PlaneShift
Fan Area => The Hydlaa Plaza => Topic started by: SkwirlDude on November 04, 2003, 06:48:05 am
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I have always wanted to learn to program, well, not always, but you get the picture. For those of you that know how, i have few questions.
How did you get introduced to programing?
How did you learn to program?
I am not completely new to programing, i am an amteur with the DarkBasic programing language, but sofar i have only used it to do my homework.
Well, let me tell you why i want to learn to program. I have a fascination with creating things. Ever since i got RPG Maker (a horibly slow, underpowered, PLAYSTATION game) I have tryed to creat games. My current goal is to try and create an Opensource Christian game (yes i am a christian).
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\"How did you get introduced to programing?\"
If you really wanted to know, it all started a verrrrry long time ago. There was this great RTS called C&C: Red Alert, and what the game even more fun was the ability to edit a file that would tweak basically anything in the game. I got tired of editing the file manually, and I figured it would be really cool if I could write my own program to provide an interface for editing. So my father picked me up an old copy of Visual Basic 4.0.
No previous programming experience.
No one to tell me what to do, just a couple books from the library.
No clue as to how these first steps were going to change my life. ;)
\"How did you learn to program?\"
The aforementioned library books, and once I grasped the basics, more books that I bought for myself. I now have, sitting on my shelf, $100 (what I paid for them, anyway) in completely worthless VB4 & 5 reading material :(.
Reading, self-teaching, and experimentation. Not the best way to learn. The best way is to take a class (college or otherwise) on it. Since you understand programming concepts (I assume DarkBasic teaches you that since it\'s a programming language) you\'ve got a start on things. Once the concept of programming is understood, you only need to learn a language.
In the real world, your only viable options are C++ and that other programming langauge people call Java. Visual Basic is another commonly used one, but I\'ve found it\'s only good purpose is to teach programming theory (which you already know).
Find a good book that teaches you how to write C++ code, which is very important! You\'d think all of them would, but they don\'t. A bunch that I have focus on MFC (a GUI library) or are just a collection of various coding samples.
It\'s easy to find what you need: browse for a book that looks like it\'s what you want, and flip through all the pages very fast. If you see anything that looks like a graphical application, don\'t buy it. What you want is straight code, 100% text (there may be illustrations of programming concepts, these are ok :) ). Once you understand how to code C++, you can move on to writing graphical applications later.
And it\'s always nice to meet another member of the faith :)
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wow, thank you. I realy plan on looking into this. After i made this thread, i found two more threads on a similar subject. I gues it must be a comon feeling to want to learn about programing after being this close to the programers(instead of them pushing you away with a broom). I am also taking advice from the similar threads.
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Introduced: I took Pascal classes. Had no clue. Still don\'t :)
Learned: Got Visual Studio 6 for almost free and I started to write things...bigger and bigger. I\'m making a game(strategic-chess-sacrifice-HoMM like) myself. The only problem is that I get myself to work only every half a year or so.
Used Darkbasic for a while, know Javascript and HTML and learning Java(verysimilar to C++).
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Introduced: found gorrilla on my old 386, as part of dos. I wanted to make the banana explosions bigger, y\'see, coz my aim was bad. learned BASIC from doing that, and adding levels to nibbles(yes, i could beat lvl 19 on a regular basis)
Learned: Basic on the 386, just bombin around. Pascal in high school computer class, smae with rudimentary html. C in university, still doin it now. doesn\'t appear to be a lot of difference in C and C++ except for the higher level functions(which i dunno how to use yet)
I would reccommend taking classes in C++, coz teaching yourself works, but it\'s hard and takes along time. an of course, C++ is far, far better than Java(bring on the flames)
Jessyn
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I was introduced to the world of programming through Pascal and then C++ through school.
If you are serious about learning then your best bet will to read every book you can find, read em, and then practice on your own.
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I learnt basic stuff like HTML and Dark Basic. Then I moved on 2 VB and Java. I\'m doing bits of C++ now. Just get books, and Training PC progs. U might like 2 try u\'r skills on sites like http://www.arcanum.co.nz. I got 2 lvl 5. Quite hard. But great practise.
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Originally posted by Jessyn
C++ is far, far better than Java
Rock on brother!!
And BTW, the main difference between C and C++ is that C++ is object oriented (the use of objects [classes]) and C is not. And OOP seriously makes all the difference :)
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I began with C++. It was a cold thankless job but it had to be done. I moved onto assembly. Then came back to Win32 API currently on .NET. (havent really done Java but heard its similar to the C# stuff i\'m doin now). I know this bit of info wasn\'t too interesting or consequential but what the heck........:P:).
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I actually learnt Java before I learnt C++ and they are very similar.
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most people go too school to learn java and c++
most people should lear java before c++ since java is much like c++ only less advance.
thougth want to learn java go to theyre site heres some links
http://www.codeproject.com
http://www.cprogramming.com
http://www.cplusplus.com
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In responce to xordan
what is that Arcanum thing?
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Yes, indeed, what is that site? Do you get to solve programming puzzles or something?