Re: compiler questions

["Neil" <dreaded.neil@phreaker.net>]

> Hi, I was just wondering what compiler I should start out using first for

> c++. Right now, I've downloaded DJGPP, though I'm not using it because I 
> don't know how(which is another question), but I'm wondering wether I
should 
> use a Dos compiler, like DJGPP, or windows, like Borland c++ builder. I
know 
> both are free, which that is important to me, hehe, but I'm wondering
what 
> would be the wisest way to go.  Someone said that starting out with Dos
game 
> programming would be better due to the fact that you could learn the 
> low-level stuff first and then use something like DirectX which does a
lot 
> of the work for you. If that's true, I wouldn't mind doing Dos first
because 
> I, personally, like doing things that way(learning how to do something 
> first, and then taking advantage of the easy-to-use features a program or

> library, like DirectX, may provide). All in all, right now I have two
main 
> questions:

Why settle for either? Keep both of them. :] I know that sometimes I want
to work with Windows, and somtimes with DOS. I'd suggest that you start
with DOS because, like you said, if you use all the shortcuts (or detours)
of Windows then you won't start of with a good understanding of what they
are actually doing beneath the transparent implementation. With DOS, you
learn from the ground up. It becomes more difficult to write more complex
programs with DOS than Windows because Windows has so much of the stuff
that would take so long to program already implemented.

I think that this might be the easiest way to get started with DJGPP (after
reading the readme's and following their instructions to set it up):

gcc file1.c file2.c file3.c -o output.exe

 . . which should (if I remember correctly) compile file[1, 2, and 3].c
into output.exe. Make sure that you add the djgpp/bin directory to your
PATH so that this will work in any directory, not just djgpp/bin.

-[ Neil-Edelman -- dreaded.neil@phreaker.net -- ICQ UIN: 705130
-[ http://neil.freeshell.org/ -- http://moop.bizland.com/
-[ "My air-to-air missile overrides your air traffic control clearance"

=================================================================
The GameProgrammer.Com mailing list is for the open discussion
of any topic related to the art, science, and business of
programming games. This list is especially tolerant of beginners.
We were all beginners once

To SUBSCRIBE or UNSUBSCRIBE please visit:
http://gameprogrammer.com/mailinglist.html