My friend told me that starting with Java is a good idea because it's easy and it works on all platforms. Is this true or should I start with something else?
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Anonymous2006-06-02 12:30
Gentlmen, start your engines.
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Anonymous2006-06-02 12:44
good luck with your exceptions
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Anonymous2006-06-02 13:22
visual basic 6 is a good starting point, gets you in the mood then after that you should move onto something a lot more useful like C or C++
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Anonymous2006-06-02 13:23
FREEBASIC
SRSLY
Freebasic is an excellent basic introduction to programming, and it works on windows and x86 linux. When you get frustrated with it, it's time to move on to C. *Then* go to Java.
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Anonymous2006-06-02 14:29
just start with c++ or youll be gay for life
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Anonymous2006-06-02 14:29
Well... here was my experience learning...
1) When I was young, I messed around with QBASIC and programming shit on my calculator.
2) Took a semester of Java at the University.
3) Over the Summer, I did all the stuff in "The C Programming Language" by K&R, and by the end I pretty much new everything there is to it (It's a simple language).
Honestly, the best start really is just calculator programming or QBASIC programs. A nice thing about BASIC is the built in graphics calls.
Once you seriously want to learn though, learn C. It is simple. It has basically the same syntax as the main programming languages. It more accurately represents how a computer works than other high level languages.
Move on to a higher level language (Java?) when you want to use some really easy APIs to do something complicated, but don't pass up C.
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Anonymous2006-06-02 15:20
>>7
Is there a big difference between C and C++ (which is objective oriented programming iirc)? I already bought a C++ book, should I wait with C++ and just buy/dl a book on C and begin with that?
I already know a bit of BASIC (but not QBASIC, cause I did it all on my calculator).
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Anonymous2006-06-02 15:26
Learn C. Then C++. There are a million variations on BASIC, you get used to it.
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Anonymous2006-06-02 15:28
Also, I am seriously surprised by the lack of shitfest flamewars because someone said "java". Good job /prog/.
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Anonymous2006-06-02 15:52
Java sucks, don't bother to learn it until you know real programming.
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Anonymous2006-06-02 16:04 (sage)
>>8
C++ is several magnitudes larger than C. C is a rather large language.
I would suggest starting with Ruby. It is easy (well, for me), and most importantly, FUN!
You'll want to learn C sooner or later though, as well as C++. Then Java or C#.
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Anonymous2006-06-02 18:03
First of all the most important thing is to not limite yourself to one language. The Second most important thing is to use a language that fits your project.
If right now you need to do some text processing and shell work than start with a scripting language. Go with Pearl, Python, or awk.
If you are need more functionality than move onto a larger language. I prefer C/C++, but first look at the project you want to do. There may be a very usefull package that is available for Java, and there is not a similar one for C. In that case you would probably want to use Java.
If you follow these steps you won't be bogged down latter in life with out the ability to do something with your "favoriate" language.
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Anonymous2006-06-02 19:27
>>8
C++ is basically just C with a good preprocessor. In some ways, the difference is small. In other ways, the difference is big.
Learn C before you learn C++. In C++, there's a lot of almost-redundant concepts (pointers-references, class-struct, new-malloc). You don't need to be a C guru, but you should at least be comfortable with writing basic C data structures (implement a linked list type stuff) before you get into C++.
Don't get too excited about OO either, "Object Oriented Programming" basically amounts to "Hide the Details of How Stuff Works". It has it's place, but for the purposes of learning, this is bad.
It's a bit terse, but "The C Programming Language" by Kernigan and Ritchie is -the- book to learn C from. It is important that you allready have *some* programming experience before getting into this (programming in BASIC counts).
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Anonymous2006-06-02 20:44
>>14
That is a pretty good account of OO in C++. Infact the first compilers trlanslated C++ to C first. Although OO is only one paradigm in C++. Generic programming with the STL is pretty cool, without regard of efficency and such.
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Anonymous2006-06-03 10:29
>>15
Generic programming is an ugly hack for non-duck typed languages.
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Anonymous2006-06-03 10:42
>>16
ducks? Those are some 1337 ducks! I want to meet them, then.
And yeah the STL is a headache but if you use it then at least everyone knows wtf you're doing.
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Anonymous2006-06-03 12:02
6502 ASM FTW
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Anonymous2006-06-03 16:09
I hate people who call dynamic typing "duck typing". It just reeks of python fanboyism.
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Anonymous2006-06-03 16:12
Ignore >>4 and >>5
Pay attention to Dijkstra:
"It is practically impossible to teach good programming to students that have had a prior exposure to BASIC: as potential programmers they are mentally mutilated beyond hope of regeneration."
>>20
i'm sorry, but the best way to appreciate a decent, real language like c/c++ is to try to do something that basic has serious, real problems doing. then you'll be like "Oh, THIS is why C/C++ does this. Fuck BASIC."
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Anonymous2006-06-03 18:13
>>20
I don't think it's a good idea to start learning with a functional language, with a paradigm rather different from what they'll be doing most of their life.
I do not recommend this. Try learning some C, serious.
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Anonymous2006-06-04 0:19
I thought QuickBasic was a great way to start. It had a great online help, and the results were quick and obvious, something important for a budding programmer.
Unlike C it has no pointers, and you can stop and start at any point in the program. The graphics, while limited, were built right into it. And so forth.
It's a bit long in the tooth nowadays though. A lot of people recommend Python instead, but I think that language is becoming a bit of a mess. Too bad there aren't that many viable alternatives.
almost like me, except i start with BASIC then QBasic end up with C++(personal fave),Java, PHP, etc
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Anonymous2006-06-04 3:43
C++ is pretty gross. It's only livable if you stick to C++--.
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Anonymous2006-06-04 13:18
It truly is all about Python. Most easily programmed yet powerful language around.
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Anonymous2006-06-04 13:29
Unfortunately, it's also growing into something ugly. Guido needs to get off his ass, bring the axe down, and clean out the piles of crap that are starting to accumulate.
Bringing /prog/ back to its people
All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy
All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy
All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy
All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy
All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy
All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy
All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy
All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy
All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy
All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy
All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy
All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy
All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy
All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy
All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy
All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy
All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy
All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy
All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy
All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy
All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy
All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy
All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy
All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy
All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy