Developer question

P

pj1115

Active Member
As I'm relatively new to coding for the Windows platform (I write for *Nix and used to code for the Playstation Portable), I have a few questions for developers. I don't mind if I'm referred elsewhere :wink:

- I can use C/C++ competently. What's the buzz with C# and the like? Is there a best language to use for Windows?
- I currently use Dev-C++ which uses the Mingw compiler. Should I switch to Microsoft Visual C++/C#?
- I can code command-line based applications. How would I start to write GUIs? Is the .NET framework useful for this?
- Anything else you think would help me ease into Windows...

Thanks!
 
Im not much help in programming, but i do have a question about your PSP programming??
What games did you write? ANything we might have heard of?
 
Hmm, I didn't do much game writing, I was much more interested in the hacking. Yep, hacked the day away. I was constantly looking for more things that I could mess with in the firmware, and worked quite a bit behind the curtains of the 'scene'. The little works that I did release were mostly source code samples, utilities, etc.
 
C# is syntatically almost identical to C++

The problem with C++ is that if you want to write a GUI application, you're going to have to futz around with Win32 or MFC or ATL - all of which are utter crap and a nightmare to behold.

MFC was a wrapper for Win32 to make it easier to use. It failed. .NET can be thought of as MFC 2.0, and it's really worth learning.

You can use either C++ or C# with the .NET framework. So long as you're going to go .NET though, I'd recommend C# just because it's what the community uses more. But all .NET applications are compatible with one-another, as in a VB.NET app can talk to or use libraries from a C# or J# or C++ or any other .NET app (and vice versa).

If you're going to be writing code for Windows, definitely switch to Visual Studio or VC++ Express Edition / C# Express Edition; while I write code for both Windows and Linux platforms, Visual Studio is by far the best IDE I've ever come across and it'll boost your productivity like crazy.

Bottomline: If you're only doing command-line Windows apps, C++ is OK. But if you plan on interacting a lot with Win32 (GUI or otherwise), then save yourself a bucketload of trouble and use .NET to design GUIs or interface with Windows libraries.
 
What do you know. I might be using some of your software as we speak. :wink:
If i have any questions ill know who to go to.
 
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