Subj : Re: where do i go now?
To   : borland.public.cpp.borlandcpp
From : "Dwayne" <myfrienddr@yahoo.com>
Date : Mon Nov 03 2003 08:59 am

Mori >>
i've taken the collegeboard's ap exam in c++ and have done well on it, but
i'm at a loss as to where i should go from here. can someone point me to a
resource that helps me use this knowledge to do something useful? i mean, i
know my variables and vectors and matricies and constructors and destructors
and classes and objects well enough, but if i want to do anything besides
making a program in dos then i've hit a brick wall.
thanks<<

        You may get a slap on the hand for posting in the wrong newsgroup,
(there is a group called None technical).  But I will answer you anyhow.
Since it is a C/C++ non specific compiler question.


          Well, this is where your imagination can take you anywhere you
want.
You have the basics of C/C++, you know how classes work, inheritance, and
other aspects.

         You can actually go a number of different ways.

    You can buy a compiler (like BCB) that has many features programmed for
you, and learn
to use those features, or you can start making your own programs to
manipulate and control
the computer.   One of my first programs I did, was a DBASE Management
program. Back in the 70's and 80's there were many different kinds of
Dbases.  And before DBASE came out, I created my own "Library" (if you want
to call it that) of modules to access my own Dbase on a computer.  I had
lookup, save, search, Replace, Seek, and other modules  that allowed me to
do anything I want within my own DBASE format.  Then, after a while, I
noticed  DBASE III seemed to become a popular standard, so I rewrote all my
modules to control the DBASEIII format database files.   I also wrote my own
screen routine inputs, so it would look like a Windows input format on the
screen.

              Another very useful program I wrote (and I still use it today)
Is a BTree on a disk.  I almost unlimited amount of space for my BTree, and
it runs extremely fast on the disk(it seems just as fast on disk and
memory), and I only have to load in a library to do it.  I have used it from
Turbo Pascal 3 and Turbo C/C++ Version 1 to BCB5 Pro.  Though this is
actually nothing compared to what folks do, it teaches you good Debug
techniques, Good problem solving, and good file manipulation.

            Another routine I wrote (which I never knew existed in the
compilers until a few months ago <g>) was a Date Ager.   It calculates the
number of days between two days.  Great for agings.  Throughout the decades,
I just kept using my module, until someone on this newsgroup mentioned
dates, and I read the answer...<g>


             You have the language, so start off with something like these
for fun.

                              Dwayne

.