₦airaland Forum

@all. Almost always is the case of never re-event the wheel stressed to new comers of a system that we who stress it fail to realise that an incomprehensible library or one that has a large memory footprint or slow or faulted in someway that can't be overlooked will get re-implemented by someone who can conceive of a better way to get it done. Take for instance the now 'extinct' Networking middle-ware from Microsoft called DirectPlay; professionals got stressed in understanding the internals of the system and implemented other more useful systems like RakNET and ReplicaNET. Does that make them go against all that's 'right'? No way. If a system doesn't look right for u and u can't find a replacement for it elsewhere, then go ahead, re-implement something more 'suitable' if u can. No one will 'hang' u for it.

@olu64. Now i see ur point. But i doubt if the poster (mardi gras) needs someone to tell him that it's not lolly to get to that point in the profession. Like my motto: Nothing comes from Nothing.

@olu64. Don't u think u should point me out on where i'm wrong in my post. Seems like u didn't read mine before posting.

@zoobidubi123. I'm not or serious user of mysql but i'm guessing a few things might be the problem.
1. You have the MySQL system but it hasn't been lunched. Check your system tray for the icon.
2. Since u r running locally on your system, check that your socket for the MySQL is at port 3306.
3. Reinstall MySQL if u still can't get it to work.
Hope that helps.

@mikkytrio. For C++ get a gui library, like CEGUI or Qt3. For Java, use the Awt package or the Swing package.

@ceekay. Nice u noticed the location thing. Work takes me btw lagos and abuja. Currently,i'm in asaba but should be in abuja for another 4 months. Sorry i can't help with the name of a bookshop, but since u already have one in mind just pick it asap. You can get another if need be. Can't wait to guide u when ur lost. Later.

@mardi gras. That's all u need till u start swimming in rougher seas.

@mardigras. You don't need to learn a programming lang to create a website, all u need to do is pick up  Dreamweaver/Front page or the myraid of WYSIWYG apps for creating web pages. You could also read the HTML specification @ www.w3schools.com. If u want to go deeper into creating web apps, then pick the java programming language or pick Adobe flash(learn Ecma-actionscript). If u want to create dynamic pages via the client learn javascript, if u want it via the server learn php/asp/asp.net(learning javascript will be a benefit when u use any of the asp(s)). If u want to create the controlling system(the web server), then learn C/C++. All that is what you get to learn to be a web developer. WELCOME.

@fallguy. Reinventing the well when need be is a must. I've seen myself move from the band of a visionaire where i'ld just sit back and work my mind through designing some software system to being a techie type where i disdane use of other peoples work and jump into writing code for a similar type of library to being a tinkerer where i'm over joyed to have/use someones code for my new system and would have it no other way. It takes time,intelligence and experience to be able to weigh what u should self write and what u should just take handed to u. For one, i don't think i'll ever want to get involved in writing/developing a 3d modelling package, that will be murder.

@ceekay. THE C++ PROGRAMMING LANGUAGE, SPECIAL EDITION. Author: Bjarn Stroustrup. When i got it, it sold 4 $35. Nice book, but it's not newbie-oriented.

@Movingcoil. There's nothing wrong with the console apps. They just close cause the code has run to the end. I suspect u want the console window to remain after the code is done. To have that effect use cmd.exe to run it. Hope u knw ur command prompt?

@ceekay. That's a super topic. Keep ur imagination wide.

@realnaija. I like the idea of a translator app for our indigenous language(s). That's a really big project. Hope u've done enough R&D which should include getting linguists in the language(s) u r targeting. You won't want a situa tion where for instance the court judge says 'Order' and ur translator says 'Louder'. Good luck.

@realnaija. I like the idea of a translator app for our indigenous language(s). That's a really big project. Hope u've done enough R&D which should include getting linguists in the language(s) u r targeting. You won't want a situa tion where for instance the court judge says 'Order' and ur translator says 'Louder'. Good luck.

@ceekay. Glad to hear your intrest in C++ is picking up again. Don't worry if it seems your motivation to learn what some people ignorantly refer to as the most complex programming language to learn seems unstable, C++ is not complex it's just involved. To get u started in C++ as i always advice start with the tutorial at www.softlookup.com, it's to me, the easiest and most well presented tutorial for any beginner and it covers a larger scope of C++ at the beginner level than any other i can recommend. Start with that before going out to buy a dedicated text book for C++. You might hear someone advice u to forget learning C++ and maybe they'll tell u to learn java instead but let me give u some pointers on why i believe u'll be on a better path if u stick with C++ instead.
For one, C++ is a multiparadigm language, meaning it supports more than on style of programming. C++ supports procedural, modular,generic and object-oriented styles of programming. Compare this with java that originally supports only object-oriented style of programming. This is good cause i've found that beginners find it alot easier to learn procedural programming then move up to OOP.
Secondly, C++ gets u grounded as a software engineer since it doesn't hide/remove features for efficiency the way java is made to do.
Thirdly, with the knowledge u have in C++,learning any other language that's close to it (like Java,C#,C, and even unrelated ones like VB) will be a breeze. For a fact, it took me 2 months after getting a fair ground in C++ to learn Java and a month to learn python and lua (serious). It's no doubt that C++ programmers are welcome to industries that don't even use C++ as there production language cause C++ programmers think efficiency,maintainability, and portability when they create and can switch to learn another language as required and be productive at it while still learning. With it u can even dive into creating 2d/3d video games, web browsers, network apps, e.t.c all with fancy and efficient interfaces the way u choose. Heck, it's still the major commercial software developers programming language in the industry. Looking at your desktop, i'll bet u that u run 9 to 1 C++ created software than any other language and your favourite video game was written in C++.
Now for info on libraries u can use to develope a windowed app, google Qt3 and CEGUI. These are popular and proven libs for that job or if u have visual studio, the VC++ module has microsofts made easy gate pass to creating non-portable windowing apps. Have fun and welcome.

@olud64. That's what i call 'cutting the cancer where it hurts'. The joke we've seem to turn the face of programming and programmers into is just annoying in here. People seem to be grabing this language and that language but when it comes to getting something creative out of it they'll be like 'mmm, where is the next language that's in the spot light, i'm sure the language will be able to solve this new problem'. Shear ignorance! Many say i knw C++,JAVA,PYTHON,PHP,ML,SMALLTALK,CLU,J#,C#,##, That's not going to help anyone if u can't do nothing more than create an app to search a DB and that's all it will do. People flinging acronyms around, who give 2 fu*ks. The other time it was, 'what design pattern is the overall best', another just asked, 'who's the worlds best programmer', another said, 'python,php are toy languages'. Heafty ignorance on the essence of programming and the aims of software development. If i were the moderator on this programming topic alot of bull would be deleted before they got to the DB.

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@poster. Funny this, no company name, wanting a programmer with at least 2 years experience in creating no specified application type, added advantage with C++ or python, and there's an age restriction of 26. Sounds like one of those shitty jobs where they plan to pay a programmer 20k a month and bury the person. Definitely suspecious. Bull s**t!

@moderator.Where's my last post?

@all. Happy new year! Sorry this greeting seems be late but it's still a new year right! Anyways, to all game aspirants out there in naija in particular, here's news that should keep u 'gingered'. A team of two programmers(i'm one of them) have been working hard (clocking 2yrs since) to bring to u a performing 2d/3d game engine. This project (code name LEERAX) currently in alpha stage at the moment is targeting the Windows, linux and Mac systems and has been developed with features for:
1. A graphics engine beautifully adorned with the 'widget'ting power of CEGUI library and the graphic capability of Ogre,
2.An input distributor making the implementation of multiplayer games easier for the budding developer,
3.A 2d and 3d sound systems to play surround sound in your virtual world,
4.A physics and collision detection engine,
5.Shader programming support for Cg, GLSL, and MS d3d HLSL,
also in development is the inclusion of scripting support for python and lua, we also want to include an Ogg Theora player for playback of movies. This should lead to the beta release of the engine which should be available around May or July. For anyone wanting to know if the final release will be distributed as a free-free software(zero charge in binary and open source) we are still contemplating about that issue of things but promise that the beta release will be a 6 month trial.Got to get back to working on it. Keep playing and coding  games. Before i forget, u'll have to know a little more about C++ or since we will be including scripting support for python and lua u should also have those languages as choice to use the engine to the fullest. Later.

@all. It strange to see people talking about this language or that language being a 'toy' with out specifying in what area(s) of software development the language can be considered as such. I've been in this arena for a while to give advice and truth be told, no one language is better than another with out analysis on what u the programmer want's to solve with it. In essence we have no 'generic toy language'.
@i-guru. Again my young nerd, u can't learn hacking u can only be a hacker in a certain field once u knw that little extra in that field. For instance, if u don't knw that extra about the c-shell and u knw tcl in linux then u can be a linux tcl hacker for maybe the gui of linux os's but that don't make u an internetwork hacker or a windows hacker, or an electronics hacker either.

@i-guru. When learning any programming language especially if it's the first language u learn don't bug u head with how to write code but think more about the concepts of the programming styles exposed by the language.

@all. Just keepin d thread alive.happy new year. I'll post soon.

@stillwater and all. U say, if a girl want's a guy with some 'manner' she should find a rich dude. In rich, are u thinkn Bill gates rich or 'Alaba sales man' rich? If bill, then u'll have to go to the parties, club and spots he'll go to, which 4 a very large number of my naija women is near impossible cause they(the girls) are broke or if they got some won't want to spend it to have the slightest chance with the bill type. Then if u ment the alaba rich, That's as much as u'll get and u should appreciate the gesture cause though it could seem a little 'uncivilized' they are d one's ('alaba' rich men like myself) that end up having a longer-term relationship with the ladies. So a little advice of sorts, next time a dude walks up to u to say hello, Respond with a hello and a smile.

Well if this story is true, then she's no longer an 18yr old. THAT'S ONE MATURE AND Frakin DUMB BI*CH. period!

@i-guru. Believe me when i say if u can't learn programming on your own , then u can't learn it any where else. And why do people keep asking about hacking and wanting to be one. It's just a term that's used for someone that knws that extra on some topic. U can't learn it,  U can only be it. And yes, u can use C++.

@poster. The question should be, what can't a C++ programmer do. C++ can be use to create operating systems, web server apps, web browsers, device drivers, interpreters, xml parsers, gui systems, 2d and 3d games, simulators, office apps. Code compatibility with languages like c, java, python, lua, fortran, delphi, etc is possible, what can't u do. Applications for desktops are majorly developed in it, like maya, 3ds max, msword,,

@poster. For me, u sure made the best choice to learn c++. As a contribution to ur progress, go to www.softlookup.com. U'll find a tutorial 4 c++ there and it's what i started with. For a compiler, google for digital mars c++ compiler. Have fun.

@babadee. Sorry 4 d delay in reposting, just checked this thread today. In game's we implement only what's needed for trtle in question. That's we fake AI. Since i assume u knw OOP enough u should create this hierachy. U'll need a base type that i call AISequence and from that derive NavigationSequence, CombatSequence, & DefenceSequence. Then create a base type i call AI, this will contain a reference to a vector or list of pointers to AISequences and a infer() method which takes an enum of on sequence and also a learn() method which takes a refrence to an AISequence. Hope ur getting the concept! Since in games we require navigation, combat and/ defence.this is what i use for ai characters in my lil' engine. Hope u can implement the rest. Good luck!

@babadee08. If i may ask, what genre is this game project ur on in? Might tip u some pointer, that's if u want.

@all. Ah! IRRLICHT, A nice graphics rendering engine. As a note and a correction to the previous posters post, since irrlicht is not a game engine but only a graphics rendering subsystem u'll also need libraries for other stuff a game should have like input,sound,ai,physics e.t.c. Keep playing and coding games.