Deep Sea I – Cut to the Chase

[Deep Sea]

<center><font color=green>Deep Sea I – Cut to the Chase</font></center>

Let’s get a few things resolved before we embark on this journey across the C.

I just named my new course Deep Sea and reserve the copyrights to any and all work associated with it. George, we can talk offline about this if necessary.

For lessons only, I have selected a new handle, Deep Sea, for email notification purposes.

Me: A little background about myself as it pertains to this class. I have a degree in computer Science, started writing code professionally as early as the early seventies, and that’s what I do for a living now. Although my current strong skills are in OOD and OOA using C++ and C, I have been proficient using quite a number of programming languages, including several esoteric ones such as APL, JOVIAL, and ATLAS. I think only MIT and IBM ever used APL because it is so hard -- but tremendously powerful, and the other two have defense uses, something I haven’t done since the early eighties.

I will actively trash and bash, slice and dice anyone outside the group whom I deem enters the discussion for the purpose of confusing, distracting, etc. I have neither the time nor patience for nonsense, and those who are seriously trying to learn will have their hands and minds full.

I have reserved six months of Sunday mornings to prepare one lesson per week. I check my email and visit these forums almost every evening and can and will spend up to an hour or so helping those in need.

So that’s me in a nutshell, software-wise, that is.

You: Varied backgrounds and interests, probably wanted to learn a programming language or two, but for some reason never reached out for it.

Class Requirements for active participation: Ambition, the fire of desire to learn, basic typing and PC skills, and other associated attributes. A PC capable of working with the compiler, Ms Visual C++ Version 6, Standard edition, available for 100 bux or less, and The C Programming Language, second edition, ISBN 0-13-110362-8. Plus no prior knowledge of, and/or experience in, C and C++.

So far, the roster contains the following active participants:

Antony Licalzi
Arnie Elkins
George Mattson
Laird
Lee Darrow

I just need to know when everyone has their stuff, and then we start shortly afterwards. I’m designing the course from the ground-up, starting with the basics. Classes progress such that the current lesson depends upon the previous one. If one wants to just dip in and dip out occasionally, he’s not going to get far. If one doesn’t have the required tools and just want to read along, all I can say is good luck. Much of the expertise will be learned from doing the simple examples, and most of the fun will be feeling the accomplishments of being able to do what you thought was previously impossible.

What this course is:

A C and C++ course geared to the average man-in-the-street, highly focused toward getting up and running productively and write useful programs as quickly as possible. Right now, even through the recession we are in, there is still a need for qualified software people. This could be a ticket to help getting one started in the direction of a new career or just to help understand what those geeks in the next cube are talking about (and maybe even give them, to their astonishment, a few pointers).

I’m going to start the pace of what I conceive as the median of the group and go faster or slower from there. Everyone’s going to have a hard time understanding something at one time or another, so if you don’t get it don’t be bashful. I encourage everyone to donate their new knowledge, and pool new ideas and discoveries in the forum as an active study group. If you are getting it too fast, I’ll try to be resourceful enough without going too far ahead.

I’m going to skip much nonessential stuff, and return to some of it when it will be appropriate. That follows the philosophy of getting up and running fast.

A six month, one-lesson-per-week course, or approximately 25 major lessons, give or take a few as I further develop it.

Put you at the foothills of a number of facets of advanced C/C++ programming skills.

Put you at the foothills of a full understanding of Java, a kinder, simpler, syntax-similar language – and more.

A basic C++ course using the features of C required to get the beginner there. One who jumps right into C++ without a good background tends to miss out on much of the beauty and skill of C++.

What this course is not

A course in c for dummies. It will be hard. Expect it to be hard and you won’t be disappointed.

A college-level programming course

A junk course

An academic non-practical course
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Deep Sea © 2001 by Allen L. Moulton. All rights Reserved.

Deep Sea is a beginner to advanced condensed course in the C and C++ programming languages.


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Allen Moulton from Uechi-ryu Etcetera

[gmattson]

I now have the C++ program and manual Al.

Ready to "rock and roll"!

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GEM

[Deep Sea]

Lee,

What can you get for a MAC C/C++ compiler?

You will not be able to follow us on the IDE instructions, but for the mostpart I'll be talking in straight ANSI C except where I embellish a little, and then straight C++ until we get to the Win32 and MFC stuff. You will need to do a makefile, and do the compilations from the command line.

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Maybe a class project after the first month or so is not a bad idea. I was thinking along the lines of a checkbook balancing progam; something which may come in handy for after the holidays (prostitute,prostitute,prostitute).

It would be simple with a graphically challenged (meaning DOS-style) interface and would bring together what we are working on.



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Allen Moulton from Uechi-ryu Etcetera

[LeeDarrow]

Allen-sama,

Am I going to have problems doing this on my MAC?

That is a serious question, not trying to be funny, for once.

If it is, I'll just watch and try to keep up anyway. Remember, my training is in the behavioral sciences and I'm a performer and sales geek by profession. Be gentle.

Respectfully,

Lee Darrow, C.Ht.