want to learn to prog.

yachtboy14 · June 12th, 2003, 02:37 AM

I am 15 years old and want to be a prog. can someone tell me how to get started you know what a 15 year old can do I am very good with computers and that is why I want to be a prog. I want something that is free at first just to see what prog. is like.

Xpander · June 12th, 2003, 03:05 AM

if there's a computer science (or any computer class) at your high school, take it! such a class would be perfect for a beginner. i learned a ton of stuff in only a year of comp sci so that should get you on your way to being able to teach yourself. hope that helps.

crouse · June 12th, 2003, 03:15 AM

Get Linux........... install it..... all the tools are free. You can program c , c++, perl, html,php,javascript, and much more.

http://www.crouse.ws/viewforum.php?forum=22

HTH's

nukes · June 14th, 2003, 07:18 PM

Yeah, there are free compilers in windows, but Linux is so much better for learning programming, as its lots easier to do perl and php etc in Linux. With MS the only good IDE is visual studio and it isn't cheap (though it is very good)
You've never programmed before? Look at python or java. If you have some experience, look at C++, (learning C first makes some things harder)
Don't expect miracles either.

zidane182 · June 14th, 2003, 07:26 PM

I started out learning html just by reading a book, but some do not really consider it a programming language i guess. I learned the basics of c++ in programming and after a few weeks of the classi just read ahead in our book and added newer stuff to my programs.

choc101 · June 16th, 2003, 04:56 AM

This seems to be the question of the day everyday.

It is in my opinion that learning any language takes time, obviously, but noone never seems to know what they want to learn.

Being young I would say if you up to the challenge and think you want to go into programming after High School and get a degree you will need to know either C/C++ and/or Java regardless.
Usually people who know C++ already have an easier time adapting to C since the syntax is very much the same, but not all.

These are probably the hardest languages to learn with the highest learning curve (in my opinion), but will give you a good idea of what is involved in not only learning but mastering a language. Once you master the basics of these the rest is easy, sort of.

For instance the first language I learned was C++, mainly becuase thats what they taught at my uni, but I learned everything I needed to be able to teach myself any other language. The verbage may be different but the sytax is the same. So Java, PHP, ASP, Perl, ect... weren't that hard to learn becuase I had that foundation C provides.

However, if you dont want to dive directly in start off with some simplier languages like VB or even HTML. They will at least give you a feel of what is expected. Even though VB is nothing like HTML they are both still considered languages.

Anyways my point is find a language that may be to your liking and work up or down from there becuase we all learn at a different pace and have different preferences. Noone can really tell you what youll like until you try it, we can just give you ideas of what to expect.
I do want to say that at 15 or whatever you are deffinately giving yourself and advantage becuase you will already know the basics of programming and especially if you get into Compute Science this will prove to be invaluable. When I was 15 I barely knew what a computer was more less programming languages.

There are numerous resources online for learning almost any programming language out there. Also do what I do sometimes. Sometime if you have a few hours to kill goto a book store and pick out several books on different languages. As you read through them you will quickly see which ones you may have interest in and how difficult they may or maynot be. You will see beginner and advanced books so be sure to start out easy and eventually figure it out. I wouldn't expect to be writing port sniffers or whatever after a week or even a month, this does take time, lots of time!

Im sorry for the book I wrote, but as a college grad I wish I would've had the forsite to better prepare myself and would like to help anyway possible. Remember programming and computer science isn't easy on any level and the sooner you get started the better off you'll be.

One quick note I would like to reiterate on what was said before. Get a Unix based OS like Redhat, Debian, FreeBSD or something. Not only having the knowledge to program on these (UNIX), but using them effectively will be real important. Not everyone uses Windows, Thank God!

Hope this helps,
Good Luck

Computer · June 17th, 2003, 05:08 PM

I am in the same boat as the person asking the question. I am 16 and today was my last day of grade 10, and comp sci. This year we learned turing. from what I've gathered it's basicly a useless language for anything than learning programing. Next year we are learning VB and in grade 12 Java. I was kinda dissapointed that we weren't learning C++. I don't really know anything about languages, is C++ something i should definately learn even if i am not doing it in school? Where can I get the software for C++ or VB. Doesn't one of them just use code in note pad? How does that work? sorry for all the questions.

thanks

VHockey86 · June 17th, 2003, 05:20 PM

its possible to write visual basic in notepad but it wont compile it to an EXE for you. I just got Sams teach yourself visual basic in 24 hours, and it taught the basics fairly well. However I really havent found anything to apply it to so I'm having a hard time expanding on it. Oh well, guess I need to try and learn C++ (they dont teach it at my school either)

dragonb · June 17th, 2003, 05:58 PM

hey choc I enjoyed your book.

I'm almost in the same boat, almost finished an IT degree which does not have half enough programming. But, started in school a long time ago learning pascal, and then C++. I've never regretted taking those classes even though I didn't need them, because a good foundation to the ideas of programming is essential.

For a beginner, I would recommend either a Java or C++ beginning book. Probably Java since it's pretty easy to get it up and compiling. Go to the bookstore and spend some time picking a good book. Then go through the book and DO every example. This helps so much more than you think, especially with things like getting the hang of the compiler, making many of the common errors, and fixing them, etc. Also, a lot of books have challenge things where they pose a problem where you can expand on the example. Do these.
Be prepared to put in the time. Programming is a science and an art. Good programmers make a lot of money, but for every one there is thousands who just dabble a bit. Either way it's fun.
good luck,
dragonb

nukes · June 18th, 2003, 02:08 PM

If you wanted to learn programming you should really have taken comp. science or software engineering.
I would say go straight into C/C++, but I've been doing BASIC since I was like 6 and did some ASM when I was like 14.
Now I'm 17 and just starting to really get into C (I wrote a few demos a couple of years back in TC++, but they weren't much good) I've been reading for about a week, and my second ever program is up to about 350 lines now. Looks good too.
The advice I give you is: buy a book, almost any book will do, do the examples, and then pick some reasonably simple project, like a little database/calender or something you will use, and work on it. Then do something else. For example, I'm writing a game in C++ using SDL on Linux, I'm still learning as I go along, and am still grappling with some aspects of OOP, but I'll get there, and it sure beats working out of a book, and not seeing how you apply the things to real-life situations.