Want to learn to program

tr3mor

I'm gonna suggest Java. It's fairly logical and there are some pretty good books on it. I like Savitch or the O'Reilly nutshell ones.

If you can do Java it wouldn't take much effort to pick up C, C++ languages. It means you can have fun making little applets for the net too.

Astaroth

browolf wrote:

learn something useful like php.

Alternatively learning C# or VB.Net will allow you to both write stand alone programs or websites using ASP.Net (which can be written in either of the above languages) and therefore probably more practical than php that has only the single application

amcluesent

Ruby - the Ruby guide for those learning to program is here. Seriously, Ruby has all the elements of modern languages and is designed for simplicity and to be easy to code and read.

Once you've done the basics of programming, you can use Ruby on Rails for web and database development way easier than with C# and .NET or Java and J2EE.

Plus Ruby and Ruby on Rails are all open source, so everything is free!

browolf

Wombat wrote:

If you want to set your PC up as a server, then I'd recommend using Wamp5:

http://www.wampserver.com/en/

It instals Apache, PHP and MySQL together with PHPMyAdmin and SQLLiteManager and everything works together beautifully.

there's also xampp
http://www.apachefriends.org/en/xampp-windows.html

i've used that before. worked great.

Cypher

I've mainly done C++ as part of my BSc, but the Uni are about to switch all the modules over Java.

wolfman

https://www.asp.net

Microsoft's official site for .Net. It's got loads of excellent walkthrough videos, tutorials, code examples and also a decent forum.

Anything .Net related I'd suggest you start there.

I personally prefer C# and have found it more common in industry than VB.Net. It's also a "cleaner" language, in my opinion.

If you want the Ruby approach, have a look at SubSonic (http://www.codeplex.com/Wiki/View.aspx?ProjectName=actionpack) or MonoRail (http://www.castleproject.org/MonoRail/). It's basically Ruby for .Net.


The best way of learning is to find a project, or something useful you'd enjoy working on. Maybe a website, and think of things you'd like to include on it.

Cypher

wolfman wrote:

The best way of learning it to find a project, or something useful you'd enjoy working on.

Totally agree with that, thats how I taught myself. I'm now just coming back to programming after teaching myself 20 years ago and then never taking it any further.

I had a application I needed and there was nothing about to do it at the time so I wrote my own. It took me a few months doing a little each night and as a complete beginner it was an uphill struggle. and there was no internet then so it was all by trial and error and buying the odd book.

The program was a maintenance scheduler, which automatically printed out work schedules and allowed the maintenace engineer to add completion comments etc to say the work had been done and what he'd done etc. The system would then automatically update the backend database and amend the due dates for the next slot. Once I had that working I added extra bits to it such as reports, backup options, history, inventory etc. Having this application as my final goal really pushed me to try to achieve things I never even thought were possible weeks before.

It ended up a very useful program and we used it for over 15 years until we replaced it with a modern equivalent. I gave them my version for free. This new version I heard cost around £30-40k ouch. It was then that I realised I had lost my way and went back to Uni to get some qualification and to learn to program all over again.

I really kick myself now as to why I didn't change career's all those years ago. Especially as this new program we use now isn't as good as the one I wrote Its just a bit more modern.

Infact I have my final project to do next year at Uni and I'm thinking of re-doing a new version of my old program just to annoy the people at work who paid all that money for the new system we have.

nej

Cypher wrote:

I've mainly done C++ as part of my BSc, but the Uni are about to switch all the modules over Java.

Noooo! I do program in Java, but the benefit gained from teaching the course in C++ is huge!

Anyone who can do C++ could pick up Java in about 10 minutes, but not the other way around.

I wish I had learned in C++. Now it scares me!

Cypher

If thats the case why would they want to switch confused: I've done all my C++ modules now so it won't effect me, and I've never actually looked at Java so I just assumed it was a more modern version of C++.

I do think a lot of people have seemed to struggle with C++ so no doubt its just a way of improving the grades

nej

Probably right about improving grades. Remember Java is a managed language, so things like pointers and memory allocation are redundant. It's those things that are harder but make better programmers.

Java is pretty easy, really, as all that is done for you.