Xref: news2.mv.net comp.os.msdos.djgpp:5670
From: norbertj AT panix DOT com (deuce)
Newsgroups: comp.os.msdos.djgpp
Subject: Re: new to djgpp
Date: 4 Jul 1996 16:48:21 -0400
Organization: PANIX Public Access Internet and Unix, NYC
Lines: 43
Message-ID: <4rhaml$odn@panix2.panix.com>
References: <1 DOT 5 DOT 4 DOT 16 DOT 19960703185502 DOT 0a973ee0 AT mailhost DOT cyberhighway DOT net>
NNTP-Posting-Host: panix2.panix.com
To: djgpp AT delorie DOT com
DJ-Gateway: from newsgroup comp.os.msdos.djgpp

In <1 DOT 5 DOT 4 DOT 16 DOT 19960703185502 DOT 0a973ee0 AT mailhost DOT cyberhighway DOT net> laurin keith davis <laurin AT cyberhighway DOT net> writes:

>man! i am lost with this. i used to be fluent in basic(about a decade ago!),
>and i think i can catch on to c and c++, but trying to get a compiler to
>work, might make me shoot myself! i have tried z80(by hytek) and it locked
>up my system every time. now, i get djgpp, it looks much better, no, it
>looks, much LARGER! i am completely lost. there is no doc and i can't even
>get this stupid thing to compile. PLEASE, somebody shove my face into the
>potatoes, or tell me where to start. do i just expand all the zip files? or
>is there some kind of installation? which exe is the compiler? what does all
>that other stuff do? i can't afford to buy one of those expensive compilers
>with all the documentation, so i'm going to have to fight through this crap.

>thanx in advance.

I can sympathize...I am just a beginner also, having just started to learn
C two weeks ago.  But you are in the right place, and you have the
right software.  This group is very friendly...but you need to do some
work beforehand so that you can ask specific questions, and receive
specific answers. 

You need to read the readme's and do exactly as they say.

The "big" FAQ covers most of the gcc usage problems you will have and the 
INFO files are excellent in documenting library items such as the 
elementary functions.  

I do not mean to discourage you about your programming abilities, but
BASIC 10 years ago has very little to do with C.  I have been programming
many different high level languages for many years.  C presents other
problems.  It is very powerful and terse, but not very programmer
friendly.  It is possible to make invisible bugs.  Get a really good book
and go VERY slowly.  I am using Waite groups Robert Lafore's Microsoft C. 
Although dedicated to MS C and Quick C, it is a fine presentation and I
have run across few problems (far pointers being one) in using it.  And no
programmer should be without Kerighan & Richie. 

C is also very dependent on the compiler, linker and daunting array of 
options that "fix" or deal with situations you never imagined existed.

I'll know how you are progressing by questions you leave here. Good luck.