I am looking into learning (self-teach) C or C++ (or even Pro*C) but don't know where to start. I'm a complete newcomer to this - the only vaguely related experience I have is VBA and SQL.

To start with, what is the difference between C, C++ and Pro*C? I would prefer a high level explanation since I am not familiar with any of the terminology. Which of the three is most commonly used and which is the best (if different to the most common one)?

Now, how do I go about learning to any of those languages? Which tools would I need (Visual Studio??) to start with?

Any help would be greatly appreciated. Please note, I am not familiar with the terminology (hence I got stuck when browsing the net for help - printf and scanf, etc).

Thanks