Best Programming Language for Absolute Beginner?

[Super_ness]

Title really says it all.

 

[★Malik★™]

Just like the commercials.

Rosetta Stone.

 

[Super_ness]

Any pros and cons? I've never heard of it.

 

[Kirby King]

http://www.smashboards.com/showthread.php?t=243007
http://www.smashboards.com/showthread.php?t=231000

 

[Cloud XV]

I was just in the same boat you are in, I started learning C# and it is a very user friendly programming language to learn. I got about 1/3rd trough the language and then figured out I was actually gonna be taking C++ in college so I switched.

But I would recommend C# for a beginner language.
Heres a wiki book on it.
http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/C_Sharp_Programming

 

[Super_ness]

Whoops. So java, C, or C#.

Well, for you guys to help, I guess I need to tell you what I wanna do. Well, I really just want to get a grasp on how computers work, in general. Also, I run Windows XP, in case that helps.

EDIT: I've heard good and bad things about python, and terrible things about C for beginners, so swap those two.

 

[Dastrn]

C++ or C# are both excellent options, although it really doesn't hurt to do something far more basic while you familiarize yourself with how programming actually works. Once you learn the basic logic, you can apply the ideas to almost any language once you learn the syntax, and you are well on your way.

I started programming way back in QBasic, GW-Basic, and learned the easy way how to use different types of loops, arrays, variables, etc. These are some of the very basic building blocks of programming.

It may be that people will learn just as fast on the fly with one of the more useful languages like C++ or Java, but I started with the EASY stuff, and it really helped me get my mind around what programming is like. It only took me 2 months from day 1 to have coded my own pacman game, complete with AI in basic. It'd be a little bit harder today with C++ or something, but still, programming is not that hard.

 

[noradseven]

you guys must be smoking stuff, C != easy beginner language, C# and C++ are better but still, java is easier, python even more so.

Basic is easy too but its also kinda of a jerk sometimes and gets picky.

java is kinda **** if you want to do multithreading(NOT BEGINNER STUFF), python even more so, but they are easy and the compliers kinda do the work for you.

 

[Kirby King]

No one asked about an easy beginner language, just a beginner language.

You can learn programming, or you can learn programming correctly.

(I'm being intentionally antagonistic. But seriously, there are merits to starting with something like C vs. something like Python. I say this as someone who started by learning PHP. C will take longer to get your head around, but I think starting at a lower-level like C gives you a better foundation to learn something like Python or C++ or Java later. Easier than going the other way, anyway.)

 

[Superstar]

I agree with Kirby King. But at the same time I don't think Java really is that easy for beginners. At least in the earlier levels there are way too many concepts you have to learn before you can even start. And Java babies you so much that moving on is a pain.

I would say actually that C > C++ to start off with. Not an easier language to do well with of course, but at the lower levels there are less stuff to get all confused on, worst is probably pointers which helps a lot in understanding other language even for minor bit operations.

I can't do neither C nor C++ well enough though. I blame Java. Learned C# fairly easily though.

 

[Dastrn]

I agree that C could be better to start with, except that no one is really developing in C anymore, compared to the wealth of opportunities that being a C++ developer would open up, career-wise. It's just adding a complication to learn C first, when you know you'll be using C++ as soon as you know what you're doing anyways. Might as well just start with C++.

If you just want to learn something easy to break you in, I recommend a version of Basic, like BlitzBasic. You can get the book with a CD at Amazon.
http://www.amazon.com/Game-Programming-Teens-Maneesh-Sethi/dp/1592000681

 

[Super_ness]

Thank you everyone for all your help. I'm going with C++! Thanks again!!

 

[Dastrn]

You might want to check out:
http://projecteuler.net/

It's basically a site giving you incrementally harder challenges for coding projects. As you go through them, you'll end up teaching yourself a TON about coding.

 

[CRASHiC]

OH WOW. Thanks Dastrn, learning programing is very intimidating. That will definitely help.

 

[Dastrn]

I recommend spending a good amount of time working with prime number programs and sorting programs. Both of these are good at teaching you some important programming axioms:
1. There's almost always a more efficient way to do whatever you just did.
2. You should always look at other people's code for similar tasks to compare your logic to theirs and consider if you could have optimized yours better.

 

[Isatis]

My first language was PHP (at the time, PHP 4 was a new thing), when I was starting to learn at the age of 10 by myself.

 

[Superstar]

I recommended C simply because C++ builds on C [with some differences, but I disgress]. Once you learn C, moving on to C++ shouldn't be too difficult, and if you ever look at a C library or something you'll know how C++ differs from C.

Still, if you are able to learn C++ from scratch, that may be better than just C since C++ is used a lot more. Just don't use an online tutorial. It'll help you a bit, but C++ is a very, very tricky language to learn. Do yourself justice and buy a good book or take a C++ class.

I'll try that project Euler, that should be very helpful.

 

[noradseven]

Php isn't considered a programing language by most people.

I recommended C simply because C++ builds on C [with some differences, but I disgress]. Once you learn C, moving on to C++ shouldn't be too difficult, and if you ever look at a C library or something you'll know how C++ differs from C.

Still, if you are able to learn C++ from scratch, that may be better than just C since C++ is used a lot more. Just don't use an online tutorial. It'll help you a bit, but C++ is a very, very tricky language to learn. Do yourself justice and buy a good book or take a C++ class.

I'll try that project Euler, that should be very helpful.

Who uses c++, every business I know uses C#, and a few use objective-C, and some use C/C++ for legacy **** but still...

 

[Kirby King]

Php isn't considered a programing language by most people.

Really? Are these people who have never heard of PHP (which I guess is quite a few), or are these people who just don't know what a "programming language" is?

 

[Isatis]

Most websites I know code their infrastructure in PHP :V

 

[metalmonstar]

I guess some people don't consider web languages programming languages.

I started with C++. The language isn't really that important, it is the logic and problem solving skills that you develop.

 

[Isatis]

I'm trying to learn C++ for the most part, mainly to do a Brawl+ Updater/Installer for Homebrew

 

[Dastrn]

Who uses c++, every business I know uses C#, and a few use objective-C, and some use C/C++ for legacy **** but still...

If you look at job postings for programming, they are 90% either Java or C++. It changes over time, and Ruby on Rails and C# are both picking up steam, but Java and C++ will be around for a long time still.

 

[noradseven]

If you look at job postings for programming, they are 90% either Java or C++. It changes over time, and Ruby on Rails and C# are both picking up steam, but Java and C++ will be around for a long time still.

IDK why I forgot about java considering how much I was talking about earlier yeah ppl def use that alot... but C++ I seriously don't know anyone who has used it in there job... hell C++ was the first language I learned. It might just be my area though, or just random odds of me not knowing C++ programmers, who knows .

Doesn't matter though learn just 1 of the Cs and you should be fine, well obj-C is kinda weird but the other ones are all extremely similar, to the point where you could pick up what you don't know on the job easy.

 

[Super_ness]

Hi again! Anyone know some good PORTABLE C++ compilers?

 

[Superstar]

What does portable mean? USB stick? if so Dev C++ should be pretty good [MAYBE].

Either way, I always prefer programming on my desktop for some reason. Either it's that it's more powerful, more comfortable, larger screen? I don't know.

And norad, that's just what I hear. Maybe you're right, but I always hear C++ this, C++ that.

 

[noradseven]

What does portable mean? USB stick? if so Dev C++ should be pretty good [MAYBE].

Either way, I always prefer programming on my desktop for some reason. Either it's that it's more powerful, more comfortable, larger screen? I don't know.

And norad, that's just what I hear. Maybe you're right, but I always hear C++ this, C++ that.

But its not a bad idea C++ is a C language with lots of guides on it but as for starters I would still stick to something that doesn't have the letter C in it.

 

[Dastrn]

Dev-C++ is a good compiler for beginners. I found it by FAR the most intuitive.

I still don't see why C++ wouldn't be good for beginners. What are more simple options? When it comes down to it, programming isn't noob-friendly overall, and it's not like there's this perfect easy intuitive language.

 

[CRASHiC]

I found PHP silly easy. I understood it prior to knowing anything about programing. From working with websites, I could easily search for the code that was causing me trouble and fix it.

 

[KillerJawz]

C# is a real easy language to pick up after some light reading

 

[Dastrn]

I found PHP silly easy. I understood it prior to knowing anything about programing. From working with websites, I could easily search for the code that was causing me trouble and fix it.

Yeah If you know HTML, PHP isn't all that hard to decipher. I started with PHP back like 5 years ago. Never got very far at all, but with 15 years of HTML experience, it came pretty easy.

 

[Beam Sword of Death]

Well the first language I learned was HTML, and I'm best with HTML but PHP isn't that hard.
I would recommend C++ for an absolute beginner, but really you can't go wrong with any language if you are willing to put forth the effort.

 

[Superstar]

C++ is harder on beginners than Java/C# obviously. But it's still a good starting language because it prepares you for harder stuff rather than babying you, and in C++, in the beginning, you can learn one thing at a time [in Java you have to either teach all that object/Main stuff off the bat or say "we'll come back to it later]. In C++, functional programming can be learned before object oriented.

C++ is not as user friendly though. If you're self taught, I don't know about self teaching C++. It's not very nice to you like that.

EDIT: Obviously, this is a rephrase of a lot of other junk said in this topic.

 

[Beam Sword of Death]

C++ is harder on beginners than Java/C# obviously. But it's still a good starting language because it prepares you for harder stuff rather than babying you, and in C++, in the beginning, you can learn one thing at a time [in Java you have to either teach all that object/Main stuff off the bat or say "we'll come back to it later]. In C++, functional programming can be learned before object oriented.

C++ is not as user friendly though. If you're self taught, I don't know about self teaching C++. It's not very nice to you like that.

EDIT: Obviously, this is a rephrase of a lot of other junk said in this topic.

yeah I tried a long time ago to teach myself C++ and I epically failed.

 

[Super_ness]

Portable would be USB flash drive portable. And smaller than 2.51 GB.

 

[Dastrn]

I'm self-taught in C++.

I'm not GOOD or anything, to be fair. But it's really not that bad. I just have a ton of C++ books, and I use google a lot.

 

[Superstar]

I self taught C++, but when I tried applying it I failed, hard.

Apparently C++ for Dummies teaches C styled C++, and is therefore pretty useless.

 

[Super_ness]

YOW! C++ is confusing!! Not to mention impossible to find a good tutorial. I'll try HTML.

EDIT: I like it!! I'll try this road map: HTML-->CSS-->PHP--C++-->Umm...Something else.

 

[Crimson King]

http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/C++ - This is great.

 

[LLDL]

Multimedia Fusion :>

Spoiler

LOL