Learning Programming

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BuRp

n00b
Joined
Feb 27, 2009
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36
Hey,
This might be a n00bish question and mostly the wrong place to post it too ,but i didn't where else i could good answers and the experience i've seen in these forums.Basically i've been using computers from a very small age and mostly i use them for gaming and some art work,but lately i've been wanting to learn programming .Progress from the regular run of the mill windows users .So i'd appreciate it if u guys suggested some programs for me to learn (pls start with the easy ones :p) and maybe just maybe included some sites that i can self teach my self .Thanks in advance for your help.
Ciao
 
Python is a very simple language to learn. There are programming concepts that will require a bit more than trying to copy/paste some examples, but that can be a great way to learn.

Here is a site with many different links on learning python: http://wiki.python.org/moin/BeginnersGuide
 
That is such a generic request. I realize you don't know where to start, but what do you intend on programming exactly? The list is huge and there are many languages to learn for each subject. Consider, webpages, gaming, then consider what platform you want them to run on (Java, run in Windows, Mac, etc)

w3schools.com is on track for web stuff.
Microsoft.com tech stuff can teach/reference ASP.NET/VB/C# etc

For the others languages...maybe someone else will chime in...

Google will be your friend on this one.
 
First of thanks for your replies i didnt expect them to be this quick :D i guess this is why [H]ardforum is this popular.I guess i'd like to progress from C+ to java and then to designing webpages and etc cause i do have some experience in art .Thanks again.
 
+1 for python. You can install the client in Windows now (or get cygwin) and there are tons of tutorials and uses for python scripts.
 
BuRp said:
First of thanks for your replies i didnt expect them to be this quick :D i guess this is why [H]ardforum is this popular.I guess i'd like to progress from C+ to java and then to designing webpages and etc cause i do have some experience in art .Thanks again.
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You don't necessarily need programming background to design webpages. It may not be any easier going from programming to web design. Coding comes into play when you want to make interactive sites with javascript/java or doing server side requests with .net.

If you think you like web design more, start there, and once you have need of putting code into your pages, then start learning how to program.
 
I would recommend starting with c++ or python. There are a lot of tutorials on these languages on the internet as well as a variety of excellent books.

After you get the basic syntax of the language down, look around the internet for things like "Beginner Programming Challenges" and practice them. This will test you on your ability to apply what you've learned with the language in multiple scenarios.

Well, at least that's the way I proceeded. Your mileage may vary.
 
If you're looking at web design, as opposed to web development, you're going to be best served by making sure you have your markup languages down (HTML, CSS, XML) and a bit of javascript. It can help to have some development background with java/php/C++/.Net, but that's all dependent on the environment in which you're doing the development, since that stuff is on the server side. The development side also expands your marketability, since there are only so many places that can afford to separate their design and development teams (especially in web development).

In my day-to-day job I primarily use HTML, Javascript, and SQL, with a little bit of VB. The only reason I use VB is because it's the language the back end was developed in on the particular site I maintain. Someone could have just as easily chose another language (and sometimes I wish they had), but it is what it is. I think we'll be rewriting it in C# eventually. Once in a long while I get to open Photoshop and modify an existing PSD file to create a banner for a new page that fits in with the banners used on the rest of the site's pages, and save the banner out to a jpg file. It's not exactly the kind of work I would expect someone to be looking for if they have a more artistic streak in them.
 
As to your questions about programs. Download notepadd++ ASAP. You can use it as a good markup/syntax editor that will serve you well for almost any language you choose in the future, plus it's great for searching and reading all those text based manuals you'll come across in your new hobby. Notepadd++ is all you need for your first steps.

Second, I'd say try a Hello World program in python (here's a win32 download link), or maybe an HTML page, as others have suggested. Python has kind of become the de-facto interpreter language (do they still cal them that), and is always useful. You're going to want to see results right away, and those languages are a great way to get started. Nothing better than looking at the screen and saying "Hey, I made that!."

Another option if your young, I'm not anymore, and into games is to join the modding scene. Maybe it's doing a little scripting for maps, building a level, or rock hard programming. But having an objective really helps, at least it did in my case. In that case, find out what tools and languages you'll need.

Good luck, it's addictive ya' know.
 
Sounds like you know very little about programming (in terms of hard coding) so far.

Best advice would be to start with the basics and learn HTML. If thats too easy, move quickly into CSS, XML, and especially Javascript, which is probably the first level you could actually consider real "programming".

If you are interested in learning more, keep it up with projects in C++, Python, AutoIT, and other beginner languages, and keep adding knowledge. After a few years of this you should be no longer very n00bish and up for the crazy stuff.

Also, I agree with others on here. It's not what you know, but how you use it.
 
fellowhat said:
Sounds like you know very little about programming (in terms of hard coding) so far.

Best advice would be to start with the basics and learn HTML. If thats too easy, move quickly into CSS, XML, and especially Javascript, which is probably the first level you could actually consider real "programming".
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the only item listed here that is close to programming is javascript which is actually a scripting language. it's really a waste of time to learn html/css/xml/etc if you want to program, there is no concept of programming in these only organized data constructs.

to grasp programming concepts you'll really need to read a book about basic programming, or pick a language and follow guides.

the simplest i've come across that lets you jump right in is python. java is another language that is worth the effort of learning. once you get the concepts of programming, regardless of language, it mostly becomes a syntax difference between the different languages. of course the libraries and helpers available in different languages vary greatly so take a look at what is out there and what you want to accomplish. i'd recommend getting into whichever supports what you want to do best.
 
w3schools for web development, it has HTML, XHTML, javascript, CSS, and php. As said above these aren't really programming, but it's really simple stuff to get you interested.

For programming, I don't know what you want to do, but java (not javascript) and asp.net are the most popular languages. You can find tons of tutorials online. Java is older, completely free (you can get the development kid at sun.com), and some say more secure and powerful. ASP.net is microsoft's language, it's slightly easier to learn but not everything's free.
 
You need to decide on what type of programming you are interested... There are really 3 camps:
- Web Front End (HTML, CSS, Javascript
- Windows Programmer (VB, C#, etc)
- UNIX Programmer (Java, C, etc)

I would suggest a goal of something you want to build do and then go from there.... Point of note, just beware some of the languages like Javascript,PHP,etc - they are almost too forgiving in their nature and many develop very bad habits from learning/using them.

Now in addition to the above, there is one big area that most should learn - that is Database work. If you want to learn something that is applicable in almost every coporate office is learn how databases work and particulary how to do SQL queries. This skill will last you a lifetime. .

BTW -- if you are at all interested in Java/C, etc, I highly suggest you install a Linux distro and get comfortable with UNIX.

Good luck
 
http://inst.eecs.berkeley.edu/~selfpace/

These are the assignments given for the UC Berkeley self-paced programming courses that are intended to be a crash course to teach someone who knows programming a new language, but cs9c was my first time programming(outside some matlab work that was no real preparation at all..) and while it was pretty difficult, it'll teach you fairly quickly.
 
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I always suggest new students to start with the most basic of all things: procedural command-line programming in C. If you learn it and learn it right, it's very easy to pick up object oriented programming, frameworks, and the like. I learned how to program in C, and picked up C#.NET in a day.

Whatever you do, please don't start on a baby language that does everything for you (VB, Python, Ruby,etc.). That doesn't teach you how to program, it teaches you how to use a glorified scripting language.

You need to learn how to build a whole house, not just learn how to use a hammer and nails. ;)

(Oh yeah, in before the Java and PHP fanboys!)
 
SouLXIV said:
java>.net :p
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That is a pretty blanket statement. Doing some quick and dirty command line stuff that you want your hand held thru? Yeah, Java does that. Writing user interfaces that normal people have to interact with? .Net wins easy.
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outspoken said:
Python is a very simple language to learn. There are programming concepts that will require a bit more than trying to copy/paste some examples, but that can be a great way to learn.

Here is a site with many different links on learning python: http://wiki.python.org/moin/BeginnersGuide
Click to expand...

Pretty sure XBMC made use of python scripts for things, maybe another incentive to start with that. I may be wrong though, I got rid of that awhile ago.
 
Im a comp sci major and most everyone recommends that you start programming with Java because it will make you a less sloppy programmer in the long run than if you start at c++. So go ahead and go to the bookstore and pick up a Java book and once you are done with that you should be about ready for anything.
 
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