🚀 go-pugleaf

Anthony Kanner wrote:
> 
> OK I got watcom c++ 10.5.  I know how to do the basics of it
> but the instruction manual is incredibly short that comes with
> watcom C++ and to buy the books cost over $130! Is there anyway
> I can really learn all of the features of watcom c++ without
> getting the BIG bookset?
> 
> - Anthony
Hi.

You dont need to buy the books because they are accessible online
from the CD-ROM.

If you installed the WINDOWS related files you can read the docs as
WINDOWS-helpfiles (*.hlp) or if you use the DOS Compiler (my favourite one)
you try after setting all the PATH's correct etc.

 WHELP

It gives you a list of all *.ihp files (the DOS-version of the *.hlp files)
found and you can choose then the one you want to read. Like this:

WHELP clib 

If you need help for a special topic of the file and you know its name like 
"printf" or "getchar" try

WHELP clib printf
or
WHELP clib getchar

and the helper program opens the page you wanted.

Hope that helps

Lars.

> OK I got watcom c++ 10.5.  I know how to do the basics of it 
> but the instruction manual is incredibly short that comes with 
> watcom C++ and to buy the books cost over $130! Is there anyway 
> I can really learn all of the features of watcom c++ without 
> getting the BIG bookset?
> 
> - Anthony
Anthony,
  If your Watcom interests are DPS/Pmode code check out Ground Up Graphics
(GUG) and Varmint's Audio Tools (VAT). GUG will bootstrap you into doing
DOS/Pmode coding.
  GUG  http://www.swcp.com/~nbreeden    <-- look for the GUG link
  VAT  http://www.rt66.com/smeagol/html/vat.html
-Neil

>> OK I got watcom c++ 10.5.  I know how to do the basics of it 
>> but the instruction manual is incredibly short that comes with 
>> watcom C++ and to buy the books cost over $130! Is there anyway 
>> I can really learn all of the features of watcom c++ without 
>> getting the BIG bookset?

What about the online documentation?  ALL of the documentation is in the
online help files.  The $130 buys you the same exact thing in paper format.

--Rob

In <4dn13r$mo9@news.dx.net>, robmc@shol.com (Rob McCafferty) writes:
>>> OK I got watcom c++ 10.5.  I know how to do the basics of it 
>>> but the instruction manual is incredibly short that comes with 
>>> watcom C++ and to buy the books cost over $130! Is there anyway 
>>> I can really learn all of the features of watcom c++ without 
>>> getting the BIG bookset?
>
>What about the online documentation?  ALL of the documentation is in the
>online help files.  The $130 buys you the same exact thing in paper format.

Unless things have changed in 10.5 (primarily a release for the Windows
folks), the two language books (for C and C++) are not included in the
on=line manual.  The C++ book a reprint of Bjarne Stroustrup's "The C++
Programming Language."  It is the second edition and available at most
bookstores.  The C book is "Watcom C Language Reference" and is
hopefully available from Watcom separately - it is particularly important
if you're programming in DOS.

Bill McCarthy
actuary@nando.net
Wendell, NC  USA

Anthony Kanner <kanner@earthlink.net> wrote:

>OK I got watcom c++ 10.5.  I know how to do the basics of it 
>but the instruction manual is incredibly short that comes with 
>watcom C++ and to buy the books cost over $130! Is there anyway 
>I can really learn all of the features of watcom c++ without 
>getting the BIG bookset?

>- Anthony
try the 'whelp' system supplied with the compiler

In <4dpl82$n4s@castle.nando.net>, actuary@nando.net   (Bill McCarthy) writes:
>bookstores.  The C book is "Watcom C Language Reference" and is
>hopefully available from Watcom separately - it is particularly important
>if you're programming in DOS.

What's in this book that's not in the online documentation?

--Rob

In <4e44ve$q1g@news.dx.net>, robmc@shol.com (Rob McCafferty) writes:
>In <4dpl82$n4s@castle.nando.net>, actuary@nando.net   (Bill McCarthy) writes:
>>bookstores.  The C book is "Watcom C Language Reference" and is
>>hopefully available from Watcom separately - it is particularly important
>>if you're programming in DOS.
>
>What's in this book that's not in the online documentation?

It covers the C language and Watcom extensions to the language.  I'm not
a DOS programmer, but for those that are it covers all that segment stuff.

If you don't need a C reference and don't care about Watcom's extensions
and keep away from DOS, you don't need it.

Bill McCarthy
actuary@nando.net
Wendell, NC  USA

In <4df3d4$i31@bolivia.it.earthlink.net>, Anthony Kanner <kanner@earthlink.net> writes:
>I can really learn all of the features of watcom c++ without 
>getting the BIG bookset?


Read the online docs and look at the online examples?

steveh@fishnet.net

steveh@fishnet.net writes

 > In <4df3d4$i31@bolivia.it.earthlink.net>, Anthony Kanner <kanner@earthlink.net> writes:
 > >I can really learn all of the features of watcom c++ without 
 > >getting the BIG bookset?
 > 
 > Read the online docs and look at the online examples?

There are at least two distinct questions here:

	How do I learn C++?
	How do I learn Watcom's C++ program development environment?

I suspect the answers to these two questions are not identical.

It may be possible to effectively learn what is necessary for true
mastery of a program development environment from the online documents
and online examples. That is not my personal experience, but it is a
claim often made. I find that an hour or two with an experienced user
at the early stages of learning does miracles.

Most people do not learn C++ well from documentation of language features
and short examples. The concepts behind the features are likely to be lost.

The key to good C++ programming is not comprehension of individual features,
but an understanding of the concepts and techniques that these features
were designed to support.

In my experience, that understanding best obtained through a combination
of reading and experimentation. For the reading part there is no substitute
for a good textbook or at least a collection of good papers.

By `good' I here imply texts that focus on concepts and the relationship
between concepts and code, rather than texts that either gets so into
concepts that they are of little use to practical programmers, or texts
that focuss of handy hints or language-technical artistry at the expense
of fundamental concepts.

Reading by itself - without experimentation - is sterile.

	- Bjarne

In <4eleph$jd2@donatello.leonardo.net>, steveh@fishnet.net writes:
>In <4df3d4$i31@bolivia.it.earthlink.net>, Anthony Kanner <kanner@earthlink.net> writes:
>>I can really learn all of the features of watcom c++ without 
>>getting the BIG bookset?
>
>
>Read the online docs and look at the online examples?
>
>steveh@fishnet.net
>

If you have any experience with another compiler or language, Watcom C++
should be easy. The problems only start when you experiment with the
compiler options. Then experience with another C++ package is very helpful.
By all means use the Windows or OS/2 graphical environment! Compiling from
the command line can be frustrating for the newbie.

keith

khelmink@nando.net

also experiment a lot with the different options and look at the results 
at the assembly level. There are very few things I haven't been able to 
find in the online docs and examples.
leonardo@lander.es