Tips learning a programming language?

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WoBinator 0 Newbie Poster

19 Years Ago

Hi, im really interested with this 'programming stuff'. I got into it by reading a thread called 'Virus Programming'. (i read all of it )
Do i have to be in uni to learn a programming language like c++ or c or VBN( i read the names of those languages somewhere)? I have no previous experience...just wanted to know if learning langauges and how to write it was possible to do with no tuition or help from others...could i just read forums and find good links? or....should i just not bother till i learn more at school or something

lol....im not 10yr old :)
Thnx

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Latest Post 19 Years Ago Latest Post by WoBinator

Dani AI

Generated 7 Months Ago

A short, practical plan for turning curiosity into working programs follows. A university degree is not required; what matters is steady, hands‑on practice plus a few trustworthy references. Several replies in this thread point in useful directions—use those suggestions for tools and reading, and combine them with the steps below to make real progress.

Start small and get immediate feedback. Pick a high‑level language that gives quick results (interactive REPLs help). Install the language runtime and a simple editor, then try a single-line program in the interpreter to confirm the environment works:

# example: run inside a Python REPL
print("This is output from my first program!")

Use a short, structured tutorial to learn variables, flow control, functions, and simple data structures. Practice with tiny, concrete projects: a calculator, a to-do list, a number-guessing game. Each project should be small enough to finish in a few hours. Finish one, then extend it incrementally.

Adopt debugging and workflow habits early. Read error messages; reproduce bugs with minimal inputs; log or print intermediate values; use a debugger when available. Keep changes in small commits (version control like git) so problems can be isolated. When asking for help on forums, follow ’s advice: post minimal, formatted code and exact error text. Mention environment details (OS, language version, editor).

Respect ethics and legality. The warning from about malware is important—practice defensive and legitimate programming only. Use community help (as , , and others have offered here) and focus on consistent, deliberate practice. Progress comes from building projects, reading other people’s code, and fixing bugs—slowly at first, then faster.

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Evenbit 52 Junior Poster

19 Years Ago

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_b/104-7815545-0493562?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=computer+programming&Go.x=0&Go.y=0&Go=Go

http://www.google.com/search?q=free+online+programming+book&start=0&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&client=firefox&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:unofficial

http://www.freetechbooks.com/

Ancient Dragon 5,243 Achieved Level 70

19 Years Ago

Dev-C++ is a good c and c++ compiler, and its free

>>I got into it by reading a thread called 'Virus Programming'
please, please do not tell us you want to do that. If you do we will have to ban you for life.:mad:

manutd 2 Junior Poster

19 Years Ago

If you like C or C++, look at the recommended books in that forum.
Another compiler: Code::Blocks.

Narue 5,707 Bad Cop

19 Years Ago

>i just read a thread here that had some interresting talk and people...it was called 'Virus Programming'
I'm sure it was interesting if it's the thread I'm thinking about. ;)

>Do i have to be in uni to learn a programming language
Most certainly not! Anyone with a computer and basic skills using it can learn how to program.

>just wanted to know if learning langauges and how to write it was possible
>to do with no tuition or help from others.
No tuition, yes. No help, that's harder. I learned with very little help, and it's a long, difficult, frustrating path. Fortunately, help can be found for free on forums such as these.

>could i just read forums and find good links?
Yes, though it's highly recommended that you get a good book as well.

>should i just not bother till i learn more at school or something
No! If you're interested in programming, the sooner you start learning the better. Programming is very hard, but it's also very accessible. Most of the best programmers are almost completely self-taught.

WaltP 2,905 Posting Sage w/ dash of thyme

19 Years Ago

heyi just wrote and comiled with Dev-C++
----
they said that its meant to come up with the message...but all it did was flash..i didnt see the message :(
is that meant to hpn?

That's because DevC opens a window to run the program, runs it, and when the program ends, closes the window. Change your code to this:

#include <stdio.h>

int main()
{
    printf("This is output from my first program!\n");
    getchar();
    return 0;
}

Please use Code Tags, not colors. And please read this about using computer-speak.

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WoBinator 0 Newbie Poster · Answer 1 · 2006-12-10T17:52:12+00:00

WoBinator 0 Newbie Poster

19 Years Ago

lol....im not 10yr old :)

seriously im not

WoBinator 0 Newbie Poster · Answer 2 · 2006-12-10T19:01:16+00:00

WoBinator 0 Newbie Poster

19 Years Ago

TY very much :) ill start reading

WoBinator 0 Newbie Poster · Answer 3 · 2006-12-11T07:37:34+00:00

lol no, im not into virus making...i just read a thread here that had some interresting talk and people...it was called 'Virus Programming'
thnx for the program :D

WoBinator 0 Newbie Poster · Answer 4 · 2006-12-11T07:58:51+00:00

I am currently reading and the Help file in Dev-C++. Do i need to learn 'assembly language' before c++? or VB.Net?

WoBinator 0 Newbie Poster · Answer 5 · 2006-12-11T08:01:33+00:00

Coool, thnx Narue...and you were like one of the main posters on that 'Virus Programming' thread!
Do you have any suggestions for a book to buy? lol, i kinda wona get into it now :D

Narue 5,707 Bad Cop Team Colleague · Answer 6 · 2006-12-11T08:06:05+00:00

>and you were like one of the main posters on that 'Virus Programming' thread!
Then it was the thread I was thinking of. That was a fun one. I actually remembered it being fun despite my awful memory. ;)

>Do you have any suggestions for a book to buy?
You can get a free ebook on C++ from MindView. I honestly haven't read the first volume (but it's highly recommended) and I enjoyed reading the second volume very much. However, I always recommend learning C++ from Accelerated C++ because it's short and sweet, and teaches C++ as it should be taught.

WoBinator 0 Newbie Poster · Answer 7 · 2006-12-11T09:24:43+00:00

This is really confusing.....is C++ what i should start learning? or do i need to learn something b4 i get onto C++ or C# .... Introductions are SO hard to read

WoBinator 0 Newbie Poster · Answer 8 · 2006-12-11T10:43:04+00:00

heyi just wrote and comiled with Dev-C++

#include <stdio.h>

int main()
{
printf("This is output from my first program!\n");
return 0;
}

----
they said that its meant to come up with the message...but all it did was flash..i didnt see the message :(
is that meant to hpn?

WoBinator 0 Newbie Poster · Answer 9 · 2006-12-11T17:13:16+00:00

WoBinator 0 Newbie Poster

19 Years Ago

cool, thnx man

Narue 5,707 Bad Cop Team Colleague · Answer 10 · 2006-12-11T20:18:30+00:00

>is C++ what i should start learning?
Probably not. I assumed you wanted to learn C++ from your posts. Python might actually be a better introduction to programming (it's more forgiving), but eventually you will want to learn C++.

WoBinator 0 Newbie Poster · Answer 11 · 2006-12-11T20:31:30+00:00

WoBinator 0 Newbie Poster

19 Years Ago

cool, ok...thnx :)

manutd 2 Junior Poster · Answer 12 · 2006-12-12T03:06:23+00:00

Do i need to learn 'assembly language' before c++? or VB.Net?

N-o-o-o. Assembly language is probably the last language you will learn. It also happens to be the least forgiving and least user-friendly. Happiness ;) It is best used in low level, OS base type programming (aka in situations other languages just won't do).

WaltP 2,905 Posting Sage w/ dash of thyme Team Colleague · Answer 13 · 2006-12-12T14:30:21+00:00

Assembly language is probably the last language you will learn.

I'd recommend RPG II as the last languave you want to learn! :twisted: At least assembly is useful.

WoBinator 0 Newbie Poster · Answer 14 · 2006-12-12T20:35:39+00:00

Cool, thnx...something that i read made me think that assembly was easier lol .... im trying to learn Python at the moment :D ... from there ill move on to C++ :lol: ...

Whats up with Perl? is it easier than Python? is VBScript hard to learn? After learning Python could i move on to VBscript? or Python> C> C++> VBScript?
thnx

John A 1,896 Vampirical Lurker Team Colleague · Answer 15 · 2006-12-13T06:39:42+00:00

Cool, thnx...something that i read made me think that assembly was easier lol .... im trying to learn Python at the moment :D ... from there ill move on to C++ :lol: ...
Whats up with Perl? is it easier than Python? is VBScript hard to learn? After learning Python could i move on to VBscript? or Python> C> C++> VBScript?
thnx

VBscript is supposed to mimic Microsoft's Visual Basic language, so it won't be too hard to learn. However, practically no one uses it nowadays (everyone uses Javascript instead). So it's not really that useful.

Perl is a queer mix of different languages that I never really caught on to. Some people think it's the greatest language in the world, others think it's very bad. From what I know, Perl is supposed to give you many ways to solve a problem -- Python idea is to only provide one way to solve it. All in all, they're not that much different in terms of learnability. However, Perl is supposed to be impossible to maintain.

WoBinator 0 Newbie Poster · Answer 16 · 2006-12-13T07:41:32+00:00

Alright...thnx man. I had a look at ur blog, pretty cool..Wii remote ftw

Tips learning a programming language?

Dani AI

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