15 Years Writing C++ - Advice for new programmers

I'm a video game programmer and I've been using C++ as a programming language for 15 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.

[@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.

[@bay0r]

agree. really like this guy. i hope he will post more content

[@charlrichardengelbrecht5269]

It seems like someone has a similar sense of humour. 😂

[@homomorphic]

The rest of the internet are, by definition, morons.

[@Polynesie410]

The amazing thing for me is that C++ is still in demand. I also programmed C and Visual C++ for about 15 years. I thought the language was dead? Maybe I should pick up where I left off. Of course, I enjoyed it. If you're careful, the programs run very reliably.

[@ayrmendina8314]

@@benbrook469 As in C++ to get into quantitative finance? Thanks in advance :)

[@draughonc]

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

[@specialfriedrice4949]

how is your progress with C going? 😁

[@darkknight17]

Amazing story, I think that's solid.

[@paulcavounis6467]

C is awesome.

[@NathansHVAC]

The little embedded stuff is really cool to work with. An ESP32 device the size of a quarter has the same power and memory of a 1990s vintage PC. Arduino has nice libraries too. The cost is $10 to get started.

[@n1v3kTV]

Im 38 and doing the same thing and thinking getting into win32api lol

[@bonquaviusdingle5720]

"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

[@Quick-Laughs123]

I hope to that point, i am still banging my head off the walls..throwing PC's out of windows..

[@billyboy1er]

I feel like if you ever stop hitting your head against the wall that means you've stopped learning, innovating and pushing yourself. And that's true in any discipline. I can only wish to keep hitting my head against the whole forever, whatever I do.

[@coolbrotherf127]

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.

[@Deus-Latin]

Of course you are not going to use C++ in Web Developement? Everything is in GoLang these days anyway except select firms keeping their backend in cpp@@RajinderYadav​

[@hu-ry]

​​@@RajinderYadav webdevelopment is a whole other direction... doesnt really make sense to be using c++ there so your argument doesnt hold

[@insoft_uk]

@@RajinderYadavthat’s like comparing apples to oranges. All my 30+ years in programming the best language is the one that best fits the task in hand, all languages are good at different areas and what ever language you’re currently using today I can guarantee C/C++ plays a big part in that when you look under the hood.

[@AnnatarTheMaia]

@@hu-ry both web "development" and C++ programming are the same kind of object-oriented programming garbage.

[@johncasey5594]

I have had a 35 year programming career. I didn't focus on the technology, good/bad code, best practices, etc. My main focus was, does it solve my clients needs are they happy. Boom, great job.

[@SyncMain]

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

[@nabir14]

I would like to see c++ videos on your channel like tutorials and your creations

[@mercynik2019]

I pick up c++ among all just because it have 2 positive signs..... And guess what .... I never regret 😀

[@awesomesauce1157]

lmao

[@Anarchy_OW]

I am going to see your video 15 years from now and it's going to be awesome to remember writing this comment.

[@johnlongaski2715]

@@Anarchy_OWsame bro

[@vsaihruthikreddy7127]

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.

[@photonq2157]

facts

[@nicolausteslaus]

Yeah, python users are gay.

[@mrmars1010]

​@@nicolausteslausbut depends on work profile bro..😂

[@aurevoir641]

python is only good if you don't mind performance/resource usage and you need a way to write scripts quickly

[@colinmaharaj]

On a few occasions, I've replaced python projects with C++.

[@emile04]

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.

[@DrunkenUFOPilot]

Works for fine art too! I'm not sure I really have a method for creating software but to the extent I do, it's go ahead and write spaghetti code, whatever comes to mind that makes sense to me at the moment, get it all hooked up and tested. Once it's working, cool, and next week refactor it to look nicer and make sense to others. I find I get a lot more done that way than trying to follow any methodology or system or anything promoted by the gurus.

[@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.

[@dnola2053]

That's a dope motto as many people are still wiping their butt after a morning flush

[@Numinus1]

Totally. I started my career working with C++ (for embedded stuff) as well as fpga's (verilog). Was too ignorant to know at the time that there were probably smoother ways to learn programming. However, after making countless mistakes, figuring out their nature and solving them I developed a solid understanding of the fundamentals of computing (how memory elements work, how logical semantics emerge from logical gates controlling streams of electricity and how that might be shaped into a processor or other ASICs; how C++ breaks down into assembly and how assembly actually drives the carefully designed digital circuit that is a processor). That foundation has been the biggest asset over the course of my career. There's simply no way to develop that understanding through merely working with the more modern languages because they're too distantly abstracted from the circuitry itself

[@deang5622]

Trust me, having to debug other people's code is not a job you want to do. Avoid it if you can.

[@deang5622]

@@Numinus1 C++ and embedded in the same sentence? Sounds like you were doing something wrong.

[@thinksie]

Just after some fairy basic C I learnt NES architecture and NMOS6502 assembly for fun. It wasn't fun at all Khahaha It was however useful, things that are good for you seldom are easy or enjoyable :P But I still enjoyed it somehow. I would totally do that again without a second thought! Most of the time I spent debugging a few dumb lines or seeing how I fucked up the code just because the principle was wrong. So for example choosing to organize data a certain way, and after 2 hours realizing it's not reusable and is gonna take exponentially more cycles, so I already am doomed until I come up with something different and rewrite everything lmfao Really makes you care about the sense of the code you're writing. I have no professional experience in programming yet though, so idk how helpful it'd be. As for self-growth it did a lot though( taking the time to understand low level stuff )

[@torarinvik4920]

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.

[@killacam2971]

Thanks for this insight. Studying computer engineering currently and chose this as my OOP language and FIRST language and have been learning it for the past 3 months. I used to be a pretty big gamer and saw many people say learning in Unreal would be a good way to but was told elsewhere that if embedded systems was in my future that it's better to learn the basics of the language. This just further confirmed it for me!

[@torarinvik4920]

@@killacam2971 My pleasure! Also I recommend not trying too much to force yourself to learn pointers and manual memory management like I did. I bought 4 books on pointers because I couldn't understand it, I did one day of learning beginners assembly and I understood it completely. As a beginner one does not need to concern oneself with these things, when your project demands it that is the time to learn it. Then you will have motivation to go more deeply into it. Also IMHO C++ in itself is not the difficult part, solving complex problems is the difficult part. I am in the process of making a game in Unreal, and the tool is incredibly user friendly and nice. It is so easy to use, that I really don't think it is possible to make it more user friendly than it already is. Happy C++ programming!!! 😀

[@lawrencedoliveiro9104]

Google’s “Carbon” project aims to start again with a clean slate, based on just those features of C++ that make sense, and leaving all the old legacy baggage behind.

[@torarinvik4920]

@@lawrencedoliveiro9104 I think that is a really good idea. The Mojo programming language is also sort of the same treatment that typescript has done to javascript just this time its python. It's also in the early experimental stage, but it has the guys behind clang,LLVM, and Swift working on it. It brings system programming into python.

[@poucxs9246]

What are (in your opinion) the basics of the C++ language ?

[@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 KZbin! 👋

[@michaelzomsuv3631]

C or C++? There's no such thing as a C/C++ language. C has nothing to do with C++, they are completely different languages. People gotta stop amalgamating these two as if they're the same, it just sounds like you don't know what you're talking about. It makes you sound like a C#/Java programmer 😜

[@bieldozap]

@@michaelzomsuv3631stfu

[@yuanfeng4194]

@@michaelzomsuv3631C++ is a superset of C

[@speedandpower8577]

@@michaelzomsuv3631 you don't know what you are talking about lol

[@samsoft9390]

​@@michaelzomsuv3631😂j

[@Vaenivo]

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

[@mariacolin2675]

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!❤

[@sjsadjf7030]

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

[@bobbobson6290]

The magic trick is called AI. Studies show that newcomers are nearly as effective programmers as professionals with AI support but they only cost a fraction.

[@zeroanims4113]

@@bobbobson6290 source of the study?

[@eyesopen6110]

java is the McDonald's of languages. Don't bother unless you want to serve fries the rest of your life.

[@Joel-mp2oo]

@@eyesopen6110 That's interesting care to explain why learning Java would make you work in fast food all your life ?

[@poorpanda9033]

They can you like give me a roadmap what are the topics I should be learning in Java to land a job, I've just started out.. I've learned fundamentals, OOP's, exception handling, collection framework. I've no idea what should I do next ! Thanks.

[@othnielgraichen8707]

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.

[@johnlongaski2715]

Wow thats a crazy long time. I write in java, not c++ but I think your message mostly translates over, especially the second part.

[@raffimolero64]

Funny how this is the total opposite error story as in Rust (a shiny hot lang that i do love as a hobbyist) Every single newcomer comes into Rust and asks a beginner question about an error, and the best first response is almost always, "Have you read the error message?" followed by "Did you do what it told you to do?" It's a godsend having a compiler that knows when to complain and how to fix its complaint. Free linter. But the main appeal is the package manager.

[@JSD999]

i need some link to learn c++ class object for some visulaisation in ureal enginer ? where can i find it ?

[@merajija6781]

​@@JSD999code with harry

[@Levelord92]

@@raffimolero64 have you tried go? is Rust better in your opinion?

[@dionegraves770]

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

[@motitac]

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

[@stevenlippert7191]

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++.

[@_ash64]

Thank you so much for this! Subbed, grateful to hear from experience. I've been struggling with learning programming for about 2 years. This helps me to simplify the approach and not overthink, which I've been trying to do recently. Ty again

[@snappingturtle8917]

Thank you for the advice. I will employ it over the next few months and see how it does for me.

[@henrythomas7112]

Thank you so much for this video. Super helpful and well-presented. Your time and effort is most appreciated!

[@culturedgator]

Love love love your message and the tone of the video! Looking forward to move vids about C++ and lowlevel, but more fundamentals like going DSA with C++ or embedded Raspberry Pi. Things that can teach CS fundamentals but also strenghths of C++ :) Cheers!

[@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.

[@MrDarkist]

Thanks for the advice. I've been programming for a year or so, and every piece of advice is useful and appreciated

[@axmy1776]

Thank you

[@Gnajs]

Learning JS but I think your advice is useful for anyone who's starting to code. Thank you for the encouragement!

[@garrick738]

This is one of the best pieces of programming advice I've heard in nearly 20 years as a software engineer. My experience was very similar. I got caught up on "finding the best, most efficient, cross-platform" way of doing a task, every time I wanted something fundamental as part of a program to do something else. Many of those programs never got written...

[@b001]

Great content! Looking forward to seeing more!

[@ram42]

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

[@masterdhise]

I'm just starting my C++ journey this was a great video. Thank you

[@N2tha8]

Thanks a lot for making this video. After 10 years of biotechnology/microbiology and 6 years of working in the chemical industry, I just found my passion for coding. I literally just started learning to code (~1-2 month ago) and can already see myself falling into these mental traps. Your advice is very much appreciated, especially this early in my learning journey.

[@mohamedalhusni6255]

I'd love to get some advice from you, I'm currently going into my second year as a biotech student.

[@GregMoress]

C# is much more modern and also easier due to less clunkiness. Java's good too (C# copied it) but Visual Studio just embarasses all other IDEs... so C#.

[@PasscodeAdvance]

Coding also is beneficial for Biotech if I'm not mistaken. But I'm only studying IT so I wouldn't really know..

[@s1lli]

what do you use it for in your field?

[@flooriiian]

Visual Studio is nothing against JetBrains IDEs@@GregMoress

[@leonmercer6359]

Thank you, I really needed to hear that. I'm just starting out on my c++ journey. Very inspirational, I have more motivation to move forward now

[@animestudent8441]

thanks for the encouragement i have a project in c++ and it's really taking a lot of time in research and work. thanks

[@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.

[@ekomukanga893]

Seeing your first video, I am in love with it. I love the fact that you are telling us realities rather than telling us the best languages. I will recommend that you start your channel as a c++ tutorial channel. If you can get all the curriculum of c++ from scratch to advanced concepts, also showing us how to use c++ in game development, I can assure that your channel will be a high rated channel. I wish to learn to you.

[@Darkkzsh]

up

[@rezmon5311]

Up!

[@coldspine3697]

He may not have the time or energy

[@molequles8943]

Beautiful. I was on the opposite side of the spectrum and got overwhelmed by the issues you're describing. Definitely will take your advice to heart and give it a go again.

[@dark_red_blood]

Best advice. Thank you, i can't wait to watch the rest.

[@stormgamesyt]

Facts, couldn't agree more. I am so glad that when I started coding I was 7 years old. Because at that time I was so young that I didn't know that I could even worry about things being bad. It worked out perfectly since I matured with my coding and the events played out well!

[@svenbtb]

Started learning C++ fairly recently, after originally studying Web Development for a year and spending some time learning C# within a Unity context for a couple years. But I realized that learning C++ would get me closer to my goals, so I've been learning that now. It really isn't as scary as a lot of people try to make it out to be, and I've been really enjoying it a lot. I've been doing exactly what you're saying, after learning all the basic syntax and stuff I've been trying to make some small projects and learn by doing - you seriously learn SO much better from just doing instead of trying to read multiple 400+ page books before deciding you're ready.

[@monamodikgwete3423]

Where can I get practiceprojects for C++? I was reading some 2000 pages book and I see it is much more theoretical than real life practice.

[@welovebotlu8380]

Is C# bad? I have not use unity and C#.

[@fabio.1]

Following

[@Ghorda9]

@@monamodikgwete3423 just make some games, even if they just use the debug window.

[@PianoJoe822]

Love the insight, thank you!

[@hubwil89]

Thank you so much for this video! Inspiring and giving a lot of extra strength for aspiring programmer like myself.

[@kenzo3518]

I'm just starting my journey. Will be studying CS from Feb 2024 where they teach C#. I just came across your video randomly and it was cool to hear your thoughts on your beginnings. Will focus on the fundamentals and learn to debug - but as you mentioned, I will try to do more actual writing and fix my errors instead of getting stuck in tutorial videos.

[@joshj.8870]

I don't know why the algorithm recommended this video but I'm glad it did. I can see a lot of similarities in what you said about just getting started (imposter syndrome) and would love to know more about how you started as a lot of people gloss over it as easy as "develop something you'd enjoy using" - 15 years ago the technology was very different to today. Happy to be subscribed for video #1 and hope you make a lot more. You must be blown away by the views/subscribers already.

[@raykos4257]

THANK YOU for this video. Probably the best C++/coding video I ever watched!

[@csakdee]

Thank You for sharing Your thoughts and advice!

[@carljones9640]

I'm about 3 years deep into programming now, mostly from the perspective of data analytics and applied math with a bit of control theory thrown in. I've been in a slump for probably the last 8 months, way too concerned about everything you brought up. You alleviated a lot of that for me, just knowing this is a normal thing for people to go through. Especially since I'm not really a traditional programmer. Thank you. I'm going to go write some code today.

[@XXlikeabauss]

no one's traditional... Hack that sh!t !!!!

[@KeytarArgonian]

I’ve started learning c++ just this week and honestly, having something as simple as a weight converter through a couple of steps from how much you weigh to, having a simple number choice for a planet, and then having it convert that weight to what you’d weigh on that planet, and then debugging the whole thing myself was just super rewarding! I think I’m hooked although now I’m dealing with And, or, not and bool which is a bit harder but I’ll crack it eventually. What I’m saying is the wins are rewarding, I’ve already had my head in my hands this evening but still it’s gonna get better! It’s the only way to learn. YT watching programmers in all fields is helping loads too so I appreciate the upload!

[@C0nstantineify]

This is probably the most useful advice I've ever gotten with regard to programming. Thank you man :)

[@Linkenstein06]

Thank you so much for this message. I actually needed to hear it. Il keep hitting the wall

[@reverse_shell]

I started my C++ journey almost a year ago and I am now writing the applications I want and need for what I do. I get hit with the "use Rust" and or insert language here, but they all have ups and downs. The best part of the journey has been simply learning how to think differently and that can be applied to other languages without any problem. I just find the freedom within C++ to be worth it.

[@computernerd8157]

I agree, we all heard the saying dont reinvent ths wheel, but the language devs do it all the time. Python has no for loop or arrays everything is a list. Kotlin has you define function parameter backwards to convention ect. I believe learing C++ and Regular C makes you a better developer, more so C. You have no built in data structers with C and since white board interviews want you to know Data Structers, no languange going to force you to know them like C. C++ will give you classes. In the end, they want you to know the main langauge you are interviewing for so what you choose to know forces you dowm a career path. As a C++ dev, we got embedded, video games and Operating Systems.

[@jodystocks3695]

Hey Chris, Thanks for your video. Sometimes you just need to hear from someone with more experience that you're actually not doing a bad job. There is always something new to learn so don't sweat the small stuff. I actually got stuck in the loop of worrying about doing things the wrong way and I would stop what I was doing and ask for advice. Instead of writing the code and then getting a review on it later. That way I can improve upon what I have already written. I am shifting this now where I stop worrying about the right way of coding and focus on getting my code to do what I want it to, then I focus on optimization and cleanup before finally getting a review from the community on Git. I do this with PR checks :) I write in C++ and Python :)

[@ilordepic]

thank you for sharing this man, I really liked how chill your advice was.

[@jeanjacquesstrydom]

Thank you for this! I think a lot of programmers (both old and new) need to hear this.

[@ivankevamo]

I've been in this field for as long as you have, and I couldn't agree more. Even though I'm not a C++ developer like you, I'm an ABAP developer. I've experienced similar feelings and fears, like wondering, "What if I write poorly structured code and someone notices?" However, with time, I've come to understand that these concerns are all part of the journey. In every profession, individuals are bound to face judgment from others, and that's perfectly alright. Moreover, I've evolved over the past decade, just as any professional does. This growth applies to me both as a software developer and as an individual.

[@Noah-pt5ss]

Amazing video! My first ever langauge was C++, and I can say that it was hard but totally expected when your new to programming. I was told not to start with C++, but with Python. But I feel like if I had started with Python, C++ would have been alot more frustrating. I developed a skill to debug in C++ that I never would have done with Python per say. So personally I think C++ is an amazing langauge to start with as a complete beginner to programming. Get traight into the sauce. My first ever project was a game eninge, I know, an extreme way to start your C++ journey. But It was fun, and that was the important part.

[@alibinabdulwahab2857]

Thanks, great advice. Helps a lot for new programmers.

[@Nilinking]

You got a new follower. Thanks man you are fantastic!

[@nickdaboss03]

As someone who started programming fairly recently, my experience has been quite the opposite. Starting out with python, everywhere I go influencers actually RECOMMEND you learn either C or C++ to actually understand the nuts and bolts of what you're doing minus all the abstraction that a language like python has. It's to the point where I'm starting to get impatient about learning python and want to dive into C++ already! But I know the best thing I can do is finish what I've started, learn python first and then pick up C++. And I can't wait to do it!

[@SyncMain]

I have noticed more of an uptick in those kinds of recommendations recently, or maybe I just wasn't seeing them based on what was in front of me at the time, but I think it's a good thing to learn for anyone interested! If you'll be doing most of your work in Python, then absolutely no rush, you can learn the underlying stuff in time :) Thanks for watching!

[@Ken-oe3ch]

Thanks for that! In the early 70's I got an intern position and was being trained on Assembly Language. The original excitement I had when I was originally introduced to COBOL fizzled away so I took the next decade off to do just about anything else. I became excited again with the coming of personal computers, dBase and Foxpro programs and managed to hold a few gigs with those new skills. Today I am very happy working with microcontrollers in the Arduino ecosystem. Combine that with some CAD skills, PCB design and 3D printing I now can make a custom instrument product that some folks want to purchase.

[@bilalelbahi6318]

great . what do you think about AI nowadays . and how far can effect on human carriers like software

[@xmhpjo]

love you man! incredible inspiration

[@alvarobazan7683]

Thank you for this, I needed the motivation. recently I've started coding things I like vs coding what I think I need to code to learn "optimally". I'm going into my Junior year of college, the path up to now has been so hard with how the pandemic affected everything and the fact that besides some HTML and CSS, i knew nothing about programming. sometimes I feel like I'm not good enough to be where I am but then I remember about all the self-studying I've done and all of the hours I've put into this craft. That makes me feel more worthy. Thank you for your video once again.

[@petkish]

I started programming C++ in the university, I believe mid-90s. At first it was hard and took a couple of years to pick the concepts of the OOP and the templates, then many years it took to learn not to abuse them and start writing clean code. As with everything, practice and keep in mind that people, including yourself, will need to read what you have written, and develop a clean style. Unfortunately, too many programmers try to show off and produce unreadable unmaintainable source code with deep class hierarchies, multiple virtual classes, huge templated code, etc.

[@InnsmouthAdmiral]

We started programming at the same time! I was writing C++ back in 2008 as well. I switched to other languages, but it was really cool to hear the perspective of someone who stuck to it for 15 years.

[@Dave2kool4skool]

Great video. Hope you upload more in the future with topics you recommend to help us get from noob to pro. You have a very well organized way of presenting your thoughts. Also shout out to the Dreamcast in the background.

[@scito1541]

man i needed to hear this especially the part about starting the right way thank you

[@dudeistpriest787]

I was teaching myself C++ a few months ago and, honestly, it came so naturally to me it was kind of a shock. I liked the problem-solving, I liked everything about it, I just "got it" in a way I never really have with anything else. I kind of felt bad about dropping it, but there's not a snowball's chance in Hell of me actually getting a job in the field and I don't need another hobby, so I didn't see the point in continuing.

[@wiskasIO]

Thanks for your honesty and advice. I'm currently in the same situation but with JavaScript. I was trying to learn Typescript and Angular and everything at the same and just hitting a wall and getting frustrated but before quitting I saw some video with similar advice to yours. Then I started from scratch just getting small things done learning the basics HTML, CSS and vanilla JavaScript and not only Im learning way more than a year ago, I'm enjoying it while being productive.

[@SeedRamples]

The Odin Project is a great way to learn web dev if you are interested in doing that!

[@dervaken3902]

for me, it was way more productive to start from react and come back to js whenever I need

[@SeedRamples]

@@dervaken3902 What experience do you have in the SWE industry? Most everyone I've heard talk about how to learn JS says to start with the base language and after you've built up your foundations to go learn a framework or two. I'd love to hear more about why you think going the other way works well for you.

[@laughandbelly]

thank you!!!! im learning C right now and it taught me so so much! thank u for your advice, it's really helpful

[@BehemothDigital-zv2xo]

Thanks brotha this was awesome!

[@suham5132]

This man woke up one day after writing c++ for 15 years and suddenly started to speak facts.

[@shin_akira_]

Hey! Thanks for the advice. As a gamedev struggling to get out of the Unity/C# space and into the UE5/C++ space, this was something I needed to hear. As I look for a new job, I've realized I need some serious practice with both C++ AND my CS fundamentals. I've been struggling to find the "most efficient" route, because my time is so limited since I'm writing tools in python 40 hours a week for work. But, the best way is A Way, Any Way!

[@eneskilicarslan]

hey what is your job actually, i want to know more about a work that is all writing tools with python

[@user-nw7jo5xw9x]

i'm curious about the reason to get out of Unity/C# space while you are already proficient in it?

[@shin_akira_]

@@eneskilicarslan currently i'm a pipeline engineer for an animation studio

[@shin_akira_]

@@user-nw7jo5xw9x i want to follow the game industry, and the industry at large looks to want C++ and UE5, not C#

[@kgethegodev]

Thank you for this video brother

[@Gabriel-pd8sv]

That was actually helpful, thanks!

[@ChadiHD112]

I am on 2 years of programming. Firstly started with C++ and then switched to C# because of my job purposes. However, I never learned programming for the syntax or even for how complex it is. I wanted to create real products and software for anything that I need without thinking which language is best. Programming languages is a tool that I love using everyday. Thank for the insight SyncMain and please dont stop doing what you love most.

[@sournois90]

2 years and already got a job?? wow

[@pastuh]

C# can certainly be helpful. At work, you can impress everyone by showcasing your skills in solving multiple problems.

[@vanshmehan8634]

Can you please suggest some really good projects in c++?!

[@stea27]

Well said. I also agree that it is much more important to achieve your goal, than to struggle or even give up midway because you can't do it the way some group of people want. In time, you'll definitely learn what is good practice, what is a bad approach, and you'll begin to understand why are other people recommending the other ways and design patterns, why do these languages and frameworks solve the problems the way they do etc. You can always refactor later, so don't be afraid if it doesn't turn out the best for the first few tries. Languages are just tools. To me, there's no good or bad language in general. It always depends on the task you need to do. You have to pick the language and even framework that helps you the most to accomplish your goal for the right needs (system, performance, timeframe). Your choice is right if you don't feel that you're fighting against every tool constantly. And that's why you can't skip learning the language and practice coding in it. Without practice, you are never going to "level up". If I also looked back the code I wrote as a novice in around 2007, I would also change several things to make the code more safe, testable, readable, and reusable.

[@lucascecconi258]

Hi Chris i just started programming and i really liked the video, especially when you say that we don't need to worry about doing it the right way(that's what i was worrying about a lot ). I really enjoyed your advices, and people like you are very important for beginners like me, not only for the advice, but also for a confidence boost. Thanks ❤ :)

[@sajaldewangan4343]

Loved this video. I don't know why this is the most relaxing, comfortable video about programming, (that too C++, lol) I have ever seen. You deserve much more subscribers. Absolutely Loved it

[@user-sb6bf9it4s]

Good evening! I'm someone who has worked in development for over 10 years, but not as a coder. Obviously still, being part of the development team I had to learn concepts how things work, but I never learned to code myself.. so I started to learn on my own. From my own experience I would suggest people to learn Python or similar first, but only the fundamentals like variables, loops, functions, classes etc. and then move to more "in-depth-language". I learned Python only for few months before switching to C++ and I found it to be much more interesting, because it helped (forced!!) me to understand why things are done in a certain way when coding and how things really work under the hood with memory allocation for example. What I learned and what kind of programs I could code increased exponentially after I had switched to C++ and had the "fundamentals" already in control. I'm still learning and coding C++ everyday

[@xybersurfer]

C++ (going low level) is not the only way to add depth. if you have time to spare, i recommend looking at a Functional Programming Language. these require way less code even than Python, but that does not mean it's easy. and Functional Programming really changes the way you think in other languages. Relational Database design (ER Diagrams) and the SQL language is another thing i recommend looking at. what you are doing now seems like more of the same (Imperative Programming) only with more details. just throwing that out there

[@Paul-om1zs]

Thank you for these valuable tips!

[@damondouglas]

This is one of the rare videos I wanted to thumbs up continually as I watched it. Thank you for your encouraging thoughts.

[@adnanaman4391]

How come you're verified and just have 4 subscribers?

[@halfbakedproductions7887]

C++ seems to be getting easier as time goes by. The syntax is becoming cleaner and neater while lots of useful things are now baked into the standard libraries by default. Previously, you'd have to roll your own or rely on third-party offerings such as boost.

[@user-ky8xb7vu3o]

Oh christ, boost libs, good times haahha

[@MRL8770]

I think this only makes it more complicated and overwhelming for newcomers instead of being easier. The tutorials that use old "outdated" constructs still exists and the new ones are only applicable in some cases. This means that nowadays you will have to gain more knowledge in order to understand existing C++ code than you had back when C++98 was the current standard.

[@minewarz]

Thank you for this video. I finished my bachelor in Computing Science a year ago, and am currently a junior java developer. I've had a lot of uncertainties about whether programming is actually for me. I've done really well in uni, but I found I lacked the enthusiasm a lot of fellow students seemed to have, and I didn't really do any programming in my free time. I'm now realizing a lot of that is due to my perfectionism and wanting to do things the right way, being afraid to fail. I'm afraid of wasting valuable time, but you're right. Learning new things, starting new projects and such, is daunting, and just the risk of failure makes me not want to do them. BI'm also thinking about moving in the direction of game development and experimenting with it next year before committing to that route.ut as you say, just doing it, getting something to work, hitting my head against the wall, it's all part of it and probably the best way to learn, and get stuff done, it's not wasted time. I'm thinking about moving in the direction of game development and experimenting with it next year before committing to that route, and this video really helps motivate me for that, so thank you.

[@ssj4goki103]

I feel the same I feel like I wasted my time doing it

[@JohnSmith-pn2vl]

this was exactly what i am struggling with, thanks a lot :) back to the grind (:

[@lucpeters3230]

Didn’t realise it was your first video! Thanks for the advice

[@ricardomonge2769]

There are concepts like RAII, smart pointers and nowadays things like coroutines that come from other languages, that are worth learning in C++ as well. So yeah learning C++ is worth it in the long run.

[@0ia]

Some people would be on the opposite end of the spectrum, saying it's absolutely not worth learning these concepts in C++ - a waste of time. There are differing opinions, so people should be critical. It's never as simple as "this is worth learning" and "this is not worth learning" because there are *always* differing opinions. My favorite way of dealing with this is to spend a long time in one extreme, then spend a long time in the other extreme, and then judge what worked better.

[@imigi427]

Writing own's projects is the best you can do for your learning process!! Started 1.3 years ago with my first project, then after 4 months started writing one big project that took me 6 months, later few smaller projects and I got my first job as software engineer in 07.2023 , which is 2 weeks right now.

[@guilhermemarinho3591]

I'll start my learning journey with C++ in 09/23. Thank you for the advices man!

[@blazexy5657]

Man tysm fir this message it means a lot i actually started learning C++ like two days ago and i have been thinking if I'm doing things the right way but thanks to your message i can keep going

[@eprst0]

God like dude) Im started to learn c++ because its must have in programming graphics(opengl). And want to make indie games or write own tiny game engine. But now im coding at c language(sry for english:)) with raylib. Its very simple and fun. Thanks for video

[@raghav9000]

Nice, I too may start learning opengl the later half of this year

[@SyncMain]

I hadn't heard of raylib before, it looks cool! If you're into indie games you probably already know about itch.io, but if not you should check out the developer community there. Lots of people learning and sharing there, I'm sure you'll find something relevant to your interests.

[@brutelijkecht6461]

This is not only good advice for programming, but for many, many things! Maybe even life itself? Do not be afraid to make mistakes, just learn from them, if not the first time then the second or third or many attempts more. ENJOY LEARNING ❤

[@Loggerr]

Thank you. A good reminder indeed

[@papibear6]

Thanks so much for this my dude, i recently started my bachelors in tech majorin in software dev. So this channel is gonna be my new source ! keep at it

[@ElrosGames]

You should consider creating videos that focus on coding, your hobbies, and problem-solving techniques. I believe many individuals would value content like yours. It would be wonderful to see inspiring videos from you. Thank you for your valuable contributions.

[@Epilogue_04]

Im a physics student and i feel comfortable working with a computer but i never really had the interest to learn coding until i need it it for some courses in my career. I had to learn python, matlab, a bit of C++ since then I've got a massive respect to the professionals of coding because the first thing i noticed was that you need such a patience for almost everything, even when you feel like hitting the damn screen when something is wrong with the code 😂.

[@chelo5062]

hey, im also a physics student (1st year in college) and i passed the python exams like 2 weeks ago, any advice for studying math or solving physics problems?? i do really struggle studying sometimes

[@Epilogue_04]

@@chelo5062 Hi, i finished all my courses already and I'm currently working on my dissertation, sometimes i struggle to sit and study too lol, I hate to put it this way but I do it with the best wishes towards you. Depending on the background you have on math, physics etc. The journey will be more or less hard but not impossible, in my case it was hard due to having a bad background. But the things that helped me were to know that I really wanted to surpass my limits becoming better and of course being conscious of what are the implications of that. Willing to sacrifice your hobbies, and other stuff so you can study. Not forever of course. Knowing that to become a better student you need a lot of patience and work. Knowing that you should enjoy the process, because it's slow. (Here is where you must ask to yourself if you really want to follow this path) Once I accepted those things I felt kinda free to study without doing it for the reward or because I have to. Of course I'm not telling you that I've mastered of all that already, sometimes I feel like no wanting to study and play videogames and that is ok but shouldn't be done often. Basically my tip is that you should wonder about why it's hard for you to study, identify the problem or problems and think how could you solve those and ofc do it.

[@chelo5062]

@@Epilogue_04 oh, so the struggle is normal then, i think my worst weakness is that i come from high school where i never had to study half as hard as i have to in college, it's just about getting used to it ig. Btw where are you from? I saw your yt channel and you have some spanish playlists, im from Argentina. Thanks for answering and good luck on your dissertation, hope i can reach that point someday too.

[@seansarkar75]

i majored in Electrical Engineering and had zero interest in coding in the beginning.. i even hated Comp Sci I (which actually taught C++).. but then around junior and senior years i started having to code a lot for my regular classes.. was some MATLAB and some C programming too.. that's where i started really getting into coding.. i graduated college in 2008, and fast forward 15 yrs, i'm a senior software engineer now

[@vitalyl1327]

As a physics student you may appreciate CERN ROOT and how C++ is used for scripting it. I am still puzzled why ROOT is unknown outside of particle physics, it is a great tool useful for nearly everyone.

[@dchawk4x]

Thanks for the encouragement

[@mikecbyrd]

Couldn’t agree more! Well put, Chris!

[@baralike8206]

As someone who went directly from block programming to learning C++, I'm very happy I did. Although it can be frustrating at times, it gives such a good understanding of programming as a whole, and it becomes ridiculously easy to learn new langauges.

[@scoutbane1651]

Yeeeep true. I don't even remember most of the stuff I covered when learning it but I'm able to pick up other languages very easily now. Hoping to get back into it but its daunting because it's so expansive

[@pavelperina7629]

Except of Rust :-)

[@connorcc]

I've been learning to code since high school and currently in college. This describes my situation too well! I learn extremely well in classes because I'm forced to do everything in a certain way, using old and "bad" languages. But when teaching myself or building side projects, I never accomplish anything. I get stuck on choosing languages and frameworks and start thinking about deployment before writing a single line of code. If I start writing code, I sink into endless refactoring before anything is even working. I'm just too worried about doing it "the wrong way." Even as I clicked on this video, I wanted to see some advice about writing clean code or managing complexity or organizing code. I used to think "don't be afraid to make mistakes" is such a dumb advice, but here I am, learning to not fear mistakes. Thank you for saying exactly what I needed!

[@datastorage-tz8wd]

i wrote 3 or 4 different chess bases for my chess project since 2019. never finished one of them.... i feel this comment so hard lol

[@anze0]

Wow im in same situation!! 🙃

[@emmanuelenrique63]

Thanks man just starting to learn c++ and this makes me understand that after several years of coding it must become ultimately natural, thanks! Gotta keep it up.

[@HVACTechMechanic]

Damn.. this is a really good video. Thank you for your words of wisdom. I'm currently learning Java and have heard mixed advice on "picking the right language". You sir are the man

[@BraveAce]

My goal for the summer is to read the entire textbook of c++ programming written by D.S Malik. I want to become an expert at the basic usage of c++ before learning the advanced topics. C++ is my first language being a college student in CS.

[@kamilkrezoek3319]

I strongly recommend to just jump straight into programming and get your hands dirty. Write basic programs, look for implementation examples, try to understand them, rewrite, make mistakes and repeat