cradeg

I would like to start programming again but i am not sure in which language.

I am familiar with basic programming as i use HTML / PHP / MYSQL in my webprojects but i would like to write programms ( mainly for windows) and i am not sure in which language i should start.

java comes into my mind but i would love to know what other people think would be a great programming language to start again with in these days.

thx for input

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charliex

It really depends on a few things

what sort of apps you want to write
where do you want to go with it
how much effort do you want to put into learning

cradeg

mostly stuff for windows

short applications

can have a large learning curve ... or maybe i start with maya

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FlorentinoAriza

i'd go for java
if you start in an object oriented language, it will be easier than converting to one at a later date.
once you understand the logic behind it, you can switch to other languages rather fast.

i started with java, never learned vb or stuff like that.

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cradeg

java seems to me also the only right solution ... any starting tips ... i already tried a few times but was overwhelmed by the pure mass of infos

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charliex

i dont think you should choose a language on what the model behind it is , rather that it does what you want it to do.

Personally you have to force me to write in java, if i'm offered work in it i tend to turn it away or pass it on to friends, i find the toolset to be really immature (for the field i'm in)

But its a reasonably simple language, no tricky pointers to worry about, cant really do much damage with it, unless you use extensions , so its a good starter language.

http://java.sun.com is the best place to start for tutorials etc.

Silvy

Java is nice for cross-platform devlopment.
Though it is a bit slow. It is difficult doing complicated things in Java, but that may be my inexperience...

Delphi (object Pascal) is a nice proramming environment. Also doesn't create fast executables, but it can do nice things. Delphi for simple tasks has a short development time IMHO.

C++ is the mother of them all. While not easy to learn, it allows you to do just about everything that your machine is capable of. Creates the fastest executables but has the steepest learning curve and the longest development time.

They are all OO so any of them would do.

If you are really up for a challenge: amanda

It is an interpreter for a functional language (as opposed to object oriented). Real pain in the rear to get used to; quite fun to show friends and see them baffled at your program

edit: too many changes to note here

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The_Dude

if u're lookin for a really basic start, i suggest BASIC.

but if u're past the stage of beginner programming, go w/ c++.

for a free compiler, check out www.bloodshed.net

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rubicon

If you're writing for Windows I suggest Visual BASIC.

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cradeg

i guess i take java or c++ both seem to make me a better programmer in the end .. but which

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asshopo

I'm suprized no one suggested .NET. The .NET framework is a beautiful thing. I want C# to have the rest of my kids

Seriously tho, I started as a vb codemonkey and now I spend most of my time doing C# projects. I know some C++, VB inside and out, php, mssql, mysql (they need sp's damnit), perl, and enough java to be dangerous. But for windows applications, C++ or anything in the .NET framework would work good.

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snicka

C++ is my language of choice, I try to avoid java and VB whenever possible. I would suggest getting a C++ book (wrox or mspress have good ones) and reading it, going through the tutorials, etc etc.
Basically learning a low level language (c++) first before going to a higher-level (VB/JAVA/C#) language will be an advantage since you will understand what is actually GOING ON beneath the automated garbage collection and all the other niceties of a higher level language.

cradeg

i almost forgot about c# ... hmm sounds interesting , i think i check this out first

anyone has some good online books to start with c# ? or a good website .. my first search was not promising

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For every human problem, there is a neat, simple solution; and it is always wrong.
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cliche

I'd have a look at some brand of BASIC if you need to get learning, then try C/C++ for windows programming. You can download a completely free compiler setup (eg gcc-win32); then it's just a matter of getting used to the windows APIs...

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cradeg

i have some programming background so i think i dont need to start from scratch

... i programmed in ...

BASIC / PASCAL / VBasic / PHP



i think i will start with c#

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For every human problem, there is a neat, simple solution; and it is always wrong.
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asshopo

Some good sites
C# Corder <a href="http://c-sharpcorner.com/">http://c-sharpcorner.com/</a>

Dot Net Junkies <a href="http://www.dotnetjunkies.com/">http://www.dotnetjunkies.com/</a>

(Yes, even) Planet Source Code <a href="http://www.planetsourcecode.com/">http://www.planetsourcecode.com/</a>

Got Dot Net? <a href="http://www.gotdotnet.com/">http://www.gotdotnet.com/</a>

There are more, but usually when I'm stuck, one of these sites helps me get it figured out. Very rarely have I had to search and search and search for an answer after hitting those sites.

asshopo

Good call! C# is not as advanced as C++, but the same idea is there with OO development and you should be able to do anything in C# as you could C++, just without the nastiness of garbage collection, pointers, etc.

Don't get me wrong, one day I want to know C++ (for Windows development) inside and out, but from what I hear, that's impossible and also is quite complicated. Have you looked at the "hello world" example with Visual Studio 6? Heh, pages and pages of code when you could do System.Windows.Forms.MessageBox.Show("Hello World"); in C#

Also, if you need a little help here and there, feel free to contact me. My email and messaging info is in my profile.

Jameson

I wouldn't say C# is not as advanced as C++. Its definately better as a language, just as it is slightly better than Java as a language. C# is incredibly similar to Java, except the creators were able to fix some things they didn't like in Java. The .NET platform is a quite nice to work with, and the new Visual Studio.NET IDE is pretty usable.

I'd suggest going with that.

Don't get me wrong -- Java is great. I program in it all the time. And if you use Eclipse as an IDE, you will find it a joy to program, since so much of the grunt work is handled for you.

cradeg

so i guessi need Visual Net 2003 Professional to start programming

i need to check out how much it will cost

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For every human problem, there is a neat, simple solution; and it is always wrong.
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Dave

I'm amazed no one has mentioned smalltalk yet. Squeak rocks

cradeg

whats that ?

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For every human problem, there is a neat, simple solution; and it is always wrong.
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kel

C# + .NET

It's the future. Deal with it. ;-)

I like Deitel textbooks, that's just a personal preference.

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cowlick

The Windows 32 bit API set is exposed via C/C++. While Java is great way to learn Object Oriented design, C or C++ is the best way to write a full featured and performant piece of Windows software.

Nightmare1²

Use C#.

Simple as that. Without any programming experience on my behalf, a Learn C in 21 days book, and interpretation, I was able to code. C# is a cross between C++ and Visual Basic. You can only program in OOP, so I believe it is the best choice for a newbie to learn.

irieemon

ActionScript!!!

Program for Flash, it is the future of the presentation layer!

kel

.NET is important to learn, if all goes well it could be strong contender with java in high performance applications.

If you know it thoroughly you will be a valuable asset to some companies in the future.

Currently many shops use java in cases where they shouldn't. I've seen some real swift people write ray-tracers in java... C# will hopefully provide the cross platform ablities of java with more of the speed and low level access of C

/is not a fan of java (need's his pointers)

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cradeg

i really appreciate all this input ... thx alot , i think i will try c# and maybe you will use one of my l33t programms in the near future , ehheh ok stop laughing

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For every human problem, there is a neat, simple solution; and it is always wrong.
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