umm. just got a PC, and I was about downloading visual studio 2010. it was unbelievable when I saw 1.4GB, even VS13 seems to be about 3.4GB. Someone help o, which other app is available with less bytes. because I'm new in all this, so I don't about these apps for programming.

hiii...
Well this is quite useful site for particular forum.Since i am a c++ programmer and i know the importance of programming language.
But as a beginner you should start with a basic language and the concepts to be cleared with general coding.


ATI RADEON HD 5670 – SERIES GRAPHICS CARDS FROM AMD

Me like this thread! You guys rock!

I must say, this is one of the most useful threads I've seen on Nairaland and after going through most of it, I am almost convinced that helping newbies is actually more difficult than learning programming itself, this coming from a newbie! They seem to have a knack for asking questions that have been answered over and over again. I suspect many don’t go through the posts before they post questions that have already been answered, anyway [Javanian], [Ajibel] and co; you guys are doing a wonderful and selfless job, keep it up, it's not easy, and please don't get tired of us.
I have noticed that embedded systems programming is not really popular here, it seems everybody wants to design/program a killer mobile app, website or desktop tool and I suspect it’s because that's where the money is, but then if you are looking into programming embedded systems like microcontrollers I suggest learning C, it is very ubiquitous in the embedded systems universe (please o, I’m not saying C is the best language to start with, I’m just saying that if programming embedded systems is your fancy, it's an excellent choice, if not it’s still an extremely useful language anyway).
For anyone interested I’ll share some of my thoughts and experiences. You can start by downloading some e-books about C, I highly recommend "Beej's Guide to C Programming", it has a very relaxed, informal, and even playful approach thus making it very newbie friendly, the author even cracks jokes as he goes along. I’m currently using it and enjoying every step of the way, you can download it from www.beej.us/guide/bgc/ (pdf format) or just google the book title. I even printed mine so that I can continue reading it whenever NEPA (PHCN) strikes and I can’t practice , and also so that I don’t have to keep switching between windows when practicing on the computer. I use two IDEs which come with compilers: Dev-C++ and Code::Blocks. To write programs for my only microcontroller I use Code::Blocks. For general practice I prefer to use the Dev-C++ IDE from www.bloodshed.net/dev/devcpp.html and I highly recommend it for newbies as it is simple and light compared to Code::Blocks, now make sure you download the option that includes the Mingw compiler to make life easy for yourself (and [Javanian] ). Install it and run it (I installed it on both Windows XP and Windows 7 (32bit) without any wahala). When you run it you will be greeted by a tip, read it then close it when you are done. Click on "File" (in the menu bar on the top left corner of the window) then "New" then "Project" and you will be greeted by another window, click on "Console Application" choose between C and C++ (C in this case) give your project a name and click "Ok". I suggest creating a new folder on the desktop and saving it there to make things easier to find. When you have done all that you’ll see some code in the white space of the editor, I cleaned it up and started practicing right away (before you clean it up I want you to notice something; the second to the last line, just above "return 0;" (quotation marks excluded) you will see this line "system("PAUSE" );" (outer quotation marks excluded), now write that down exactly as it is, you’ll need it later. Now you can write your first program (usually Hello World). Remember the "system("PAUSE" );" I told you to write down earlier? go ahead and add that to your program, just above "return 0;" don’t include the outer quotation marks but make sure you include the quotation marks in the bracket surrounding PAUSE, click "Execute" in the menu at the top of the window and then click "Compile and Run" or simply press F9 (no I’m not talking about some people’s WAEC results ) on your keyboard, if you have done everything right, a command prompt window will appear (open) with the words "Hello World" or execute whatever program it is that you have written, press any key and it will disappear (close). The purpose of that "system("PAUSE" );” line is to keep the command prompt window open until you press any key, if you don’t add it to your program the command prompt window will close as soon as the program has been executed and this can happen so fast that all you’ll see is a flash (if you see anything at all) and that would probably just result in more complaints on Nairaland and also give yourself and [Javanian] unnecessary headaches -

[N00b]: pls javania my name is noob, I wrote my program on Dev-C++ and tried to compile and run it but nothing is happening, I tried uninstalling and installing it again and it still doesn’t want to work, I have been trying for the past one week but the foolish thing still doesn’t want to work, I am going crazy, pls javania help me pls! Can I have your number so that I can call you and you can talk me through the process? Thanks in advance.

[Javanian]: *sighs* here we go again.

(*smh* Noobs! Kai! )

-You can experiment and see by including and removing the line to see the results you get on each occasion. I think the “system("PAUSE" );” line might be specific to Dev-C++ and not necessarily a C function but then I don’t know so house gurus please enlighten us. If you open the folder you saved your project in you will find five files (at least that’s what I see in my case) clicking on the executable file will run your program, clicking on the Dev-C++ project file (the purple one with the gears) will open your code in a new Dev-C++ window, if it appears blank check the field on the left (under the “Project” button) and click on "main.c" (if you don’t see the "main.c", click the "+" sign just before your project title and the “main.c” will drop down, toh! because I know noobs) and your project will be opened in the editor so that you can continue playing around with your code, just modify it and click on "compile and run" each time (in case you think pressing F9 will jinx your WAEC results. ), that way you don’t need to be creating new projects all the time. Dev-C++ itself has a document (e-book?) about C that you can access by clicking the “Help” button and then the “Help in Dev-C++” option in the menu bar at the top of the window (I tried this on Windows 7 but it didn't work, instead it was giving me tory about "Windows Help Format", oya! Dev-C++ people, explain! But those using Windows XP are safe). Then also remember that google is your friend whenever you run into problems or need more information about anything (as [Ajibel] (was it?) said; shame on you if you can't use google ), it's also a good idea to join an online forum on C programming, I haven’t done that yet so I don’t have any to recommend.
I’ve already confessed to being a newbie myself so I’m not an authority on this, in fact I'm still very raw and it’s possible that I have made mistakes or misunderstood some things so if you find anything wrong with anything I’ve said please do not hesitate to offer corrections for the benefit of all including myself. All this is based on what I have learned so far which is very little but at least it’s something. Well I hope this small contribution of mine will be of use to someone one day, if not, at least it will decorate the pages of Nairaland for some time.

P.S: I didn’t expect my post to be this long , I guess I got carried away.

Sorry to dera but it is of Necessity

i am student of kwara poly i wish to be a mech engnr or computer engnr bt i am nw a student of buildng technology .bt i waant to know abt programming so pls help me ...... greatest progrmmers!!!!!

Sorry to derail Click here and represent your section here

What is visual basic

I am going to give you a list of the best, popular and most easiest programming languages.
1. C++ (very powerful but complex)
2. Java (very good for beginners)
3. C# based on .Net framework
4. Python
5. Ruby

If you are going to base on building websites learn
1. Html
2. Php
3. Javascript
4. Css

If you need more information or tutorials contact me on whatsapp or bbm or via email and I will give you all the materials for free.
08136430985, Pin: 263778B0, email: ordrizzy@gmail.com

@techwizard, I beg to differ on your information of C++ being complex... I'm a C++ programmer and I can clearly tell You that it is not complex ( I also do java)

BlueMagnificent: @techwizard, I beg to differ on your information of C++ being complex... I'm a C++ programmer and I can clearly tell You that it is not complex ( I also do java)

your opinion is contrary to typical opinion on this issue.
Not with multiple inheritance, operator overloading, multi paradigms (oop structural generic),
low level capabilities
off-putting syntax
ambiguous functions
pointers

you say it's not complex compared to other languages?!
Mayb u live in a tiny subset of d language.

@kambo... All those things you listed are what gives you full control in c++. Because you don't know how to use them doesn't mean that c++ is difficult. And according to Bjarne ( the inventor of c++) you only use what you need in c++

Maybe i am a bit biased..i say Java...or if you want to look to write less code..learn something that would give you the best of both worlds...i mean one that offers both Functional and OOP benefits...

Imagine two lines of code in Scala..doing the equivalent of 8 lines in Java...

and also Scala is flexible as you can make it loosely typed or strongly typed...

But a caveat.....

If you intend to do this for a living...Java is the safest route as there are more job opportunities out there...but if it is for personal development..i suggest Scala / Erlang as 10 years from now, Java would only exist in Legacy systems....

BlueMagnificent: @kambo... All those things you listed are what gives you full control in c++. Because you don't know how to use them doesn't mean that c++ is difficult. And according to Bjarne ( the inventor of c++) you only use what you need in c++

mister be a little more objective.
Many many experts and experienced folks alike state categorically that c++ is complex.
far more so than java.
The issues isnt me.i dont even use c++.
And the opinion can't be based on what the creator said. - and itsnot about me not knowing how to
use them -
first , if double inheritance is enabled - complexity rockets.
the complexity from enabling multiple inheritance is multiplied mathematically by these feature.
every branch in the tree has to be accounted for by the compiler. That's y you see
very few c++ compilers available. All languages post c++ have shunned the multiple inheritance model.
y-complexity.

what of methods that state that they throw exceptions,
the exceptions are thrown, yet the runtime,compiler muffles it . they're never caught.
what design wisdom justifies this?
c++ leads to unstructure code because it encourages it.
you can write object oriented code alongside structural code in the same project in the same class-
what dyu call these?
what of arrays that have no bounds checking?
save for speed c++ is highly terribly designed language.
it took creator of D programming language 10 years to create a c++ compiler,
owing to the nuances and idiosyncracies of the language.
relative to other languages ,c++ is twisted which makes it complex.
save for the speed benefits c++ isnt worth it.
And for your response that you use what you can - that's balooney. as a c++ programmer ,you'll be faced
with maintaining other programmer's c++ code in the future.
YOu can't get by without assimilating this badly designed monster.

Hi guys, i just started learning cascade style sheets(css) after writing my code how do i view it on a web browser? My browser aint viewing .css file

@kambo... You should have said it earlier that you don't use c++ and not to start quoting c++ structures you are yet to comprehend. You talk as if you were given a purnishment to design a c++ compiler, jeezzz!!!. Since you don't use it that means you can never get to understand all those concepts you keep listing as if they are part of Quantum Theory. If you can't use c++ why not move on instead of talking bad about it. If c++ is that complex then why are so many popular systems in the WORLD using it: most of adobe products, mozilla firefox, google chrome, most Microsoft system software including their so called programming languages, VLC, even the back end of Google search engine, and of course a majority of the games you play on PC and consoles. Even web and database servers are brought to existence through the power of c++. The list goes on and you are free to correct me if I'm wrong. So please do not discourage others due to your bitter experience "understanding" c++.

Javanian: Due to the numerous "i want to start programming, which language should i start with" threads on this board i decided to create a thread that will address this issue. I am not a wonderful writer and i won't say i know it all but i will try. I urge every one on this board to correct me where i err an also contribute in whatever way you can to make this thread worth it. I will try as much as possible not to be biased in this write up.

I am not going to go into detail in defining what programming is because i will assume before entering this thread you should already know what programming is. But in summary programming is the act of creating whatever you want with your brain and computer programming is the act of creating whatever you want with your brain and a computer. You can read more from

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Computer_programming

Programmers could also be called software programmers, software developers and other big-big names you can think of.

Feel free to ask your questions, i will try and answer the ones i can my Ogas in the house will help me with those i can't answer

Please every Programmer should try as much as possible to check on this thread once in a while to help answer some questions Newbies would like to ask.

pls do i need to have any programming idea b4 go into hacking

BlueMagnificent: @kambo... You should have said it earlier that you don't use c++ and not to start quoting c++ structures you are yet to comprehend. You talk as if you were given a purnishment to design a c++ compiler, jeezzz!!!. Since you don't use it that means you can never get to understand all those concepts you keep listing as if they are part of Quantum Theory. If you can't use c++ why not move on instead of talking bad about it. If c++ is that complex then why are so many popular systems in the WORLD using it: most of adobe products, mozilla firefox, google chrome, most Microsoft system software including their so called programming languages, VLC, even the back end of Google search engine, and of course a majority of the games you play on PC and consoles. Even web and database servers are brought to existence through the power of c++. The list goes on and you are free to correct me if I'm wrong. So please do not discourage others due to your bitter experience "understanding" c++.

pls btwn c++ & python, which one would u advice me to go on with, cuz i've a desktop system to use

bigdot1759: pls do i need to have any programming idea b4 go into hacking

yea.. i'm not a hacker but i know hackers are good programers, web devs and also security experts so i will say if you wanna be a hacker you have to know almost every thing about computer and internet depending on what type of hacker you want to be

@bigdot... Actually having a desktop system doesn't determine wheather to use c++ or python. If you are just learning programming for the first time you can go for anyone of them. If you learn c++ first learning python will be much easier but I can't say same for the other way round. Python introduces programminng in a very simple way, so if you don't really won't to bother yourself about details in learning programming then go for it. But in developing applications for desktop system I'ld advise you to go for c++ ( or even java and c#)

BlueMagnificent: @bigdot... Actually having a desktop system doesn't determine wheather to use c++ or python. If you are just learning programming for the first time you can go for anyone of them. If you learn c++ first learning python will be much easier but I can't say same for the other way round. Python introduces programminng in a very simple way, so if you don't really won't to bother yourself about details in learning programming then go for it. But in developing applications for desktop system I'ld advise you to go for c++ ( or even java and c#)

thanks lots, java is my initial interest but i got discouraged when i'm unable to install java platform to practice cuz they only have apps for O.S with linux, windows of 64bits & 86bits, & Mac OS, & my system can't take any of this, cuz its desktop of 2Gb memory, 1.8Ghz speed & 120Gb HDD. or can i install any one on it?

@bigdot... There is actually no 86bit system, what you saw was x86 which is for 32bit processors, " In the 1980's and early 1990's when the 8088 and 80286 were still in common use, the term x86 usually represented any 8086 compatible CPU. Today, however, x86 usually implies a binary compatibility also with the 32-bit instruction set of the 80386" - wikipedia. If you have a 32bit system you can go for the one labeled x86

BlueMagnificent: @bigdot... There is actually no 86bit system, what you saw was x86 which is for 32bit processors, " In the 1980's and early 1990's when the 8088 and 80286 were still in common use, the term x86 usually represented any 8086 compatible CPU. Today, however, x86 usually implies a binary compatibility also with the 32-bit instruction set of the 80386" - wikipedia. If you have a 32bit system you can go for the one labeled x86

thanks i'll do dat nw

bigdot1759: pls do i need to have any programming idea b4 go into hacking

What are the things that you need to become a hacker?
1. Programming Knowledge:
→ C/C++ → Web designing (HTML/ CSS,Javascript,P HP,etc)
→ Visual Basic → VBscript,Batch file programming,Aut ohotkey script writing.
2. Basic Networking Knowledge:
→ Understanding of various networking protocols (TCP/ IP,HTTP,etc)
→ Different forms of network encryption
→ Understanding of packets. 3. Experience with UNIX / LINUX Operating Systems.
4. Ability to think like a Criminal

m003: What are the things that you need to become a hacker?
1. Programming Knowledge:
→ C/C++ → Web designing (HTML/ CSS,Javascript,P HP,etc)
→ Visual Basic → VBscript,Batch file programming,Aut ohotkey script writing.
2. Basic Networking Knowledge:
→ Understanding of various networking protocols (TCP/ IP,HTTP,etc)
→ Different forms of network encryption
→ Understanding of packets. 3. Experience with UNIX / LINUX Operating Systems.
4. Ability to think like a Criminal

having problems with visual basic, unable to install vb.net. when i'm trying 2install it, it ask me 2 install .net, i install version 4.5, bit ask me 2install lower version till i got 2 lowest one 1.1 yet unable to install my vb.net, if u have any one that won't ask of that pls let me know

@bigdot, from the hardware specification of your system I would advise you to try visual basic 2008 ( that's if you haven't done so already)