Help for a Beginner

I'm completely new to programming, but somehow I've managed to end up in a situation where I've agreed to make a cross-platform app for a family friend's ice cream truck business.

I've been studying C++ on my own time, but I just wanted to ask here... what kind of stuff should I be studying in particular, to do something like this?

The goal of the app would be to be able to select different varieties of ice cream and then select the denomination you're being paid with to tell you the customer's exact change, and to hold all of the sales information and send it in to the boss man.

Not asking for anyone to write anything for me, so I don't feel like I need to be more specific. I just want to know where I should start, and that sort of thing. Thanks in advance for the help.

If you have to ask, you can't do it.

I don't think you actually read what I posted.

The only time constraint is very loose. I'm confident in my ability to learn this regardless of whether I get help here, I'd just like some pointers for where to start.

>some pointers for where to start

1. install gentoo

Fairly simple, just a bunch of if statements and lists really

The basic requirements seem very simple. Calculation of change and recording sale events are both very simple. Slapping a user interface on top will be very difficult for a total noob, especially in c++.

You should choose a compile once - run anywhere language which probably means Java. Cross platform development is a pain even for experienced devs in other languages, where you need to create separate code paths for different operating systems and compile the programming on each operating system you want it to run on.

Also since this is going to be a commercial application you will want to test the fuck out of the code as you make it, else you will be liable for any money lost due to glitches. The only other way past this would be to get the boss to sign a disclaimer saying you will not be held responsible for errors.

Also, family friend's business? I hope you are getting paid. Only suckers do code work for free. Always get money, gross percentage, or at worst agreeing to be a reference, negotiated UP-FRONT.

You may have talked your self into trouble. Under promise, over deliver.

I'll try Java instead.

I am getting paid, assuming the final product is workable. "Business" is also a loose term. At the moment, only two or three people would be using it.

Thank you for the advice, though. If Java will be a lot easier to get a user interface in than C++, I think I'll have an easier time.

I've only been learning it for a couple of days, but It seems very easy to do the basic stuff, like you said, but I really wasn't sure how to handle adding in a GUI.

Create a window with icecream menu choices and add a text box to select how many people are buying.
Have a sale button to add up the icecream cost then do math to get change. Save sales data to text file.
add settings to modify menu and prices.
Also try not to be a nigger

You should be doing objective C because your normalfag family will hate you if it doesn't run on their iDevices.

Good job idiot, now everyone will hate you.

Next time never help relatives

if you have to switch languages like this you're not going to make it. this was the very first project i had to do in cs 101, a little more complex though.

USE A CROSS PLATFORM FRAMEWORK

especially for something simple and non-demanding like this, do NOT write it twice.

Look into "react native". It makes it easy to develop cross platform apps using reasonably generic HTML/JS/CSS knowledge.

Then you need to write a web server that takes the transaction data. You're going to want to look into frameworks like Flask (Python) and Express (node). This should expose a secure endpoint (learn how to do token-based auth) to send the transaction data as a POST request from the device.

Alternatively, you could set it up as a web app, that you access from the phone. this is way easier, and eliminates step 1. see if they're okay with this.

>agreed to make a cross-platform app
you mean like on a phone or tablet? then you're in trouble.

Try salesforce.

>cross-platform app
Ouch, might as well quit

Easiest answer is C# and SQL with MS Azure website and database that feeds data to any other app type. Super easy to get winforms, mobile with xamarin...

why would you recommend databases to a complete beginner. You dont need a database for this.

Everyone's opinions here are contrasting, but I think the easiest and best way would be to make a Web app using HTML, CSS, bootstrap and a bit of JavaScript. It would run anywhere with a Web browser and you could set it up to send info in an email to the boss man easily. Should take you less then 10 hours to get everything sorted out. Do the w3schools tutorials.

I don't see why he needs much backend. One simple php script along with a form could do all of this.

lel

Could you at least explain which platforms you're making it for? Android and iOS? Desktop? Web?

It's called a price list and a calculator

this desu

I actually made this exact code only with candy for a class once. Post emai, op.

I know pastebin exists, I just want you to post an email for it.