Windows 10: How long will C/C++ programs will be compatible with Windows for?

Hello. I have a software project based on a game engine written in C/C++, which is based on Windows and designed for Windows. My project is based on a 20+ years old game engine, a heavily modified version of Quake 1, known as GoldScr, or Gold Source. More than 20 years later, the software is still fully compatible with Windows, including Windows 10 and 11. However, i'm worried that as Windows progresses and becomes more and more advanced, at some point, the software will become no longer compatible.Could this scenario happen, or will C/C++ programs remain compatible with Windows forever, or at

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C#, difficult to learn?

In colleges, all they teach anymore is VB.NET and the more advanced classes (programming majors) focus on the transition from VB.NET to C#.NET. The transition is virtually painless so that's why they do it (all the .NET libraries are directly compatible). C#.NET is also a good stepping stone to the C++ world of coding although I haven't ventured that far--C# suits me needs.

Yeah, it's mostly sytax differences...but there's a lot of them.

 

Learning to Program C

my suggestion is to learn c first, then expand to c++ or java depending on your project requirements. if you decide to use visual studio (which i strongestly recommend) then you can just create c++ projects and write normal c code

 

Learning to Program C

C is a foundation language, almost all modern programming languages, including Javascript, Java, and especially C++ are based off of the C syntax. If you learn C, it'll make learning the other languages much easier.

Java is not a language for beginners, so you should learn another language first. C++ is merely an extension to C (in fact, C++ used to be called "C with classes"), so, when you're learning C, you're also learning C++. After you have a firm understanding of C, then you can add to your knowledge and learn the features that make C++ what it is.

If you ever intend to program microcontrollers (IC chips that are sort of like a self-contained computer), mess around with the Linux kernel or modify the majority of the software that drives the internet, or make Carbon applications for Mac OS X, then you'll need to know C.

C also is a faster language than C++, and produces smaller code due to the fact it doesn't have all the extra features such as the vtable for objects and exception handling. It's also an easier language to learn and to read. Also, if you intend to take a compute class at college, they often require you take C first, and then C++ later.

C is very much alive and well.

As for the comment on Java.... don't bother with Java till you learn C and then C++, then your life will be WAY easier. Java is very slow at starting up and currently isn't suitable for use in programs that require speed-- thanks to the garbage collector that allows programmers to be lazy -- which is why Sun is working on an "unsafe" mode for java that throws out the garbage collector, which is the case if you write applications for the Android/G1 and other mobile phones (better get used to proper memory management under C/C++ first before attempting to code in Java for those devices).

I have a tutorial for the C/C++ language that you can get started with:
Guides:C/C Crash Course - CoderGuide

When the C advanced section is complete (that'll cover advanced things such as rarely used operators, linked lists, vectors, and sparse arrays), I'll start on one for C++. This is also one reason why Linux runs faster than Windows, among many other reasons.

As for only learning C++, the main supporter of that is the guy who created C++. I've read his book, and I, and many other long-time programmers disagree with his position... he also has one hell of an ego.