Visual C++ Express isn't too bad. But I prefer Code::Blocks with MingW.
SDL isn't really a useful graphics library if you ask me. It's much more powerful in combination with OpenGL. Even if you do only want to do 2D, use OpenGL. It will give you realtime scaling, alpha blending and rotation. SDL doesn't have any built-in hardware accelerated features.
C++ OOP features are very neat, including overloading functions and operators. I actually miss that a bit in BlitzMax.
STL and templates are worth to take a look at as well.
Almost 2 years ago I bought a C++ book that basically contained all features of C++. It was a book with 800 pages, covering every feature of C++ (although not everything was very in-depth) and I've fully read it. It was a bit easier for me to pick it up because I've been programming for some years now. Still, it wasn't wasted money and it's a good reference. So my advice is, get a good C++ book and read it :-).
And ehm... Since when is binary considered a language? Assembly is actually the lowest form of programming, since you're writing machine code.
SDL isn't really a useful graphics library if you ask me. It's much more powerful in combination with OpenGL. Even if you do only want to do 2D, use OpenGL. It will give you realtime scaling, alpha blending and rotation. SDL doesn't have any built-in hardware accelerated features.
C++ OOP features are very neat, including overloading functions and operators. I actually miss that a bit in BlitzMax.
STL and templates are worth to take a look at as well.
Almost 2 years ago I bought a C++ book that basically contained all features of C++. It was a book with 800 pages, covering every feature of C++ (although not everything was very in-depth) and I've fully read it. It was a bit easier for me to pick it up because I've been programming for some years now. Still, it wasn't wasted money and it's a good reference. So my advice is, get a good C++ book and read it :-).
And ehm... Since when is binary considered a language? Assembly is actually the lowest form of programming, since you're writing machine code.