15 Years Writing C++

I'm a video game programmer and I've been using C++ as a programming language for 15 years, and have been writing code in some form for another for over 20 years. Of course in my time as a programmer I've branched out to other languages, but I'd say C++ has been the focus for me across my hobby and professional projects. Seeing an old file made me reflect on my early goals and reminisce about the process of learning and growing as a developer.

[Tugreo]

This man is remarkable.

He woke up one day, realized its been 15 years, and reflected on his time. He was so passionate about the conclusion he drew, he decided to get on camera for the first time on this channel and tell people his truth that the rest of the internet seemingly disagrees with.

That's brave. Thanks for sharing SyncMain.

[draughonc]

Turned 50 this year. Never coded before. Learning C now as a hobby to keep the brain working.

[coolbrotherf]

Bjarne Stroustrup once said that the only programming languages that no one complains about are the ones they never use. Once people spend thousands of hours with a programming language, they notice even the smallest things that could be considered "bad". Once people get over that fact and just try to get stuff done, those small details don't really matter.

[bonquaviusdingle]

"hitting you head up against the wall, finding errors, learning..." this is the heart of programming. To be a great programmer you have to do this often, until you dont have to do it so often

[SyncMain]

Totally meant to upload this on 6/23/2023 and jumped the gun. I'll try again at the 30 year mark.

[torarinvik]

Im not a professional C++ dev, but I have been programming in C++ for a long time, and I can say that C++ is not nearly as hard as some people say it is. For instance writing a parser in javascript is just as hard as in C++, and a lot easier than in classic C. One advice I have is if your going to learn C++ don't learn it at the same time as your learning a framework. Master the basics of the language first, then you can learn the frameworks like Qt, OpenGL, SDL ect.

[emile]

As a student, trying to always do it the best way caused me more worst than good. What you said about getting it to work without worrying about the best way then improving when it comes to it really enlightened me. Great advice.

[motitac]

man, you're giving me hopes to get back to programming after dropping it for 7 years

[vsaihruthikreddy]

Problem is not with the programming language, problem is with mindset of people and hype created in the social media space. Oh look at how many lines of code C++ or java has vs Python, python is simple, great blah blah blah. Instead people should think about what are you going to do with that prog lang and how well it is helping your project rather than how hard/easy a programming language is.

[ClaudioBernasconi]

Starting with C/C++ over 20 years ago was what made me who I am today from a professional perspective. Understanding the fundamentals of how compilers, libraries, CPUs, etc, work is something every developer should become familiar with sooner or later. Otherwise, they'll hit a wall. More abstractions like C# or Java are great productivity tools that build upon the foundation of C/C++ for me. Also, welcome to YouTube! 👋

[mariacolin]

Thank you so much for this video!!!🙏❤ I haven't given up. It's so frustrating at times but I usually take breaks and then keep on going. Listening to you makes me realize I'm making this more difficult than it has to be. Thank you!❤

[BeingUndone]

This was very inspiring, as I sit in front of a simple trig prompt/output program attempting to be perfect, rather than focusing on how this exercise shows me what areas I need to pinpoint for growth and further learning… ONWARD!

Thank you

[sjsadjf]

I've been coding in Java for a decade, and I can wholeheartedly affirm that what you said in this video is absolutely accurate. For anyone looking for a magic trick to become a professional, I must tell you, there simply isn't one... Just practice practice and practice

[othnielgraichen]

I started programming professionally in1981. I now choose to program in c++. My advice is to not rely too heavily on one compilers messages and warnings. Build object classes that reduce the abstraction level of your highest level code. Namespaces are your friend.

[NotGarbageLoops]

I started out and spent around 5 years doing C++, but eventually ended up working exclusively in JavaScript and TypeScript. A major thing I've found during JS/TS peer reviews and training is that other programmers greatly struggle with things I simply find intuitive. Then I think about and it and realise those things MUST be understood to write even basic C++. I may not use the language anymore, but learning it was one of the best decisions I've made for my career.

[BumHaven]

I could not agree more. As someone who started programming in 1993, my first languages were C and a bit of Assembly. Over the course of my career I have developed significant commercial projects in C/C++, Objective-C, Java, Javascript and Python. Platforms spanned win16 / win32 API development on Windows, Objective-C w/WebObjects / EOF on NeXT / OpenStep followed by full stack web and iOS Developer development. Early in my career I agonized over every line of code trying to make it "perfect". There is a better way. Avoid perfection and just code as much as possible, ideally on projects that interest you. Once a project is complete, then look back and figure out what you could have done better. Share what you have done with people you respect and get their feedback. Take those lessons and move on to the next project.

[stevenlippert]

Great, I wish I could see some cool C++ basics videos from you, but also love how you might show us some old code snippets of yours and explain what they do and what you might have thought back then and what you might have do today instead. Sounds really worth it. I'm starting October 4th this year at a programming university with C and a year later with C++.

[Norman_Fleming]

Writing and debugging your own 'bad code' is the beginning to a wonderful career. Then you move on to debugging other peoples bad code and see how many ways there are to incorrectly do the same thing. Learning the 'old' languages (I have been coding for 40+ years) is a great way to appreciate HOW things work, not just that they work. I agree that making it work is the goal when starting out. As long as you are willing to, as you move forward, recognize the better and less good things you do, and improve with each new attempt. My motto has always been "I screw up more before 9 AM than most people do in a day." You learn by getting it wrong. That forms the memories of what does, and does not, work in a given situation. Subscribed.

[Vaenivo]

Thank you for the motivation. I needed it today, and I'm appreciative that I stumbled upon your video.

[ram]

First video on the channel and YouTube already favors you. Looking forward to your upcoming videos as an experienced programmer