[Dev-C++] Personal help question involving C/C++ and engineering.

[Richard P. E. <ev...@ma...>]

This is an open question to all members concerning C/C++ program 
applications.  I hope you will freely offer your advice.

I am an engineer who, for the first time in his life, is suddenly 
unemployed.  All the job ads include working knowledge of C/C++ and/or 
Visual Basic in addition to all the other prerequisites, such as MMI 
programming and PLC programming.  I have years of experience in the latter 
but no working experience in C/C++ or Visual Basic.  I did take a formal 
course at the local community college in beginning C/C++ about three years 
ago because I forsaw the future need.  Non of my past positions have 
required its use so I have no working experience.  I also have no idea of 
how it is being used in engineering applications for machine control.  I 
have worked in Instrumentation and Controls and also worked on the edge of 
Robotic applications.  The robotics always involved interfacing to the 
system through the PLC I was using for the other controls that made up the 
application.  My questions are as follows:

	1. What is a typical control application where a C/C++ program would be used?
	2. Could you give me an example of such a problem?
	3. Could you give me an example of how such problem was solved using a C/C++
	    program?
	4. I'm assuming that a card is used to affect a real world interface to a 
computer and
	    the program interfaces the computer to the card or some other 
peripheral equipment?
	5. It's a lot to ask, but I need to know how to direct my programming and 
learning efforts
	    to directly address my lack of real experience.

I hope some one will take the time and patience to give me some direction 
in my efforts.  I know you have been generous with your help in my 
programming efforts in the past and the help has been right on the 
money.  Thank you.