Should I use 1.6 or 2.0?

[MkSorenix]

Hello, I'm new, I think this si the right section to ask this question. Anyways, I want to point out a few facts regarding this :

http://www.sfml-dev.org/tutorials/

it looks like the 1.6 tutorials are more complete and as a total beginner i feel like going on to the 1.6, but people say 2.0 is better compared and if i learn something i dont want to learn something old. But then i thought, since not everything changed between 1.6 and 2.0, will some tutorials of 1.6 work? Or anyone else can explain me how i get started well on 2.0 please?

I know the basics of C++ and feel ready to try this library to see if i can actually do something or not.

Thanks.

[Andrei15193]

Hello,

I'm not much of an expert, however I asked myself the same question as you did. I jumped on 1.6 because it was done, lots of tutorials etc. Then I moved to 2.0 (very short period for 1.6, didn't even do a thing, just open a window and read some events). It's probably better to start with 2.0 right away, it has more features than 1.6. Also 2.0 is the newest therefore the devs probably gonna focus on that version to make it as less buggy as possible, rather than 1.6.

In my opinion, go for 2.0.

[aBallofWin]

Exactly the same situation that I was in when I found SFML. I'd only just begun to program and between the two, SFML 2 looked a bit more complicated and back then, I was creating a game on a deadline, so I went with the easier option.

After using it for several months now, expanding that project, I've come to the end of that and I'm deciding to use SFML 2 when I start my new game. Andrei is right, SFML 2 is more advanced and when it comes down to when you need support, people mostly use SFML 2 now.

My recommendation is, use SFML 1.6 first, get used to programming for a few weeks with the simpler version, then when you're ready, move to SFML 2. As you'll have a bit more experience with working with SFML 1.6, it won't be as hard to migrate.

[eXpl0it3r]

I can defenetly recommend you to use SFML 2.0. The only down side there is at the moment are the missing tutorials, but other than that. There's the SFML 2.0rc release which lets you download the binaries without having to deal with compiling the library just yet.

What many beginners don't quite understand is, that SFML isn't very complicated to use and the lack of understand doesn't lie in the API or library but in the lacking of basic knowledge in C++. Sure SFML can provide a good way to get deep into C++ but again it's not the libraries problem if things go wrong.

But since you've already stated that you feel confident to dive into the use of a library, I can only redirect you to the version 2.0.

If you don't understand how to use something, then take a look at the old tutorials and try to 'translate' it to the new API (it isn't that hard). But the most usefull part is the documentation. And then there are some additional tutorials on the wiki.

Since I assume you've never worked with a library start off by reading the setting up tutorials that already exist for SFML 2 carefully.

My recommendation is, use SFML 1.6 first, get used to programming for a few weeks with the simpler version, then when you're ready, move to SFML 2. As you'll have a bit more experience with working with SFML 1.6, it won't be as hard to migrate.

I think it can be rather confusing to start with SFML 1.6 and switch later on...

[slotdev]

SFML 2.0

In my opinion, 1.6 should now be deprecated and the website updated as such. I know 2.0 is still RC ... but for how much longer?

[aBallofWin]

My recommendation is, use SFML 1.6 first, get used to programming for a few weeks with the simpler version, then when you're ready, move to SFML 2. As you'll have a bit more experience with working with SFML 1.6, it won't be as hard to migrate.

I think it can be rather confusing to start with SFML 1.6 and switch later on...

I hope it's not that hard, I've yet to delve into SFML 2 :O