Making the transition from Java to C++?

Question

Hi,
I am a Java programmer, who has never touched C or C++. I wish to apply for a student internship where one of the requirements is 'capable in C++'. The closing date for the internship is in February and I would love to get the job. How difficult would it be to learn C++ to a 'capable' level from a 'capable' level of Java before I would be tested (interviews are probably in late feb/march)?
Cheers!
Jack

Answer 1

If I were you I'd Google for a tutorial on C++ for Java programmers. If such exists, it will save you a lot of time (over slogging through an introductory C++ tutorial for non-programmers).
As I recall C++ (it's been a while) the biggest gotcha will be memory management.
Porting your existing Java game is a good idea.
I'd also suggest checking out which libraries and environments they use. If they only develop for Windows, for example, then you should probably get used to that. If they use some toolkit for developing games -- say a physics library -- you might want to fiddle with that if you have time. This is probably just icing on the cake.
For a student internship at a game company, seeming young and cool might weigh more than pure technical competence anyway (at least in comparison to other companies and non-internship programming jobs). Game programmers like to think of themselves as a breed apart so you might want to check out game industry sites (like gamasutra.com).
Find a C++ forum if you have questions.
There's nothing else to say really. Try to learn C++ and see how it goes. Maybe it'll work, maybe it won't. At your age, you should try either way! Youth is the time in life that you should push yourself and be willing to make mistakes. Just don't get a drug habit, a prison term, a disabling injury, or an STD, and you'll be fine.
Edited by: paulcw on Dec 3, 2009 6:33 PM