
I guess I kinda just thought about it for a while... Maybe I should learn Java then learn C++... Not sure...

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You probably need an introduction to programming (language neutral).

Language wise, you're just as likely to start with C++ as Java, the syntax is very similar, the different in where you pick up momentum is dealing with the environment. C++ deals with real hardware and real OSes, and C++ itself has very little support for this. Java deals with a VM with a much more elaborate standard library.

If you want to make a windowed application, then you'll get something done with java faster. But the bad thing with java is that as soon as you need to do something that goes "outside of the box marked java", you'll find that you have a hard time doing so.
With C++ you'll also need to learn about how to make Windows (or mac, or linux) do what you want it to do, and it'll be different on each platform.

So yes, in some respects java is better than C++, the real question is... WHY are you picking up programming, what is it you want to be doing once you get past the learning stage and start actually developping apps.

What kind of applications do you want to make ? The answer to that question will importantly influence what the ideal "first" language is to pick up.

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Originally Posted by OReubens

A beginner to C++ and a beginner to any programming language is not even close to being the same.

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Agreed. The course itself was intended for beginners to programming, so I think it is reasonable to say that the book based on the course was also intended for beginners to programming, but clearly this is a case of "your mileage may vary". (Things like "selecting and installing a compiler/IDE" were completely excluded: this wouldn't be a problem in a classroom, but it can be a problem for self-study.)

Good god. Just how many forums do you keep up with, laserlight? -randomly running into posts made by you from ages ago on different forums-

Guys, I do realize that sometimes a disagreement will pop up, but arguing in circles, referring to a post you made yourself, and just looking for something wrong in someone else's points is not really a good way to spend your time, especially if you stay up all night to do it. Just some friendly advice.