>> Given that I could bearly produce working code in C with the tutor's 
>> help, my chances of getting anywhere with C++ are basically nil.
> 
>   On the contrary: C++ makes it much easier to write working safe code.
> You just need a few rules of thumb:
> 
> 1) If you ever get the temptation of using the keyword 'new', don't.
>    (And no, "malloc()" is not good either. See rule 3.)
> 
> 2) If possible, avoid using pointers.
> 
> 3) If possible, avoid functions in the C standard library.
> 
> 4) If you want, use the at() method to access data in random access data
>    containers.
> 
>   That's it. With these simple rules you will be writing clean safe code
> in no time.

Rule 3 should be easy - assuming C++ provides good replacements. (Seems 
like a safe assumption to me.) Rule 1 looks fairly easy.

Rule 2 is the one that puzzles me. At least in C, *anything* larger than 
a machine register is a pointer. So "avoid pointers" is pretty much 
impossible as soon as you want to touch anything larger than 32 bits. No 
strings, no arrays, no structs, nothing. Unless C++ radically changes 
the rules in this respect, I'm not sure I see a way round that.

Regarding rule 4... does this mean C++ at least manages to provide some 
standard containers *other* than arrays? (And that you can *query the 
size* of an array?)

> These rules should be broken only when you get very fluent
> with the language and know what you are doing.

But you can 100% guarantee that any code you read that was written by 
somebody else will be full of such exceptions. ;-)

>>> I 
>>> had a lot of fun with C++ and OpenGL in college. It's really not that hard 
>>> to learn for someone like you.
> 
>> As I say, the trouble is that if your program doesn't work, there is no 
>> way you can ever find out why.
> 
>   Modern compilers and profilers do a quite good job at catching typical
> beginner mistakes in C++ programs.

Well, perhaps. I doubt they'll help you fix OpenGL issues though...

-- 
http://blog.orphi.me.uk/
http://www.zazzle.com/MathematicalOrchid*

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