i decided to create this topic based on a book i read and id love to share,

when i first came here i wanted to learn basic, then guys said stuff about basic being trash,etc
so i gave up and started bothering wt java,php,jscript etc
For newbie programmers, its the worst mistake u could make.
Basic is meant for newbies and is wonderful, once u understand the basics, you'll understand any program.

e.g. in basic you define variables and work wt em; in java, its the same, just change of syntax.
i'll b posting what i've learnt and this will be about basic
u'd be wowed when u finish, and java,c++ etc will be so easy to learn

you'll need a basic compiler, downloadable @microsoft.com or google for it.
the amazing thing is that it can be on a diskette!

[size=16pt]the first main command in basic is PRINT
this is used to print out xters to d screen, not ur printer
e.g. PRINT "segebee"

i'll continue later, maybe when i've free time @ niit

pls post ur basic commands and GEEKS STAY AWAY FROM THIS TOPIC![/size]

Well i think you are misatekn saying learning VB would help in a smooth transation from one language to another . VB is going to not olny Be simple but Childish and will spoil the way a programmer writes codes .

A Programm to begin with which would help you understand other languages Easily would be Assembly and C .

Thou if you are interested in OOP . Then go for C++ . Dont go for Java or C# yet . That would be a very stupid IDea ,

A good book on C is Programming in C
A good C++ book is Thinking in C++
A good Assembly book is 80x86 assembly programming and computer Architecture

If you understand these languages . Then you almost know what going on with any Code .

Best of luck

see exactly wot im saying, one guy who thinks he's a geek comes
in and blabs about starting with c or assembly language

then he lists some books w/out links and finally isn't sure c and assembly can help you understand basic programming skills:

kazdax:

If you understand these languages . Then you almost know what going on with any Code .

Best of luck

that's why i said STAY OUT!

so, luckily i gat that book wt me; so let's demystify programming:
[ANYBODY CAN PROGRAM!]


im so sorry im runnin out of time
will continue later

meanwhile, ponder on this; if u can think or visualise it, u can program it!

@kazka, I don't understand why you say that VB is a "childish" language or that learning Java and/or C# would be a mistake. If you have ever browsed any IT recruitment pages, you would clearly see that those skills are in demand.  Incidentally, Java and C# in particular are generally more in demand than C++ so I  would be interested to know therefore why you advise segebee to disregard those languages?

Check out the following references:
- http://www.developerfusion.co.uk/Jobs/TopContract.aspx
- http://www.contractoruk.com/market_stats/index.html - Check out the table titled "Top Ten Programming Languages for Contracting"

@segebee, At the risk of being a geek, I would suggest that to be a good programmer, you should first learn the principles of programming such as [b]O[/b]bject [b]O[/b]riented [b]P[/b]rogramming (OOP) for example and then look for a language(s) with which you can implement the principles you have learnt. I have been programming for a long time and what I have found is that the real challenge is not so much learning the language but being able to design a system and fully understand the architecture.

Well this is it . Could someone whop has done C# or java explain to me what is 2's compilemnt . I mean after all you were taught how computers Store Inmtegers in the Memory , Right ?

You can find a full expalnation at: [url]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Two's_complement[/url]

@Kazdax
Too many typographical errors turn some people off your post and not many people commit such here. Add the burden of such mistake to your debugging session when you write your code on a text editor,
Segebee in his opening post did not say VB because vb compiler will never be contained by one diskette. He meant "things" like Q Basic Turbo Basic etc.

The programming language you are most used to will influence how coding style, no matter how small, no matter how hard you try. If you are going to learn any more language you should be ready to contend with this. If VB will be too easy, I think the easy one should form the pad from which you launch yourself to the harder. So people should be permitted to start with whichever language. The language that commands such large followership can not be "childish"

Too many typographical errors turn some people off your post and not many people commit such here. Add the burden of such mistake to your debugging session when you write your code on a text editor,

lol and have you seen my Code ?

You can find a full expalnation at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Two's_complement

Umm . I know what it means . I just was making a point that they dont teach you these thing when learning say VB or even Basic . insnt That the Language they used to Write Windows heheh ,

Anyways , yeah I will work on my Language and thanks to chippin in . There is omething this comunity is providing us with . WISE GUYS

Ah We need alot of them

Absolutely right they don't teach you that sort of stuff when you're learning a particular language and that is precisely why I made the point about learning the general principles of programming which are not language specific first before concentrating on a particular language. 

Like most serious programmers, one quality I have is the ability to research and proactively learn things by myself particularly in the current internet age, so the fact that I wasn't taught 2's compliment when I was learning a particular programming language hasn't prevented me from knowning what it is and surely that is the key point.

Just my 2 cents worth from your friendly neighbourhood wise guy,

software development has never been a trivial task, just like any other proffession there is always an entry level making things quite welcoming and comfortable for newbies. I began programming with basic at a very tender age, my first pay off with the language was when i was in the university, i would say that vb helped in my compounding accademic success, ever since ive stuck to the language and today im earning a living from my ability to programm in that language.

All .Net languages are borne equal says Microsoft including VB.Net, and today vb has become a full blown OOP offering in the market, in my opinion for those programming on the microsoft path i think the real task is getting aquainted with the .Net frame work and its core classes, like earlier posts its imortant to be able to use ur software skill to develop real time application thats when you begin to learn software development, important issues like interface options (rich, thin or smart client), deployment and packaging issues, software scalabilty (assemblies organization), Security and maintainance, these are the issues that would actually affect your paycheck, not wether you use c++ or java, the issue is delivering a software solution that satisfies a buisness need and adds value and profits to the enterprise.

having the required passion for s/d is quintessential to the lot, and is best achieved by sticking to what you love, if its basic like most people, then be it, if you become really good in it it'll change your lifestyle, i wonder if our friend here is actually a good c,c++ programmer like he claims, for with the compiler structure that comes with C i wonder how one can be used to making so much typos.

Umm its called Oat Gifing A Duck ?
This es how Eye vill hype , zos 6006 1 am 31331

es = is
Eye = I
vill = will
hype = Type
zos = coz
6006 = dood
1 = I
31331 = eleet
This is how in the Cyber/hacking Culture people speek . I can Type very well and without any Error's . Thou I do it on purpose because I do not care for your Idols , gods or even a single Ideal that you call God , Morality , and Filty things like keeping ones self Systematic . I belive in Choas and that is how I was formed .

Having to be able to type properly has nothing to do with being a good programmer . Oh yes I am a good programmer even thou I have only messed around with C most of my Life . I can do alot with that Tinny Yucky language than most of you would not in this life time be able to do with VB or Java . Go Figure

Am I offeneded ? Yes I am , You could make a living with VB [HELL YEAH] . I know many good programmers who Study Visual Basic .net and make a good living out of it . Thou My point was a simple one . Dont go for it if you alread dont know it . Coz there is no use in Learning a language that hasnt set up any standards since it was born . unlike C where all other Major languages are following its syntax rules Ofcourse but our Brothering VB has its own way of looking at things ?

Lets see . Was there a Reson to create the Syntax that way ? I mean just say Dim this and that is it . Store an Integer or a string dosnt matter ? How stupid is that ? I have yet to see good book that teach you how to do DSP programming with VB or maybe make like a book on cryptography that teachs you how to create a MD5 with VB ? how about I create an Algorithm with it eh ? Oh no Wait , I forgot Can I create an OS with it or even better Compiler ? You see the Use of your Language ? I bet even VB.net cannot stand the Stress of that ? Do you think .net was created for making GUI rich Clients ? I belive not . It was made for the new ASP called ASP.net . Thats it . Go figure

Last for Last , find me a single university that would prefer to Teach you Basic over C and if you do . Please provide some information as to Why did they choose that language ? Was it because it was easy ? I belive not . Most of you programmers making a living by doing HLL apps while having no Idea about operating system, system call mechanisms and basic libraries .

So as always Go figure

kazdax:

Oh yes I am a good programmer even thou I have only messed around with C most of my Life . I can do alot with that Tinny Yucky language than most of you would not in this life time be able to do with VB or Java . Go Figure

The first thing I find strange is the fact that on 7th March 2007, you admitted you are not much of a programmer (despite the fact you have been programming for 4 years) in this thread you created about learning assembly  https://www.nairaland.com/nigeria/topic-43709.0.html but within the space 6 days, you are now a "good programmer" as you put it?  In any case, I think this statement proves that you are perhaps not the good programmer you think you are because all really good programmers can work in many languages as each language has is advantages and disadvantages depending on the solution.  To answer your point, I would be interested if you could  explain in technical detail how you would develop a J2EE solution which is also EJB 3.0 compliant and can be deployed in either Windows or UNIX in C?

kazdax:

Hi I am into .net , C , Assembly and java  . My interest is programming for different Chips and root Kernel Security and Basic IT security
karansandhu@hotmail.com
aeons_of_horus@yahoo.com

I am online everyday

I got the above quote from the "Programming Friends" thread https://www.nairaland.com/nigeria/topic-35291.0.html and I was shocked to read that you're also into .NET & Java too! What happend to "I have only messed around with C most of my Life"

kazdax:

Lets see . Was there a Reson to create the Syntax that way ? I mean just say Dim this and that is it . Store an Integer or a string dosnt matter ? How stupid is that ?

If you are going to criticise a language then you have a duty to have done some research first. Even in the early versions of VB, variable typing was available however it was optional and you could certainly argue that this was a weakness. VB.NET has strong variable typing so your statement is incorrect

kazdax:

Most of you programmers making a living by doing HLL apps while having no Idea about operating system, system call mechanisms and basic libraries

Just as you don't have to know how an engine works to drive a car, you don't need to have in depth knowledge of the operating system to develop an application. I agree that if you're working in C, you need to have a good understanding of memory management to ensure your application is efficient and performant however technology has moved on these days so that application developers can now concentrate on functionality in their applications without having to worry about memory management, garbage collection and all the other issues that plague applications developed in C.

I guess the point is if you are interested in developing operating systems or developing code for embedded systems, then I agree that C is a good choice however it comes down to choosing the right tool for the right job and as any seasoned developer will tell you, no single language is suitable for all jobs.

@segebee, Many apologies as we seem to have hijacked your thread and changed it's original purpose,