New To Programming. Where the heck do I begin?

[Viking]

I'm no programming wiz, but I dabbled in c++. What I learned (and what I couldn't do at the time) is that you just have to take the plunge and become an insomniac machine fueled by coffee whose brain doesn't function correctly without a keyboard in front of them.

Though, my sleepless nights may have been derived from the fact that instead of learning the basics I was taking a friends sources that he sent me and trying to edit them in order to learn. May work for some people, it sort-of worked for me but it's very painful in my opinion.

[Swoosh]

C++ is quite a hard language to start on, I think if you are new to programming and you are learning how to program in your personal time (without tuition) then C++ will be difficult to get your head around. VB.NET is a nice starting language, but it doesn't really prepare you all that well for other languages even if it is very easy to get your head around. I would suggest C# as a base language, it will provide a nice springboard up into C and ultimately C++.

For web programming (not counting HTML/CSS) Javascript and PHP or Python are great places to start (Python is a far better language then PHP overall, however PHP is used far more widely across web products such as Wordpress and most forums).

[MuZeVII]

I would honestly recommend Python as the first programming language of choice. Object Orientation is optional, so it's easy to get your feet of the ground. From there you can start object oriented programming in Python, and move on to JAVA and C++. When I first started learning Python, I found this website very helpful. I hope it helps you too :D

http://www.openbookproject.net/thinkcs/python/english2e/

[Huskie]

I would honestly recommend Python as the first programming language of choice. Object Orientation is optional, so it's easy to get your feet of the ground. From there you can start object oriented programming in Python, and move on to JAVA and C++. When I first started learning Python, I found this website very helpful. I hope it helps you too :D

http://www.openbookproject.net/thinkcs/python/english2e/

Also a great website to learn Pyhton (and JavaScript, HTML, CSS...) is Codeacademy.com

[nicro]

Well to choose your first programing language is no easy task, because you would always think, is this the right language to learn, or maybe you thinks it's too hard and stops programing. Which one you should learn as your first, should depend on your interests. If you are most interested in Web development and design, I would probably recommend the 3 web standards (HTML, CSS and Java Script) as a nice start, or if you are more into games, I would recommend learning C++ and use the DirectX from Microsoft if you are running windows (Open GL for, windows, osx and Linux). If you want to make client applications, I would recommend C# or Java, both of them, being very similar to each other. One advantage of learning C#, Java or C++ over learning Visual Basic, is that they are very similar to each other and many programming languages have similar syntax to these languages.

This is just my thoughts, so now it's up to you to choose.

[Tigerbomb8]

I started with Python, then did JavaScript, then HTML/CSS, and now I'm learning more python.

A great site to learn from is:

www.codeacademy.com

HTML and CSS are NOT programming languages

[Tigerbomb8]

I started with JavaScript in combination with HTML and CSS

HTML and CSS are NOT programming languages

[Tigerbomb8]

Just so you know HTML and CSS are not programming languages. HTML is a markup language and CSS is a style sheet language.

[Haxmannen]

You should definitely start learning JAVA first, and understand the concepts of OOB programming. JAVA is a much more user friendly environment than C++. It will be easy to go to any language once you have a solid understanding of JAVA. I speak from my own experiences other people may have had very different ones.

I would say that c++ is a better base since it's a lower level language. Atleast i would have hoped that i would have started with c++ instead of JAVA, it would have spared me of lots confusion though you'll get an better understanding of what acctually happens.

[MG2R]

Start with C. Oh, how I love C :D

[NeoZeon]

It all depends on what you want to do code; If you want to make video games C++ is the way to go. If you want to make simple research codes, Python and Matlab are significantly easier to learn and very very powerful. In many ways, more powerful, they just aren't as efficient, and therefore don't run as fast. I think Java is a terrible language... but i'll keep my subjectivity to a minimum.

[dgtL]

Thank you Huskie! I was read and reading thinking "No one is gonna mention CodeAcademy?".

doo eet---> http://www.codecademy.com/#!/exercises/0

[gamer tom]

Also check out W3Schools, Slick recommended it

[Tigerbomb8]

I still remember writing a little code on Basica back in the 80's (I think it was the 80's?!) lol. Now that you know how old I am someone help me before I turn to dust. I was looking around at that C++ and wow $500 to $13,000 studios. That nice person up there Diventurer gave the link of http://www.cplusplus.com/doc/tutorial/. Is it able to "compile" <---- is that the word; make a program that will run on its own? I haven't booted up the program just yet cause I figure windows is just going to let me use it for a short time.

i think i am on the same page as you.... if you are looking for a program to write and compile C++ check out Visual Studios Express 2012 for windows desktop (not the windows 8 version that is for making apps)

http://www.microsoft.com/visualstudio/eng/downloads#d-2012-express

[Huskie]

Just so you know HTML and CSS are not programming languages. HTML is a markup language and CSS is a style sheet language.

Do you have to comment that to everyone. We get it, you're a superior human being.

[Tigerbomb8]

Just so you know HTML and CSS are not programming languages. HTML is a markup language and CSS is a style sheet language.

I didn't do it because I think I'm better.

[Huskie]

Just so you know HTML and CSS are not programming languages. HTML is a markup language and CSS is a style sheet language.

I know dude, I was just f*#king with you.

[ThatCrazyIrishGuy]

Start with C. Oh, how I love C :D

+1 for C, its kind of a learning language at this stage but for basic programs, you can make something much more efficient then c++ or the dreaded java xD it will also make the transition to most other languages easy as most are based to C

[MG2R]

Start with C. Oh, how I love C :D

Ew. Java :p

They try to teach me that in school, I just hate it. :D

[Tigerbomb8]

Thank you Huskie! I was read and reading thinking "No one is gonna mention CodeAcademy?". doo eet---> http://www.codecademy.com/#!/exercises/0

Also check out W3Schools' date=' Slick recommended it[/quote']

w3schools and codecademyis only really good for web development, not for desktop programs.

[crocski]

I recently (last year actually just been lazy and procrastination has been king) googled some 'popular programming forums' and came across what is said to be some of the oldest programming dedicated forums alive.

I choose these two

devshed

codecall

[Blankie440]

I use Netbeans for Java and Code Blocks for C. Both are free programs with compilers. I can give you some of the documents I was given to do for my first C and Java classes. You could try to figure out how to write the code or I could send you my old code with it for you to play with and maybe you could better understand it that way. Let me know if you're interested. I'll warn you though I used JOptionPane(GUI) for my first couple Java projects and they are a little bit more complicated then the very basic code you could write. I also have all my labs saved that go through using for, while, and do-while loops as well as building your knowledge of If-else-If statements and functions.

BTW: here is a link to show you the most used programming languages and a ton of other info on the different languages. http://www.tiobe.com/index.php/content/paperinfo/tpci/index.html

[loganryan99]

There honestly is no good "first" one. You honestly can't go wrong with any of them! ;)

[razersum]

I am also getting interested in programming, and have planned on learning c++

the problem is, i dont know where to start, is there a software that I need to use to write the codes, like visual basic? i did try to google, but it didnt help much.

I am currently looking at this

http://www.bestfreewaredownload.com/freeware/t-free-turbo-c--freeware-flggsdpz.html

should i start from there???

[computer-kid]

I started in objective-c. However i wish i learnt the basics in vb .net as i struggled at first understanding some main programming concepts. Therefore i recommend you learn the basics in visual basic and then move up into area you wish to specialise in. For example if you want to make websites then learn php.