wanting to learn some new languages

[ndruw]

currently only doing HTML

i want to get into C languages, PHP + SQL, and PERL/CGI

where would be a good place to find beginners tutorials/how did you first learn to program?

 

[BillLeeLee]

Well, what exactly are you trying to achieve, first off? Is this just a general "I want to learn something more advanced than HTML" or do you have specific purposes in mind?

For general programming, while I'm a big C/C++ fan, I also don't generally recommend it to those setting out to learn it as their first real language because some of its constructs, like pointers, can give beginners a rough time, though with a good book it shouldn't be too much trouble (I still recommend C++ Primer by Stephen Prata).

I direct people towards more 'friendly' languages like Python, because once you actually learn the basics of any language, you can pretty much dive into any new language without much trouble.

www.python.org has a tutorial and getting started guide.

If you want to learn a language specifically for the web, take a glimpse at the PHP manual at www.php.net.

As for Perl, I also like it, but it's one ugly language. You can do one thing 100 different ways in Perl, and it's really powerful/dirty/quick to program in, with a countless number of modules for almost anything you'd want to make.

www.perl.com
www.perldoc.com

But again, book is recommended (Programming Perl by Larry Wall is the bible).

I will offer up some interesting choices though - Lisp and ML. They're semi-functional languages with what might seem like very, very bizarre syntax, but they're actually pretty easy to learn if you can wrap your head around functional languages, and generally, most people understand functional languages better if they start out with them. I learned C and C++ way before I learned Scheme (another functional language) and I had the most awful time adapting to Scheme when I first learned it.

As for how I learned to program - I learned C in high school, went on to C++ afterwards, and in college I've been exposed to or learned these languages through class or on my own: Java, Perl, Ruby, ML, Lisp, Scheme, Prolog, C#, MIPS. I have a bookshelf filled with nothing but language, computer science foundations, and software engineering books.

Yeah, eventually you realize that though a language can theoretically handle whatever you want, you'll find that some languages are much better suited for some tasks than others.

 

[1tbs4life]

where would be a good place to find beginners tutorials/how did you first learn to program?

We've had a lot of these kinds of threads lately, so there's already a lot of good information on these forums for you to look at.

Mikeblas wrote a really great essay for students or people looking to learn to program, so I suggest you take a look at it.

A little over two months ago we had another topic which I really liked that you should find helpful. Take a look at it here.

 

[nameless_centurian]

i would most definately not start with c/c++/c# etc.... not until you get a grasp of what's going on underneath all that pretty code... otherwise you'll have a fairly hard time diagnosing problems because you'll have the "i'm a c programmer" false sense of security.

so my recommendation is either learn something like VB, or if you want to take the boring route and learn it right the first time, do some assembly on something.... if assemby is out of the question, ADA is a good language for beginners while being fairly elegant in capabilities. it's syntax is also incredibly easy to comprehend... and on top of that, it's easy to track down errors because of its run-time error checking.

java does some error checking as well, but it's a little steep for a beginner.

edit:

here's a post i made on another thread mentioned earlier.

as far as learning the basics of programming and data structures, nothing beats ADA, in my opinion. ada is sytactically friendly and also very friendly to the programmer learning data structres due to the large amount of run-time checking that occurs. Java is good, too... but it isn't as friendly with the syntax.

i would completely avoid c++ until you understand a basic level of computer architecture and assembly programming... c/c++ are very much like programming in assembly, only less tedious. anybody who knows architecture would agree at least somewhat.

in summary, ada has friendly syntax. it also helps the beginning programmer with run-time checks.

java is not as friendly as ada, but provides more detailed run-time checks. it is kind of difficult to learn right away because of it's deeply OOP nature. it can be considered a middle ground between ada and c/c++.. java also has *THE* best documentation of the three langauges.

c++ is a fun language, quick to code in, but difficult to track down mistakes at times. it also lacks certain abilities that the beginner will aprreciate such as string slicing.

all three languages are free. you can find ide's/compilers on the web..

 

[mikeblas]

It worked! It worked!!! Someone quoted me and I don't have to type my stock reply all over again! It worked!!1!

 

[The Bryophyte]

Do not learn Lisp or Scheme if you are looking to do practical work with your new programming knowledge. They are rarely used in industry and (at least Scheme) is often considered a teaching language.

 

[nameless_centurian]

It worked! It worked!!! Someone quoted me and I don't have to type my stock reply all over again! It worked!!1!

i hope that doesn't mean you'll be taking the evening off. we'll have to dock your pay.

 

[mikeblas]

i hope that doesn't mean you'll be taking the evening off. we'll have to dock your pay.

Dock my pay? You should give me a raise, since I'm working smarter and not harder.

 

[mr tanooki]

i recommend python

 

[ndruw]

cool, ill check out python and ADA

(heh, i had never heard of ADA before this, so thank you for bringing it to my attention