Beginning C++ Programming

Frequently Asked Questions

Welcome to Beginning C++ Programming! Thank you so much for supporting this course. I hope you
enjoy learning C++ as much as I’ve enjoyed creating this course.

Please do not hesitate to contact me on Udemy or post your questions in the Q/A section of the course.

Have fun learning C++ and keep coding!

Best regards,
Frank Mitropoulos

Q1. How can I ask a question?

The course has a Q/A section where you can post and respond to questions.

Please browse through the Q/A section and through this document before you post a
question. In many cases, your question has already been asked and answered and you
can immediately get a resolution. Also, many course videos have a Resources section
where I will post further information about that video as needed.

I will regularly monitor the Q/A section of the course. I also encourage students to help
one another out. Please don’t be shy about responding to each other’s questions. Let’s
establish a powerful, active, and courteous C++ learning community!

Also, please feel free to send me a message directly.

Q2. I think I found a typo in the slides. Should I report the error?
Please check the resources section for each video. I post any errata to the Resources
section as PDF files. Chances are that typo has already been reported and I added it to
the errata. If you find a typo and there is no errata for that video, please let me know.

Q3. Where is the source code for the course?

The source code for each section is provided as a compressed ZIP files in the last
section of the course.

Q4. I tried to download MinGW for Windows, but the website looks different from the
one in the videos. I don’t see a download button.
Websites change over time. Please check the resources section for this video. I posted
the direct link to the MinGW installer there.

Beginning C++ Programming FAQ 1 Updated: 7/2019

 Q5. When I download CodeLite, it is downloaded with a .7z file extension. What is
that? What do I do now?
Recent versions of CodeLite are provided as compressed files using 7z compression.
These are very similar to the familiar ZIP files we are used to working with. In order to
install CodeLite you must decompress the .7z file which will produce the .exe installer
that you can then run.

You can use a program like www.7-zip.com, WinZIP, or WinRAR with .7z files. Install
one of these programs, then right-click on the .7z file that you downloaded an select the
extract option.

Q6. I think my installation isn’t correct. I’m getting strange messages when building
my project.
Getting and fixing compiler errors is part of programming. However, if your think your
errors are configuration-related, please look through the Q/A section of the course to see
if anyone else has seen the same error. If so, you will probably also find a solution in the
Q/A. If not, please post the error to the Q/A section and we’ll do our best to help.

Q7. Why does CodeLite display a “Time elapsed” message when I run my project? I
don’t see that message displayed in the course videos. Is something wrong with
my installation?
No, nothing is wrong with your installation. On some platforms, CodelLite displays an
informational message about how long the program took to execute. This was added to
versions of CodeLite after I recorded many of the course videos.
This timing information can be very useful when debugging our code. This message only
displays when you run your program from CodeLite. If you run your executable from the
command-line it will not display this informational message.

Q8. I tried to run some of the Coding Challenges in the IDE, but I’m getting strange
errors. What I am I doing wrong?
The Coding Exercises are designed to be done in the Udemy Browser Testing
Environment. Please do the Coding Exercises in the browser environment. In this
environment, we can control and test your code with many test cases to be sure you are
solving the problems correctly.

Also, please write your code ONLY in the areas that are marked for your code.

Beginning C++ Programming FAQ 2 Updated: 7/2019

 Q9. I think my virus scanning software is preventing my .exe files from running.
What can I do?
Your virus scanning software may think that the .exe file that you build from your C++
project is a potential threat and not allow it to run. Most virus scanning programs have
the ability to exclude files and directories/folders from being scanned. Please check the
Q/A since there are several solutions posted. If you continue to have problems, please
post to the Q/A and we will do our best to help.

Q10. Why does the course start out with such basic elements?
This is a Beginning C++ course that can be taken by anyone who wants to learn to
program in C++. This includes students who have never programmed at all. If you are
already familiar with C++ and programming, you might wish to jump ahead in the course
curriculum.

As you progress through the later sections of the course, you will find many elements
that you will usually only see in intermediate and advanced C++ courses.

Q11. If I’m new to C++ should I follow the curriculum, or can I jump around?
If you are new to programming or new to C++, I strongly encourage you to follow the
curriculum. The curriculum was developed in a manner where concepts build upon
previous concepts. Also, the examples and challenge exercises used in the videos are
extended with new concepts as we go through the curriculum.

Q12. Which C++ standard should I use with my compiler?

This course uses the C++ 14 standard.

Q13. Why doesn’t the course use the C++17 standard?

Where appropriate, I will mention any C++17 additions relevant to the existing topic
being covered. C++14 was chosen since students would be using different compiler
toolchains and some may not fully support C++17 yet.
If you want to select the C++17 standard, that's fine and it will work for the examples in
this course depending on your compiler toolchain. Most of the C++17 changes do not
affect core Modern C++ and are beyond the scope of this course.

Q14. Is CodeLite required?

No. You may use any Integrated Development Environment that you wish. You may also
use the command-line. However, the source code is provided as CodeLite workspaces.
Also, I can’t possibly support all the IDEs available. I’ll do my best to answer questions
about other IDEs, but IDEs are very complex and have many options, so I may not be
able to answer all IDE questions.

Beginning C++ Programming FAQ 3 Updated: 7/2019

 Q15. Do you recommend doing the challenges and quizzes?
Absolutely! The challenge exercises and quizzes are there so you can apply what you
have learned in each section. Programming is best learned by doing. Practice, practice,
practice!

Q16. I’m having trouble completing the challenges. Maybe programming isn’t for me!
Many of the challenges are quite challenging. It is perfectly normal to feel frustrated. If
you do, take a break and try again later. Remember, you are learning something new –
it’s takes time and practice to become comfortable with any new learned skill.

Q17. The videos use CodeLite 10, but I see there is a new version of CodeLite, should I
use the new version?
Absolutely, please use the latest version of CodeLite. As new versions are released,
bugs are fixed, and enhancements are made. In some cases there will be slight
differences from the videos, but you should still be able to easily follow along.

For example, CodeLite 12.0 made changes to the Setup Wizard; it now asks for a
Development Profile and then automatically sets up its plugins based on the selected
profile. If you select, C/C++ development for the profile, you will be all set.

The MinGW compiler for Windows has also updated. Please use the latest version.

Beginning C++ Programming FAQ 4 Updated: 7/2019