[Aners92]

Hey Fellow tcf members

I am a IT interested guy, I want to be a Game designer, when done with school.
I'm on the age 15 almost 16, and I think it is time for me to start to learn how to program, I know that it's something I have to sit with by my self, and work hard to be good at, so I want to get started now.

I just got a few question.
What programming language should I start with? and where can I find a guide for it?

I have so far been working with HTML, css, and some java.
I have rent a book about C++ but I've got told it wasn't a good language to start out with.

[Jase123]

Well you can try - http://www.w3schools.com/

Very good tutorials there, and if you put time and effort in, you`ll pick it up in no time.

I think basic HTML is where you want to start, learn the basic tags; i.e. <br> </br> -- which does a link break.

Need any more help, the let me know.

Regards Jason.

[Cew27]

C++ is a good gaming language but some games are created in java particularly the mac/ linux compatible games, the famous runescape is a java applet
i am a java programmer and i found the for dummies books brilliant
but the java syntax is derived from c++ and there fore once you know one it isnt that hard to pick up the other
hope i helped

[Aners92]

I got to basic HTML, I guess that it was where I should start, it's not real programming, but it use some of the same basic things.
____

I know C++ it should be one of teh best programming language, and I want to learn it, but I have got told that it should be hard to start out with
I also know java alittle, and how many smaller games, are made with java.

But what I wanted to know is which programming language is best to start out with?

I know a few of them, but not which I should start with
Python, Peal, java, C, C++.
Any of those, or are they others that will be easyer, when it's first time I'm gonna learn programming?

(Thanks for fast replay)

[Cew27]

visual basic is the best to start with , then either java or c++ they do almost identical thing but java does the on linux and macs aswell as windows and also runs a little faster i think
many programs are java
firefox
limewire
usenext client
itunes
but it is down to personal preference what you wish to follow

[Carbon]

Start with something useful. HTML will teach you absolutely nothing, PHP is much better in this respect, but I think the best you could pick is Python.

I started with C++ and did fine, though. C++ will teach you good programming habits, Java and VB are too loose and once you go to C++ you'll be quickly overwhelmed.

[Aners92]

Oay, I'll try C++, but does anyone now a good guide, which is up to date? the book I've rent isn't fully up to date, and haven't found anything so far on google (I'm a noob when it comes to search the net)

[Carbon]

This one's fine.

[Aners92]

Thanks m8, I'll check it out..

Ohh and how many years do you guys think I'll have to use to get pro at programming? 10?

[Cew27]

5 id say to know the language inside and out

[dr john]

I think cew27 is right in saying 5 years, but that's a minimum time span I'd say.

[Aners92]

5Years, this means if I use 5 hours at day? I got my school I have to take care of, whcih will lead for a Game Designing school later) and i have to be next to the study'ing

[dr john]

Yes, that's about right. It's not a quick fix.
That's why many people dabble in programming but don't do it professionally. But once you've learned one language, almost any language, you can pick up another one in a much shorter time, but it still takes a while to get to a good level in it.
C is harder to learn but more powerful than most languages. VB seems easier to pick up, is less powerful than C, but does a lot of the work for you. Java's main stumbling block, like C++, is learning OO properly, and having to work at a lower level than, say VB.

And HTML is NOT programming, which is why people can pick up a fair bit and become proficient enough to make passible web sites in three months. But loosing the bad habits you acquire if you don't start using css early on can take ages and ages. CSS isn't programming either.

[Mike0001]

Start with Java or C#.

C and C++ are too loose in their syntax and allow you to do lots of dumb things. C++ was a hack to try to bring the aging C up to speed.

For Java you can hardly beat the online resources:

http://java.sun.com/docs/books/tutorial/

The language itself is deceptively simple but a full specification is quite a complicated business:

http://java.sun.com/docs/books/jls/

Once you are past the language learning stage, have a look at the class documentation:

http://java.sun.com/javase/6/docs/api/

Then, although a text editor will suffice, you may want to download a full IDE:

http://www.netbeans.org/

http://www.eclipse.org/

If you go for C# or C++ or VB you can get the free IDEs at

http://www.microsoft.com/express/product/

Whichever way you go, have fun!

[MJM]

How long you need to be pro depends on you.
I did pascal (in the Delphi UI) at school in Germany from eleventh to thirteenth grade and pretty much learnt what I learnt at Uni in the first semester (and a bit of what came in the second).
I wouldn't call myself pro, the thing being, I have no issues programming and I always find a way.

The best thing you can do is learn the basics of what leads to programming. UML diagrams and such. Think of an applet you could use. Think of what you need to design it. If you are using Java chances are someone has already created a library you can use.

For instance I wrote a RSS reader that would take in a NHL feed and extract the info I wanted and republish it. To do that I used the RSS reader library.