Any C++ programmers??? Please I need some help!

[Warik]

Java is way easy to code in and 99% of shit is already done for you, but it's terribly slow. Whose stupid idea was platform independence anyway? If you want to run a program on a Mac, get the Mac version. Java would have been a great success if you could just build an EXE and run it on Windows or whatever just as fast as you would do so for a C++ program. Instead you have to go through a bunch of command line BS just to execute a damn file.

It's no wonder you see 99% of Java apps on the web in the form of applets.

Too bad my school didn't teach C++ as well as it's teaching Java. I should retake C++ with my Java teacher. =)

-Warik

 

[Womb Raider]

In my opinion you don't learn anything about computer science from programming in java because all your memory management is being handled for you.

One of Meyer's requirements of a pure OO language is automatic memory management. C++ isn't truly an OO language, it is extension of C.

 

[natasan]

One of Meyer's requirements of a pure OO language is automatic memory management. C++ isn't truly an OO language, it is extension of C.

You do have garbage collection in C++. But, I do agree that it's not fully OO.

 

[freshr1]

You do have garbage collection in C++. But, I do agree that it's not fully OO.

Umm no, it doesn't. If it did, could you please tell me the purpose of delete/free/auto_ptr/COM ref counting/etc?

Oh and I can't believe all you guys fell for it and replied to this post! It's a trick by the girls to see who here are the big geeks! BWHAHAHAHAHA! Good thing I don't know a thing about programming

 

[natasan]

Safe, Efficient Garbage Collection for C++

http://citeseer.nj.nec.com/ellis93safe.html

I don't mind being a geek. I'm probably the only Philosophy Major here working towards a CISSP and still makes it to the gym at least 15 hours a week.

I could care less what any of these girls thinks because I show my geeky side on either computers, supplements, dieting (my girlfriend teases me the most when I diet), or anything else.

I just post help to things I can help with.

 

[Womb Raider]

i thought being a geek was cool now....not true? oh well, sorry ladies

 

[stretch]

I'm a computer science major. I'm just curious to know if any of you guys or girls that are in the computer business like what you are doing. Are the classes pretty tough when you move up in school? Do you still get to talk to people when you have a job with computers? Or are you in front of a screen all day?

Thanks,
stretch

 

[Sassy69]

I'm from the old school (pre-Internet) - generally CS people can get paid a lot in starting/entry level positions and they are really in demand (vs. 15 yrs ago when I started). But within a corporation sometimes you hit a ceiling - like you start out as a jr. or associate software engineer, then after you put in some time, you get to be a sr. software engineer. Afterthat, there's really only group leaders, and then managers. And most computer people prefer to design/develop than manage the daily corporate BS. Unless you continue up the "technical staff" track - this is usually reserved for the PhDs who like to architect things.

The formal stuff they teach you in college, particularly database stuff, programming style, somtimes statistics, and some management stuff is good. Most companies like to have "process" (read: software development lifecycle) so it helps if you have good documentation skills for functional requirements and stuff as well as following good programming practices to promote "usability" of your code (good commenting, modular programming, etc.).

But the really good stuff to know is stuff that will allow you do something besides the std corporate thing. This includes network certifications (MSCE, CCNA, etc.) as well as stuff that is mindless to learn on your own like HTML and website stuff.

The internet makes so many more things accessible to joe average - so go ahead and pursue some wild things if you want - run your own porn site, do hosting on a server under your bed, etc. etc. If you hang around in a corporation, welcome to the cube farm.

I bet some of the guys who responded to the C/C++ question can give you more insight.

 

[HappyScrappy]

hey sassy, you weren't pre-internet - you were pre-internet boom. big difference.

what sassy says is pretty much how I feel as well. cube life can suck if the people around you don't speak english all that well - but if they do and you have some people your age around as well, it isn't so bad.

I've got it easy b/c I didn't take too many comp sci classes in college/high school and have taught myself most of what I know. so I have the good job which pays pretty well and I didn't have to sit through boring comp sci labs or early classes... or I didn't sit through many of them.

the biggest problem with prgogrammers IMO is that it is very easy to burnout. I'm feeling kind of fried at the moment. be careful of that - you can make more money if you work more, but you will burn out quicker... or more quickly - never was any good at that english thing

 

[Sassy69]

HS -

I guess it was pre-internet from the job market standpoint. My high school got its first XT the year after I graduated and I my first year of programming was done on a VAX/1170 and had a BITNET account. Missed doing punch cards by 1 semester! We actually had a printer interface type computer and there was a PDP 11 sitting somewhere in the lab back then.

The biggest problem w/ software engineering is the expectations. Burn out happens because people don't know how to schedule projects, most everything doesn't work for most of the schedule (which was driven by some sales guy trying to get a deal closed), the requirements change every freakin day and then when the deadline comes, everyone is sleeping under their desk because the time you spend driving home could be used for more programming. ARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRGH. Been there, done that.

One good thing about contracting is that you can work your butt of for a period of time, and then take off a month or 6 if you want. The internet also makes "telecommuting" a very strong alternative to getting up in time to beat traffic in the morning.

I now work in marketing so we can specify "customer requirements" and leave it up to the developers to implement. With all the new communication technology emerging, I'm having a field day identifying new product opportunities!!!! Here's one of my requirements docs:

Opportunity: New mobile technology
Target Market: anyone who will buy this shit
<insert a pie chart>
Revenue Opportunity: the industry analysts predict $100000000 Billion in revenue over the next 3 years
<insert your favorite S-curve diagram>
Customer Requirements:
- mobile
- really complicated, flashy interface
- makes lots of whirring noises when you press the button
- must have an antenna
- include the words "communication", "IP" and "open standards" somewhere in the implentation detail.
Support:
- online help page that links to "Error 404 - file not found" page.
- 800 number that allows the company to user your line for foreign country dial-back services.


Its great to be in marketing!