Relearning C++

I have a project at work that requires some C++ coding. For those that don't know, C++ (pronounced see-plus-plus) is a computer programming language. I learned it back in college but then never really did much with it. I spent part of my professional career writing C programs but it is slightly different and so I have been spending some of my spare time going through some old C++ books I have. Those that compare C to C++ have been most helpful.

It is fun to go back and relearn something I used to enjoy. While some software developers hate C++, I actually appreciate the language and prefer it to many others including Java. As I had a background in the language, it is much easier to pick it up again.

I had hoped when I started the project that I would simply be able to look at some example source code and remember everything I had forgotten. Unfortunately that is not the case. It has been helpful to run through my book and play with the examples.

Learning technology no longer requires a book to go through. You can use any number of tutorials and explanations found on websites. Once you get a basic understanding of the technology you are trying to learn, you may opt to supplement your learning with a book, but it is not necessary. The necessary thing to do when learning (or relearning) something new is to go through the examples. After all, we learn by doing.