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Beginning new languages

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    #32
    Mmmm_Lemony
    Registered Users Posts: 891 ✭✭✭Mmmm_Lemony


    fergalr wrote: »
    I suggest:

    1) A sticky 'How do I get started' thread. Yes, its not something that comes up with extremely high frequency - but its a pretty important topic.

    2) A well formulated standard answer. I suggest re-directing people to one, or several of the following:

    https://www.coursera.org/course/programming1
    http://www.udacity.com/overview/Course/cs101/CourseRev/apr2012
    http://www.khanacademy.org/cs/tutorials/programming-basics
    Coder Dojo http://coderdojo.com/

    Those resources are some of the best 'intro to programming' resources out there; getting stuck in to any one of those is probably better than receiving a debate on the relative merits of different languages.

    Great suggestion and +1 on thenewboston.org

    I think taking a language like Java or C# or even VB for that matter, where you can instantly see results is the best way forward for this person.

    I would suggest Java simply because the person is so young, and once you have a handle on the basics you can start developing Android apps, with a few lessons from Lynda.com or the thenewboston.com, as mentioned. For a young kid this would be very rewarding.


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    #33
    jmcc
    Registered Users Posts: 7,410 ✭✭✭jmcc


    djpbarry wrote: »
    Is it really possible to formulate a standard answer to "Which programming language should I learn?"
    Yes. But it is a question:
    "What do you want to do?"

    Regards...jmc


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    #34
    Media999
    Registered Users Posts: 1,695 ✭✭✭Media999


    Id highly recommend learning Web Programming first. Start up a few websites of your own. Master HTML, CSS and then javascript and the likes.
    At your age you could get a lot of satisfaction from creating websites you have an interest in and its something to show off also. Get a few websites online while you still have that passion.

    At your age you would be full of ideas that adults just dont have the imagination for.


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    #35
    dalta5billion
    Registered Users Posts: 1,034 ✭✭✭dalta5billion


    Media999 wrote: »
    Id highly recommend learning Web Programming first. Start up a few websites of your own. Master HTML, CSS and then javascript and the likes.
    At your age you could get a lot of satisfaction from creating websites you have an interest in and its something to show off also. Get a few websites online while you still have that passion.

    At your age you would be full of ideas that adults just dont have the imagination for.
    I would agree on this one, and I regret not taking this route.

    Can code in Python, badly in C, but God forbid you ask me to build a feckin' website! :D

    Also I am useless at design so command line tools are more my forte.


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    #36
    jsn.peters
    Registered Users Posts: 52 ✭✭jsn.peters


    Thanks for the links they will help me out as well


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    #37
    Nulty
    Registered Users Posts: 7,838 ✭✭✭Nulty


    Aswerty wrote: »
    @professore Hacking around with other peoples PAWN scripts will only take you so far. Learning programming by buying a book, for C go for something like C for Dummies as opposed to K&R, that steps you through the various areas of programming is always the best approach IMO. From looking around the web PAWN resources don't look that great especially for a beginner.

    Also there is no requirement to go down the algorithm/data structures route of learning. Go for the 99 bottles of beer on the wall/tic-tac-toe route.

    K&R would put a 15yo off programming for life. I struggled with it and gave up as a 27yo. Its a good book, but to learn programming - it's not.


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    #38
    djpbarry
    Registered Users Posts: 13,104 ✭✭✭✭djpbarry


    Nulty wrote: »
    K&R would put a 15yo off programming for life.
    Hmmm ... maybe. I think that's the problem with getting kids into programming now - the need for instant results. That need was relatively easily met when you were programming a Commodore 64, because expectations were much lower. I remember writing really, really simple programs in BASIC and being amazed by the results, probably because some of the games I was playing on the C64 were pretty simple (by today's standards). But now, displaying a bit of text on a screen is unlikely to set a teenager's pulse racing.


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    #39
    Fad
    Registered Users Posts: 7,231 ✭✭✭Fad


    djpbarry wrote: »
    UCD don't. They still use C. And I'm really, really glad they do, because I'd be struggling now if they didn't.

    While that is true, you spend your first semester programming in the highest level of C possible. And you have lectures, labs and a programming support centre as a support. If you're teaching yourself, beginning with C is probably not the greatest idea.

    OP, google "learn python the hard way".


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    #40
    Dean_Mc
    Registered Users Posts: 338 ✭✭Dean_Mc


    Let me give you the best peace of advice I have ever gotten as a software developer:

    Take nobodies advice because they are all wrong and biased, formulate your own opinions and explore your own limitations.

    On top of that my only other nugget is:

    Of all the decisions you make in software, make sure the end user is the key variable, if it does not in some way benefit them, it is not worth doing.


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