Most programming languages are text-based, that means that you must write one or more textfile(s) that contain(s) the commands for the computer. There are also others (i.e. Visual Basic, REALBasic), but they are not as powerful as the common languages (i.e. C++). They are not mentioned here although you should be able to use Visual C for this programmes too.
Most C-languages include a editor where you can write your programmes, some even offer a online-help (if you have one, use it!).
begin program
begin block one
do something
do some different
end block one
end program
The 'begin's and 'end's are the structure, the 'do's are the commands.
Commands tell the computer to do something; they can also return anything (i.e. sqrt of 49 returns 7), but most don't.
Nearly every command needs a value from the program (i.e. 49) to work with. In C++ and Pascal, for example, a command should look like this:
dosomething(value1, value2...);
It doesn't matter if the command returns any value, if you don't use it, it will be discarded.
OK, that's it for the basics. Now go to the first C++-program in Chapter 1
If you had already enough (It hasn't even begun!), go back to my Homepage.