GP32 Where To Start?

[podge.abrillion]

Hey all, sorry to bother ye all with a very newbie question, but here goes;
I recently (last six moths) bought a gp2x and am immensely please with it. So pleased, in fact, that I would like to give something back by developing for it.
Now, I am coming from a background of not knowing any programming language save Basic. I have been using Linux in a desktop capacity for the last two years, and am not beyond using gcc to compile things.
My question is, what programing language should I learn in order to best port/develop things for the GP2X? I have read the wiki, and it doesn't really address this, that I can see. (Probably my own fault!)
I reckon that its probably C++, right? But I could be wrong, so....

Help me out here; what should I be spending my time learning?


Thanks in advance!

 

[PokeParadox]

C++ is a useful language to learn, so if you feel you have the motivation to get stuck in a learn, then go for it.
I'd recommend C/C++ mixed with the SDL library. f you feel a bit intimidated there is Fenix (which I hear is eas to learn)

 

[A_SN]

All you need is C, C++ if you wish but there's no real interest over C for game programming. You can also use such a library as SDL, or you can do without it, it depends. It's mainly all about whether you feel like making your own graphics engine or whether you wanna stick with the simple, basic stuff, in which case SDL is recommended.

Good exercise to get start with a new programming language such as C is to take a few tutorials online, the standard C (aka C99) specification, and then go ahead and try to "port" your BASIC programs to C.

 

[podge.abrillion]

Sounds good, thanks for the advice! Yeah, definitely sounds like sticking to C++ is the way to go. I picked up a (intimidatingly large) C++ text book yesterday, so hopefully the weekend will afford the opportunity to start on that.

I had a look at Fenix, but while it seems to be a simpler programming language, the documentation is a bit sparse; unless you speak Spanish.

I'll try messing around with a few 'hello worlds' in C++ and move on from there; if I can compile a .gpe by the end of the weekend I'll consider it a success.

Thanks again for the help!

 

[pool34]

Sounds good, thanks for the advice! Yeah, definitely sounds like sticking to C++ is the way to go. I picked up a (intimidatingly large) C++ text book yesterday, so hopefully the weekend will afford the opportunity to start on that.

I had a look at Fenix, but while it seems to be a simpler programming language, the documentation is a bit sparse; unless you speak Spanish.

I'll try messing around with a few 'hello worlds' in C++ and move on from there; if I can compile a .gpe by the end of the weekend I'll consider it a success.

Thanks again for the help!

And if you don't?

 

[frutbunn]

Sounds good, thanks for the advice! Yeah, definitely sounds like sticking to C++ is the way to go. I picked up a (intimidatingly large) C++ text book yesterday, so hopefully the weekend will afford the opportunity to start on that.

I had a look at Fenix, but while it seems to be a simpler programming language, the documentation is a bit sparse; unless you speak Spanish.

I'll try messing around with a few 'hello worlds' in C++ and move on from there; if I can compile a .gpe by the end of the weekend I'll consider it a success.

Thanks again for the help!

Once you have the GPH toolchain + an IDE environment working for you and can compile simple SDL applications that run on the GP2x (while you're networked to it so can see what is going wrong etc), then you are mostly there.

But may I suggest that C++ may be a bit of an overkill to start off with. You don't really need it to start programming with SDL (a recommended multimedia API to start with).

Personnally I'd start with a good book on "C" (not C++) and read the wiki at www.libsdl.org (plus start with the GP2x wiki) for the SDL API specific stuff. Once you've got the GP2x dancing to your tune, then I'd personally start on the path to C++ ville!