Best first language

[MrMiniBeast]

So I want to get started into programming, being able to make games eventually. What would be the best language for me to start with, that would allow me the most options for the future.
Also, I'd like suggestions on learning this language.

I'm not interested in web design.

[Hazy125]

C# really, useful, widely used and simple to learn. Java is also useful to have if you're interested on doing weird stuff

[AlwaysFSX]

Python if you're willing

[SpaceSquid]

Learn HTML first, always it doesn't matter if you are interested in web design or not, HTML. It's really easy and you will get an idea.

[MrMiniBeast]

So for C# would Microsoft VIsual Studio be the way to go?

Also any tips on learning, perhaps a website or book?

[_ASSASSIN_]

So for C# would Microsoft VIsual Studio be the way to go?

Also any tips on learning, perhaps a website or book?

books always

[MrMiniBeast]

Learn HTML first, always it doesn't matter if you are interested in web design or not, HTML. It's really easy and you will get an idea.

 

I do have some basic experience with HTML and CSS.

[MrMiniBeast]

books always

 

Any particular books you recommend?

[_ASSASSIN_]

Any particular books you recommend?

the weird ones in white with a random animal on it, sorry don't know the publisher

[Hazy125]

There is the programming resources sticky in this sub forum, it should have all the resources you need to learn most mainstream languages

[SpaceSquid]

I do have some basic experience with HTML and CSS.

Then Python, easy language and powerful language, I recommend Learn Python The Hard Way

[wing2k5]

So I want to get started into programming, being able to make games eventually. What would be the best language for me to start with, that would allow me the most options for the future.

Also, I'd like suggestions on learning this language.

I'm not interested in web design.

C++ is pretty much the language of choice for making games. However, it is not an easy language to learn.

 

I did a quick google search and found this step-by-step suggestion on how to make a game:

WikiHow - How to Program a Video Game

 

Perhaps it could help you get started.

[MrMiniBeast]

C++ is pretty much the language of choice for making games. However, it is not an easy language to learn.

 

I did a quick google search and found this step-by-step suggestion on how to make a game:

WikiHow - How to Program a Video Game

 

Perhaps it could help you get started.

 

There's a very good chance I'm wrong, but I thought C++ was not really used very much anymore.

[alpenwasser]

the weird ones in white with a random animal on it, sorry don't know the publisher

O'Reilly is the publisher of those (see bottom left of the cover ).

And yes, although not all of their books are phenomenal, they have a

pretty good batting average, and some of their works can definitely

be considered must-reads.

 

There's a very good chance I'm wrong, but I thought C++ was not really used very much anymore.

It's still very much used, and will be for many years (as is C itself).

Especially when it comes to high-performance software (CAD, game engines,

OS components), C++ will be very prevalent for years to come (or C,

depending on the project).

However, the "everything-must-be-object-oriented" fad from the 90's has

indeed died down somewhat from what I can tell, and with computers being

as fast as they are today and programmer time being as expensive as it is,

languages which are maybe not quite as fast but much easier to work with

are pushing into some of C/C++'s domains (Python, Ruby, Perl, Java, and

in the coming years probably also some more unusual stuff like D, Haskell

or maybe even Lisp and languages related to it).

As for the OP's question: I've never worked with C#, but it's probably

not a too bad place to start. It is, however, Windows dependant, and

although most desktop systems use Windows, there are many programming

projects which rely on other platforms. Just something to keep in mind.

But in general which language you learn first doesn't really matter

all that much IME. Once you've learnt one, it's not that difficult

to learn others, at least as long as they're somewhat similar in

how they function (it might be a bit trickier going from C to functional

programming with, say, Haskell, but that's less about the language

and more about the programming paradigm).

[Cheesebaron]

Learn HTML first, always it doesn't matter if you are interested in web design or not, HTML. It's really easy and you will get an idea.

 

HTML is not a programming language, it is a Markup Language.

[Gofer01]

The best 1st language is either JavaScript, or PHP. if you are into website development. If you into Window Applications, C# or VB is a good starting point. HTML, and CSS is not considered to be languages. They are in the Markup Languages category because they are so forgiving when you create a syntax error. Real language will not run because 1 miss type error. You have to hunt down that little error and fix it for the app to run.

[Gofer01]

Learn HTML first, always it doesn't matter if you are interested in web design or not, HTML. It's really easy and you will get an idea.

HTML, or CSS is not a language. The question was 

 

 

What would be the best language for me to start with?

[emusan]

HTML, or CSS is not a language

 

Um, yes it is, some might not consider it a programming language as it's not compiled, but it is a language (it says it in the name, HyperText Markup Language). If you're worried about lazy syntax issues you can use XHTML which has more strict requirements.

 

As far as first languages go, I'd recommend C/C++, it's really not as bad as some people make it seem IMO.

[alpenwasser]

HTML, and CSS is not considered to be languages.

Of course they are considered languages, they're just not programming languages.

HTML, as you say, is a markup language, whereas CSS is a stylesheet language.

LaTeX is another example of something related to this.

 

They are in the Markup Languages category because they are so forgiving when you create a syntax error.

Ahem, no. They are in the markup/stylesheet category because they are in fact markup/stylesheet

languages, plain and simple. How forgiving a langauge (markup or programming) is has nothing to

do with whether or not it's a programming language.

For example, LaTeX can be a rather big pain if you get something small-ish wrong, and

the same goes for CSS and HTML. Just ask somebody who ever forgot to close an HTML

tag or misspelt a CSS reference. :lol:

In fact, now that I think about it, CSS is probably one of the most annoying things

I've ever had the 'pleasure' to use, I'm considering going up the walls just thinking

about it.

 

Um, yes it is, some might not consider it a programming language as it's not compiled, but it is a language (it says it in the name, HyperText Markup Language).

As said, ^this.

 

As far as first languages go, I'd recommend C/C++, it's really not as bad as some people make it seem IMO.

I'm actually quite fond of C. Sure, solving common tasks with it can be a bit of a

pain, but as a language itself I rather like it. It also has the advantage of not

being a very complex language. Sure, becoming a good C programmier can take

many, many years (I'm not, btw.), but learning the basics is not that monumental a

task.

Getting the basics of programming in C++ shouldn't be much more difficult (if at all),

it's just that the language really is something of a behemoth with regards to its

feature set, but you don't necessarily need to learn all of the advanced stuff in

the beginning of course.

[rashdanml]

Dive into Python and Dive into Python 3 are both excellent and free e-books. You can choose either one depending on if you want to learn Python 2 or 3. 

[Gofer01]

Um, yes it is, some might not consider it a programming language as it's not compiled, but it is a language (it says it in the name, HyperText Markup Language). If you're worried about lazy syntax issues you can use XHTML which has more strict requirements.

 

As far as first languages go, I'd recommend C/C++, it's really not as bad as some people make it seem IMO.

No it's not. It's a markup language. Go to any html text book and read the very first chapter. Or even Google it. Forget Googling go here

 

http://stackoverflow.com/questions/145176/is-html-considered-a-programming-language

 

Markup language deals with, size,fonts, colors etc. and is very forgiving, A programing language has very strict rules. If you have a syntax error, the application will not run until you rectify the error.

[MrMiniBeast]

Well I think I'll probably start with C++ then

Thanks.

[Tigerbomb8]

Learn HTML first, always it doesn't matter if you are interested in web design or not, HTML. It's really easy and you will get an idea.

The usefulness of this post is nonexistent..

[ChillKyle]

Powershell

[jam08060]

O'Reilly is the publisher of those (see bottom left of the cover ).

And yes, although not all of their books are phenomenal, they have a

pretty good batting average, and some of their works can definitely

be considered must-reads.

 

It's still very much used, and will be for many years (as is C itself).

Especially when it comes to high-performance software (CAD, game engines,

OS components), C++ will be very prevalent for years to come (or C,

depending on the project).

However, the "everything-must-be-object-oriented" fad from the 90's has

indeed died down somewhat from what I can tell, and with computers being

as fast as they are today and programmer time being as expensive as it is,

languages which are maybe not quite as fast but much easier to work with

are pushing into some of C/C++'s domains (Python, Ruby, Perl, Java, and

in the coming years probably also some more unusual stuff like D, Haskell

or maybe even Lisp and languages related to it).

As for the OP's question: I've never worked with C#, but it's probably

not a too bad place to start. It is, however, Windows dependant, and

although most desktop systems use Windows, there are many programming

projects which rely on other platforms. Just something to keep in mind.

But in general which language you learn first doesn't really matter

all that much IME. Once you've learnt one, it's not that difficult

to learn others, at least as long as they're somewhat similar in

how they function (it might be a bit trickier going from C to functional

programming with, say, Haskell, but that's less about the language

and more about the programming paradigm).

 

Agreed, and omg I <3 Haskell... lol

 

I'd highly suggest learning C and then C++, that way you will start off learning what benefits you will get from an imperative language, and then expanding on it by learning the Object Oriented side of things with C++...

 

There is a really large benefit of learning C and then C++ behind it: C code is valid C++ code.

 

So since you will have already learned C, you know the basics of C++... so from there on... you can think of C++ as an expansion of C...

 

I love C++ because it is everything C is and more... it has all of the benefits of C and all of the benefits of being an Object Oriented Language, and doesn't fall short of Java because it doesn't have garbage collection (thank you destructors...)

 

With that said, there can be some kinda tricky things to wrap your brain around when learning C++, however, because it would be your first or second language it may not be all that confusing because you wouldn't really have a point of reference as to why certain things work the way they do in C++...

 

Also, I'm a very large supporter of the explicitness of actual pointers in C++ and C and not just having everything be a reference as in Java...

 

However, with all of that said... in the words of Peter Parker... "With great power comes great responsibility..."

 

C and C++ have no safety net and you can really break your programs if you aren't careful.

 

While struggling without a safety net and becoming familiar with the language at first may be rough... it will be extremely beneficial because it will make you very very comfortable with debugging in the future if you decide to go on and learn other languages (mainly because other languages have way better error reporting and error handling than C and C++)

 

So yeah, I suggest C then C++...

 

Hope this helps...

 

Edit: also, the books published by O'Reilley are fantastic...