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Poll: Which Programming Languauge Is Best To Start WithJava: 66% (18 votes)C#: 33% (9 votes) This poll has ended |
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Re: Which Programing Language Is Best To Start With by ektbear: 5:05pm On May 27, 2011 |
birdman: Bah C sucks bro You spend too much time focusing on things that don't matter. Memory management in this day and age? Is that really what someone should be focusing on? I'd rather have someone master unit testing, design patterns, object oriented programming, concepts like that. C and C++ code is buggier imo. And the errors are more subtle and harder to catch. Also, kindly explain what bad habits one learns from a WELL DESIGNED scripting language like Python or Ruby (I'm not talking about a junk languages like PHP here). And in what way is Python less powerful for most applications? I'm not a fan of C at all for 99% of software that one writes. Now, if I have to write a compiler, operating system, things of that sort, sure, then use C. But for most software that beginners are likely to write (text processing, some GUI stuff, SQL database stuff), makes way more sense to use a scripting language, imo. |
Re: Which Programing Language Is Best To Start With by ektbear: 5:13pm On May 27, 2011 |
macomrades: What is up with this fascination of making things hard for new programmers? If you have a 13 or 14 year old kid and you want them to get into programming, you'd really want to start them off with low-level stuff like this that is only of interest to a small fraction of programmers? Only thing this will do is scare away people from programming, suck away their enjoyment. Anyway, you can do bitwise operations in almost every language. So no reason to choose C alone for that. I think you guys have the idea that getting as close to the metal as possible is a good way to teach someone programming. Imo, it is way better to treat it like a onion. . . keep things very high-level, then work your way in more deeply as time progresses. You don't want to lose sight of the big picture, imo 1 Like |
Re: Which Programing Language Is Best To Start With by birdman(m): 5:32pm On May 27, 2011 |
ekt_bear: Lol. People have been saying this for decades, and it still isnt true. If you plan on writing mid-sized to large code bases for corporations and you are competing with other developers, you will worry about it. Ask any IT guy about budget allocatios for equpmet such as servers, memory and storage. You are always under-budgeted. Always.
ITs easy to shoot yourself inthe foot with C no doubt. But its much better to learn not to shoot yourself in the foot, than just switch to an "easier" language. Easier in quote, because as the complexity of your code grows, you will eventually run into trouble if you dont have a C background.
These are named scripting languages for a reason. They are meant to be like shell scripts. You sacrifice performance for a good API that lets you do powerful things quickly. There is absolutely nothing wrong with this. Scripting languages have been used by experts since sed, awk, , BUT, they cannot be your basis for learning programming. Why? The API acts as an opaque barrier, preventing you from seeing what is going on under the hood. Try writing a high-impact database app or graphics app with Python and watch your company go under. No worries, every one has their preference.
A few years back, PHP was all the rage in web programming. Sweet APIs meant you could do all sorts of great stuff and not worry about whats under the hood. Or so people thought. Until code complexity went up, hosting bandwidth cost went up as more people started using the web, and hosts started metering intensive CPU applications (if your app is using too many CPU cycles, it gets metered wether you know it or not. Your users will sometimes see a sluggish or no response from your site). A good number of websites couldn't handle load, and they had to switch to well designed packages like Joomla and Drupal (my favorite). Guuess what the developers of the packages had. A good low-level background of how programs run on computers. In short, You need C. Always. In a competitive business environment, memory, processing power and storage will never be cheap. If you want to be a world-class programmer, there is no shortcut. Hopefully my post doesn't sound condescending in any way, |
Re: Which Programing Language Is Best To Start With by blindcopy: 5:36pm On May 27, 2011 |
I'm reposting this so the OP has a better chance of seeing it: We are overanalyzing his problem, people. The boy wants to learn PROGRAMMING. He doesnt know squat yet. Once he understands PROGRAMMING, then he will be able to learn any PROGRAMMING LANGUAGE he wants in a few days max. Then you can start looking at stuff like, 'are there good prospects' or 'what are the career options', etc. @Topic: My friend, these are the two languages you should use to learn PROGRAMMING. Once you understand programming, then your next question will be "What language is best for web development?" and then we can start arguing about php, python, etc. Here are the answers: 1. To learn HOW TO PROGRAM: Use visual basic. Dont listen to what anyone else says. It is super easy and you will quickly grasp the basics. 2. To learn OBJECT ORIENTED PROGRAMMING: Use Java. It has the double benefit of being commercially successful, and in high demand but most importantly, a lot of quality info on the net about OOP assumes you know java. Also, it is a way to graduate from the hand-holding IDE of visual basic (you will learn what an IDE is when u study VB) to a less hand-holdy environment. When you are through learning, from there you can jump into ANY language. Trust me. Follow this path and you can't go wrong! |
Re: Which Programing Language Is Best To Start With by blindcopy: 5:41pm On May 27, 2011 |
@birdman Yes, C will always be needed but 90% of programmers will never use it. Just like 99% of C programmers will never use assembler. And the truth is, C can never ever ever in a million years be able to match up to assembler when it comes to pure raw speed (6502 assembly programmer speaking) @ Original poster Dont be confused by all these holy wars. Just follow my advice above for the fastest easiest route. Visual Basic to start off, then move to java. VB is the easiest language to learn and Java is the best documented and easiest "real" language to learn. You can go on to C, C++ and assembler later when Siemens hires you to program their nuclear reactors. |
Re: Which Programing Language Is Best To Start With by birdman(m): 5:47pm On May 27, 2011 |
LOL! @blindcopy. Nuclear reactor ke? Well, I'm sure the OP is smart enough to make his/her own decision from all the opinions on this thread. Whatever you choose, best of luck to you. Determination is key. |
Re: Which Programing Language Is Best To Start With by ektbear: 6:06pm On May 27, 2011 |
Blindcopy and I are mostly on the same page. Is Visual Basic really easier to learn than than Python (or Ruby)? Or is it the visualization/GUI stuff that I guess you find makes it superior? |
Re: Which Programing Language Is Best To Start With by gbengalite(m): 6:40pm On May 27, 2011 |
how about taking a look @ being a web programmer HTML and ASP.Net would not be a bad start or PHP Every Web developer has to know the building blocks of the Web: HTML 4.01 CSS XHTML XML and XSLT JavaScript ASP or PHP Managing data with SQL The future of the Web 08026393592 gbengalite@yahoo.com |
Re: Which Programing Language Is Best To Start With by BizBooks(m): 6:45pm On May 27, 2011 |
As some people have said, Visual Basic is best suited for beginners. Do not start with C or even C++. They are more complex. A task that you can accomplish with 5 lines of code in VB may require 20 or more lines in C. Take the classic "Hello World" as an example: Hello World in VB6: Private Sub Command1_Click() Msgbox "Hello Word" End Sub Hello World in C: /* Hello World program */ #include<stdio.h> main() { printf("Hello World" } As you can see, VB took only 3 lines while C took 6. Also VB was practically written in plain English, while C involves a lot of computer jargon. Start with this book and go from there: "Beginning Visual Basic 6 by Peter Wright". Like most beginner books, it assumes that you know absolutely nothing about the subject. Good luck. |
Re: Which Programing Language Is Best To Start With by OmoTier1(m): 6:57pm On May 27, 2011 |
BizBooks:hehe, VBA might even be a better way to go, "rock your excel world" |
Re: Which Programing Language Is Best To Start With by cocoduck: 7:11pm On May 27, 2011 |
no listen to people. just start with python. Some think python is weak. I tel u dat is lie, c is good but very hard to masta, python is very izi and has oop like java. 3 months r enuf 4 u 2 masta. Den go to c++. Google run on python. And python get a big komunity and u fit combine d 2 languej. It is called embedding |
Re: Which Programing Language Is Best To Start With by Blogicon1(m): 7:32pm On May 27, 2011 |
blindcopy:Thanks man. Your point is well noted. Thanks a million! |
Re: Which Programing Language Is Best To Start With by Blogicon1(m): 7:34pm On May 27, 2011 |
BizBooks:Thanks brov. I like the way you have broken it down and made it so clear. Thanks. |
Re: Which Programing Language Is Best To Start With by Seun(m): 7:34pm On May 27, 2011 |
Start with Python. Add C#. I don talk my own. |
Re: Which Programing Language Is Best To Start With by Blogicon1(m): 7:37pm On May 27, 2011 |
ekt_bear:Thanks for your several posts on the topic. I get your point. Thanks!! |
Re: Which Programing Language Is Best To Start With by Blogicon1(m): 7:40pm On May 27, 2011 |
dem_people:Thanks for your insightful post. |
Re: Which Programing Language Is Best To Start With by Blogicon1(m): 7:44pm On May 27, 2011 |
Seun: Thanks ooo! A quick question, is it practical and possible for me to learn C# with no background knowledge on say C or C+. I mean would it be easy for me to understand or understand at all? |
Re: Which Programing Language Is Best To Start With by OmoTier1(m): 8:31pm On May 27, 2011 |
Blog icon:it all depends on whether you truly have a grasp of what programming (algorithm) is all about. Like some have advised, get on with scripting language like python, get a feel of what it is like, then move on from there. Once you have a grasp, you can learn any language. It's all down to structure, syntax, style, etc. I still think you should get your hands on good oleh VB - low level, C - mid/high level before moving on to C++ -high level language. nuteshell, you don't have to be a C/C++ guru to be able to learn/understand C# but doing so we help you get a grasp of the nitty gritty of designing, writing, testing/debugging, deployment/backlopping-whatelse isnt doing what - which are a common but unique feature in every language you programme in. |
Re: Which Programing Language Is Best To Start With by heilige(m): 8:37pm On May 27, 2011 |
I will rather learn Perl instead of python. @gbengalite: You said what a lot of ppl did no say. XML and so one. A programmer should know Procedural language, and OOP very very. Your SQL should be very super. Your should know JAVA for OOP and "C" for the procedural, The other stuff you muss know. 1. Linux OS 2. CSS, PHP, XML 3. Webservices ( that is the further) so therefore your Java EE should be to advanced level. You will learn other technologies when you need them. But be warned known the above does not make you a good programmer. You must know your mathematics for computer scientist very well. Good programmer/ programming no be moin moin talk. Na real brain work. I guess una never start for 9ja. |
Re: Which Programing Language Is Best To Start With by BizBooks(m): 8:51pm On May 27, 2011 |
The poster appears to be a beginner. Let us not confuse him. HTML, CSS, XML, SQL are not programming languages. They are technologies. You have to count 1 before 2. |
Re: Which Programing Language Is Best To Start With by Bounce714: 9:05pm On May 27, 2011 |
Hello guys I have read your comments with much interest and i am so impressed with the comments posted However i have a major problem, i am a financial professional but i have had to use Ms excel on an intermediate level at work i am really interested in learning the Visual basic Application (VBA) for Excel, so that i could write codes to customize my work sheets and make my work easier Please can anyone in the house tell me how to go about this and recommend to me any tution house in NIGERIA (LAGOS) where i could learn this Programming language or any other related Language thanks for your time |
Re: Which Programing Language Is Best To Start With by Nobody: 9:21pm On May 27, 2011 |
I am also a new programmer I don't know which is the best but from my findings and research someone I was told that it will be best to start with c++ that it is a very good language to start with but I am suprised that a lot of people tend to advise more of c# rather than c++ please what is the difference and which do we think it is better to start with and between the two languages which is more recent than the other many Thanks |
Re: Which Programing Language Is Best To Start With by OmoTier1(m): 9:33pm On May 27, 2011 |
Bounce714:Dude, you really do not need a school or a lesson house for you to learn VBA. I have tons of e-books of VBA for dummies (very simple yet cool steps)that you can use to learn VBA on either excel 2007/2003 versions and become a pro in les than six months! Get in touch e-mail and i can forward some to use but that is if you have your own pc/laptop with MS excel 2003/2007.VBA learning is more of lots of pratical and you get to learn lots of tricky twicky as you get along by recording macro. |
Re: Which Programing Language Is Best To Start With by OmoTier1(m): 9:49pm On May 27, 2011 |
z.anthony:how recent a language is shouldn't really be an issue. Fortran is as old as advanced BASIC yet most of your engineering applications that crunch heavy duty numbers behind are still being developed in Fortran. Same goes for C/C++. I wouldn't want to have a go at C# 'cos 'm strongly the C/C++ baised type. |
Re: Which Programing Language Is Best To Start With by Bounce714: 10:09pm On May 27, 2011 |
@ Omo_Tier1 Well the truth Is I have been trying to learn it on my own, but i only got as far as recording MACROS, too much programming terminology which aint ma field well the good news is you seem to be well grounded in that aspect so "I go dey relate with you well well" ma email addy is jbouncesquare4life@yahoo.com please help your guy. |
Re: Which Programing Language Is Best To Start With by malawi101(m): 10:22pm On May 27, 2011 |
java dead and long buried. php& .net rules the web. loooking 4 a language SPEAK THE UNIVERSAL LANGUAGE. most java programmers are migrating or they snuff. |
Re: Which Programing Language Is Best To Start With by cocoduck: 8:58am On May 28, 2011 |
BizBooks:and in python, the hello world program is simply; Print "hello world" (just one line) another example: foo=bar print bar foo you see, python is very great for beginners, in fact python is the BASIC of today. Like I said before Google runs their website on python, and python is here to stay for a long long time to come. because python is very much closer to the English language and closer to c++ (C++ is the Ferrari of programming world) than any other language. Look if you want a Job at Google, you must know python (just to let you know the power of python) I am advocating python so much because the syntax is simple, It has OOP features and powerful and it makes use of white spaces |
Re: Which Programing Language Is Best To Start With by Gsmxpert(m): 9:14am On May 28, 2011 |
probably vb is the easiest for newbie or you can try hausa |
Re: Which Programing Language Is Best To Start With by Grassroot: 10:20am On May 28, 2011 |
, |
Re: Which Programing Language Is Best To Start With by Grassroot: 10:22am On May 28, 2011 |
C:\>python Python 3.2 (r32:88445, Feb 20 2011, 21:30:00) [MSC v.1500 64 bit (AMD64)] on win32 Type "help", "copyright", "credits" or "license" for more information. >>> import this The Zen of Python, by Tim Peters [size=14pt]Beautiful is better than ugly. Explicit is better than implicit. Simple is better than complex. Complex is better than complicated. Flat is better than nested. Sparse is better than dense. Readability counts. Special cases aren't special enough to break the rules. Although practicality beats purity. Errors should never pass silently. Unless explicitly silenced. In the face of ambiguity, refuse the temptation to guess. There should be one-- and preferably only one --obvious way to do it. Although that way may not be obvious at first unless you're Dutch. Now is better than never. Although never is often better than *right* now. If the implementation is hard to explain, it's a bad idea. If the implementation is easy to explain, it may be a good idea. Namespaces are one honking great idea -- let's do more of those![/size] >>> You get the picture? Python ROCKS!!!! |
Re: Which Programing Language Is Best To Start With by BizBooks(m): 2:46pm On May 28, 2011 |
cocoduck: I have heard a lot of programmers speak highly of Python. I know nothing about Python but thinks your code may be incomplete. You did not specify the event that will trigger 'Print "hello world". Is it the click of a button, form load event or what? Include the event in your code so we know exactly how many lines it takes. In the VB6 example, I could have simply said: MsgBox "Hello World" But you and I know that is not a complete code and will not work. |
Re: Which Programing Language Is Best To Start With by Grassroot: 3:02pm On May 28, 2011 |
BizBooks: aint no specifying of any event triggering "Hello world" . The code is as complete as 24 hours is for a day. Thats all you need to print hello word. No imports, no #includes, no semi-columns, no variable declarations, no main methods or classes. Voila, just type that and you are good to go. Too good to be true right? That's Python for u. Very easy indeed. The Zens above explains it all: Simple is better than complex. |
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