Results 1 to 8 of 8

Thread: Advice Sought from You Programmer Folks

  1. #1
    Member
    Join Date
    Jan 2002
    Location
    Raleigh, NC
    Posts
    54

    Advice Sought from You Programmer Folks

    *I know this is an OS forum, but I wasn't quite sure where to ask about this.*

    I know there's quite a few programmers on board here, and I'd like to ask for some advice from you guys/gals if you don't mind. I've been idle for the last few years and haven't taken the time to actually learn anything worthwhile. Sure, I've installed & tinkered w/ a few Linux distro's, and have kicked around a few ideas from time to time, but that's it. I've finally decided to get off my arse and learn some sort of programming. Something actually useful & worthwhile. I'm thinking PHP, but after looking around at the very broad range of languages,etc., I really have no clue where to begin. First, some background info:

    1- I've always been a hardware geek, and still am at heart even though I'm no longer in the industry.

    2- I have no programming experience at all. Zip, none, nada. The upside is that I don't have any bad habits established yet.

    3- Though I'm no candidate for MENSA, I do consider myself fairly intelligent.

    4- I did teach myself some basic HTML a few years ago, but have since forgotten damn near all of it.(See, I am capable of learning.)

    5- I'm middle aged, so things don't click as quickly as they used to. (YMMV.)

    6- Neither formal schooling, nor purchasing software are options at this point. I simply can't afford it.

    Now, taking the above points in consideration, would anyone care to offer any advice about what I, a complete noob, should or should not consider trying to learn at this point? I know you guys have to deal with this stuff at work all day long, and if you don't want to jump in I completely understand. But at this point, any advice would be very helpful.

    I am anxious to learn something, and am willing to spend the time necessary to do so. I also know I'm past my prime in a lot of areas, but, hey! Learning something new is always a good thing.

    TIA
    Gibs. They're not just for breakfast anymore.

  2. #2
    Stats God in Training Darkness Productions's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2001
    Location
    The land of dp!
    Posts
    4,164
    Java is a good one to learn, especially since it seems that most of the corporate world is looking for Java programmers now. I personally dislike Java because of the way it does some things, but it touches on all your points (free, easily attainable, works on pretty much everything, won't teach you bad habits, etc).

    My language of choice right now is Perl (has been for a long time). It's free, easily attainable, runs damn near anywhere, but it allows you to learn those bad habits (because it "Just Works")...

    Again, I'd suggest Java, then maybe Perl. Both can do damn near anything, and of course, each has it's own strengths and weaknessess...

  3. #3
    Administrator Dyyryath's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2001
    Location
    North Carolina
    Posts
    1,850
    I'd say it depends on why you want to learn and what you intend to do with it. If you are thinking about using it to find a job, then DP's probably right. Java is the thing you see people ask about most. If it's for some other reason, then you may want something else.

    Here's what I'd say:

    For pure "I want to start learning about programming", I'd probably suggest C/C++. It's pretty much the base on which most modern languages are built. It will also teach you more about memory constructs, garbage handling, & low level hardware stuff than pretty much any other high level language.

    If you want to learn a language for utility, like automating tasks & making system administration easier, then I'd say Perl or VB, depending on your platform of choice. Perl is available on everything, but I still consider it a 'Unix' language myself.

    If you want to build websites, then PHP/HTML/CSS and Javascript are the way to go. PHP is a great language that's pretty easy to learn & quite capable.

    If you want to learn a language that will get you a job, or teach you a bunch about object oriented programming, then I'd say Java or C# would be good candidates. I've been using C# quite a bit lately and I think it's one of the best things Microsoft has done in years.

    Keep in mind that all of these are generalizations. Perl, for example, can be used for every category I've listed. There are also some other really good languages that I haven't listed, simply because they aren't as popular. Python springs immediately to mind. I use Python quite a bit and I love it.

    Since it sounds to me like you want to learn to program just for the sake of learning, my suggestion would probably be C/C++. You can use it to write anything, and once you've learned it, learning additional languages is a breeze.

    One final word. Unless you have a reason to learn specifically for the Windows platform, or unless you already have some version of Visual Studio, or some other compiler set for Windows, you might want to learn on Linux. The compilers & tools you'll need for most languages are free for Linux. They can be quite expensive on Windows.
    "So utterly at variance is destiny with all the little plans of men." - H.G. Wells

  4. #4
    Ancient Programmer Paratima's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2001
    Location
    West Central Florida
    Posts
    3,296
    Originally posted by Dyyryath
    One final word. Unless you have a reason to learn specifically for the Windows platform, or unless you already have some version of Visual Studio, or some other compiler set for Windows, you might want to learn on Linux. The compilers & tools you'll need for most languages are free for Linux. They can be quite expensive on Windows.
    And then again, there is of course, Borland, which has several excellent products for Windows and is not nearly as expensive as Micro$oft.

    BTW, I agree with Dyy, especially about classic C.
    HOME: A physical construct for keeping rain off your computers.

  5. #5
    Stats Developer magnav0x's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2002
    Location
    Dallas, TX
    Posts
    1,747
    I would also suggest C or C++ if you want to wet your feet and dable in some programming. For web development I prefer PHP.
    Warning this Post is Rated "M" for Mature

    -Contains Harsh Language
    -L337 HaX0r W3RD2!
    -Partial Nudity

    I haven't lost my mind; it's backed up on tape drive somewhere.

  6. #6
    Member
    Join Date
    Jan 2002
    Location
    Raleigh, NC
    Posts
    54
    Thanks for the replies and good information folks, I really appreciate it!:thumbsup:

    Since I started looking into the various languages recently, I've quickly realized that it may take awhile longer to start working with something than I originally thought. There is just sooo much information to digest. But, with you guys input, the list has definately gotten alot shorter. ATM, I think that(in no particular order) PHP, Java, or Perl is prolly where I'll start.

    So far, I've spent quite a few hours looking into info. about the above 3 languages and still have several days worth of reading to get through to answer some questions. Fortunately, there seems to be quite alot of good info. to be found on the web. This weekend I also plan to setup a linux box(RH or Mandrake) to test the waters a bit. I've found that quite alot of the tools I may need already come w/ linux, so that's a definate plus. Hopefully, my lack of *ix knowledge won't be too great of a hindrance.(I've got a feeling that the words "WTF did I just break?!" will be uttered on more than one occasion.) No matter the outcome, though, I'll end up knowing a little more than when I started.

    On a side note, I haven't dismissed the various flavors of C just yet. But, other than my dislike for M$, I really don't think I'm quite ready for it. Just looking at the stacks of software I have lying around, I assume that quite a bit of it was written in one form of C or another and the thought of attempting something at that level is, well intimidating at this point. Are there any simple and/or quick app's I could write in C to test the waters there? I don't know, maybe something that would show you CPU usage, or bus speed. That kind of thing. Or is something like that alot more complex than I'm thinking? Like I said, this stuff is all Greek to me so maybe the things that I think are simplistic really aren't.:shrug:

    Thanks again for all the help so far, and I apologize for all the questions. Now, back to digging.
    Gibs. They're not just for breakfast anymore.

  7. #7
    Administrator Dyyryath's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2001
    Location
    North Carolina
    Posts
    1,850
    Sounds like you're off to a good start. The only thing I'd say here is that don't work under the assumption that C is a language for Windows. While it certainly can be, it's also just as applicable to Unix. In fact, C was developed specifically for writing the Unix operating system.
    "So utterly at variance is destiny with all the little plans of men." - H.G. Wells

  8. #8
    Ancient Programmer Paratima's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2001
    Location
    West Central Florida
    Posts
    3,296
    Only because they couldn't spell ALGOL.
    HOME: A physical construct for keeping rain off your computers.

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •