10 replies to this topic

[Sparkstar]

Hi all,

I'd quite like to learn a coding laguuage but I don't know what would be the best for begginers. Can anyone suggest anything please?

[Afterm4th]

Hi all,

I'd quite like to learn a coding laguuage but I don't know what would be the best for begginers. Can anyone suggest anything please?

I'd say start with C as it is one of the most universal and widely used, standardized and versatile languages out there... but dont let my advice constrict you to a single language.

PS: nice avitar

[Sparkstar]

Ok thanks, will do.

And hahaha!!! You too!

[tekio]

I'd suggest PHP, PERL, or PYTHON. With C you're gonna spend too much time on theory, learning the intricacies of data types and such. With the other languages it's gonna be a lot more fun starting out. Within a month you'll actually be writing small but useful applications. I tried to learn C as my first language and it was so boring I quit. Then about a year later started learning PHP and found it much more fun.

Don't get me wrong C is a great and very powerful language. But for someone new programming it can be intimidating and boring at first. Once you're good with PHP, PERL, or Python, learning C will be a lot easier, too.

[chown]

http://blockly-demo....maze/index.html

[phasma]

Personally, my first language was Pascal but starting with scripting languages like tekio said is a great way to get into it.

[Swerve]

Plus one for PHP. I'd also suggest JavaScript, but it's a client side language.

I'd go for PHP, its Object Orientated.

[systems_glitch]

+1 for Python. If this is your first time programming, Python forces you to establish a decent coding style -- whitespace is significant, so failing to indent your method bodies breaks the code. It's object-oriented, fairly easy to pick up, and still relevant for new-work application development.

Ideally, everyone would start out writing assembly code for some easy-to-understand architecture, and "earn" C Seriously though, if programming is going to be more than a part-time hobby for you, you're going to /need/ the theory associated with learning C.

[Y0ungBra1n]

Start with basic programming skills to introduce you to loops and logic. Do you have a TI-83 calculator? Try and whip up some functions that'll make your life easier in Math class or when calculating interest rates. Read the TI-83 manual. That's where I was first introduced to programming and that is no light-weight book!

Once you've got the basic hang of communicating with programs, try moving on to macros like vba in excel or autohotkey. That's really useful stuff and will get you the farthest the fastest. After you get the hang of those you could probably move onto PHP or Python. This is where I'm at. Next stage would be C and then later (much later) assembly.

[kidboo]

Definitely going to agree with tekio here in saying with Perl, Python, Java etc.. you will make some pretty neat programs and it will definitely interest you... Me personally I like learning theory first to understand the concept behind how everything works but everyone is different and like tekio C/C++ in the beginning for me too was really discouraging. It was boring and I wasn't writing any useful programs but as time passed I learned a lot and made some pretty cool things but hey choice is. Good Luck..

I'd suggest PHP, PERL, or PYTHON. With C you're gonna spend too much time on theory, learning the intricacies of data types and such. With the other languages it's gonna be a lot more fun starting out. Within a month you'll actually be writing small but useful applications. I tried to learn C as my first language and it was so boring I quit. Then about a year later started learning PHP and found it much more fun.

Don't get me wrong C is a great and very powerful language. But for someone new programming it can be intimidating and boring at first. Once you're good with PHP, PERL, or Python, learning C will be a lot easier, too.

[SixThousandFish]

I have to cast my vote to Python. Of all the languages I've learned anything about, Python was by and far the most user-friendly for me. It's also reputed to be a uniquely easy language to learn, making it an excellent place to start. Not to mention, given the popularity of the language, there is a huge amount of learning material available on the web, freely accessible. Here's a few sites that can help you get started if you want to look at Python:
http://www.learnpython.org/
http://www.tutorials...ython/index.htm
http://code.google.c...e-python-class/

Then, of course, exploring other languages if you like is the next logical move, depending on what you want to do with your programming time.
Web development? Try Javascript.
Microsoft-specific general technologies? C# via the .NET Framework
Liked C# but don't care for microsoft? Mono is the opens-source, cross-platform implementation of C#(but it is, in my opinion, inferior to Microsoft's .NET)
Program just about anything? Try C++ and/or C.
Game programming? Most popular languages have a game library for them, but C++ is currently the industry standard.

These are just the languages I've experienced personally, and what I've collected in my time with them. Hope you find what you're looking for.