Programming Languages

[imported_sphinx]

This is a simple question that needs a simple answer. Which language did you learn first to get your feet wet. I am not interested in web programming. I just want to know of a programming language to start off with. So, which language did you learn first, and which language are you using now. I don't mean to be a jerk but please no arguments on this is the best language, this suck that sucks. Just a simple question that needs a simple answer.

 

[znaps]

You'd want a good all-rounder language, like C/C++/Java/C#, or even less widely used languages like Pascal

Given any of the above, I think the book or course you follow to learn the fundamentals is more important than the actual language.

 

[Kilrsat]

The programming language doesn't really matter, provided the book or class is really teaching the fundamentals of programming.

What you need is a firm understanding of program flow, and then worry about some of the more detailed parts of modern languages (such as objects). Its been written that with three basic constructs, you can program anything: sequential statements, if-then-else, and while-do. Really its true, we use a few conventions to simplify things, and add in functions to save coding time, but really the heart of it all is the logic found in those three constructs.

Learn the constructs, learn what a function is and why to use it, and learn what classes/objects are. What you're trying to do is pick up the fundamental ideas behind any programming language, since once you have these down its simply a matter of learning a new syntax if you need to pick up a new language.

So there you have it, pick any language you want, provided you have a good book or class to learn from.

 

[mugs]

Originally posted by: Kilrsat
The programming language doesn't really matter, provided the book or class is really teaching the fundamentals of programming.

I agree with that for the most part, with the exception that starting with VB will leave you completely unprepared to deal with any other language.

I started with a little bit of C, then C++, then Java, Perl, PHP and so on and so forth. I'd recommend starting with C++ or Java. C++ lets you hide from OOP for a while, Java forces you to dive right in.

 

[Bearcat14]

Originally posted by: sphinx
This is a simple question that needs a simple answer. Which language did you learn first to get your feet wet. I am not interested in web programming. I just want to know of a programming language to start off with. So, which language did you learn first, and which language are you using now. I don't mean to be a jerk but please no arguments on this is the best language, this suck that sucks. Just a simple question that needs a simple answer.

I learned BASIC first, but this was back in the 80s....I wouldn't recommend that now, even by far it's the easiest language to learn. Went from Basic to Pascal, then to COBOL and C, then Assembly language. If you're just starting out, I'd learn Pascal first, only as a learning tool, then move on to C, which is more of a challenge.

 

[Kilrsat]

Originally posted by: mugs

Originally posted by: Kilrsat
The programming language doesn't really matter, provided the book or class is really teaching the fundamentals of programming.

I agree with that for the most part, with the exception that starting with VB will leave you completely unprepared to deal with any other language.

I started with a little bit of C, then C++, then Java, Perl, PHP and so on and so forth. I'd recommend starting with C++ or Java. C++ lets you hide from OOP for a while, Java forces you to dive right in.

VB still teaches you the basics of logical program flow. Sure it lets you slide with a lack of real syntax, implicit type conversions everywhere, and the fact that the older VBs kind of hacked in class/object support. VB.net on the otherhand is a wonderful beast. While you can still get away with lack of syntax and implicit type conversions, you have the power to do anything you can do in C# in a more verbose language. Sometimes a little more english isn't a bad thing, especially when you're trying to grasp the concepts.

The drawback of VB is the push immediately towards GUIs. This can be a good thing, since you have something more tangible to show for your efforts, but it can also be bad because you're quickly forced to learn about the widgets.

 

[imported_sphinx]

Thanks to everyone who replied. I really do appreciate it. I will take all of your replies into serious consideration. For the moment I wanted to focus on the core of the program than the user interface. Once again, thank you all.

 

[bamacre]

The first programming I ever did was for a software called CI3 CATI (computer assisted telephone interviewing). It was for a market research firm. I programmed questionnaires for interviewing. I still do it for a living, although now I am with a different company with a different CATI software. It's fairly easy programming, and it pays the bills.

 

[Barnaby W. Füi]

I agree that it really doesn't matter what you learn first. If you are destined to be good, you will be good, and if you are destined to suck, you will suck. I started with VB, then went on to some shell programming, then PHP. I consider VB and PHP now horrible languages, but I didn't turn out bad. I went on to learn C and C++ very well. Just treat each language as just that: a new language -- don't try to use Language A style while coding in Language B -- and you should be fine.

 

[beyonddc]

C first, then C++, and then Java

 

[ttown]

I'd recommend Java.

Plus, everything Java can be had over the net for free.
For an IDE, there's Eclipse from eclipse.org -- or you can just stick with a text editor and the command line.
The java sdk is download-able at sun.com.
Tutorials can be had at sun, or google "java tutorial" for a bazillion other sources.

You can learn all the constructs, gui stuff, and object-oriented concepts each independantly and at your own pace. Plus, it's not quite as easy to do real damage in Java as it is in C.
(I haven't used C# or C++, so I can't comment on those)

As for my first language: Applesoft BASIC in the early 80's (also the basic on Radio Shacks TRS-80's, whatever it was called); then BASIC on a VAX; then pascal, cobol, assembly, some C; then moved on to 4GLs and databases in the real world. (pascal was my favorite in college)
I'm currently learning Java and VB.net / asp.net.
I wouldn't recommend vb.net to a beginner, unless they could only pick 1 and were specifically learning it for an employer that uses it.

 

[Barnaby W. Füi]

Being free isn't really anything special -- I can't think of any language that costs money to learn.

 

[oog]

I went the route of BASIC, Scheme, Lisp, C, C++, Prolog, Visual Basic, Java, C#. Out of that list, I would learn one of the more popular object oriented ones: C++, C# or Java.

 

[ArmchairAthlete]

Given any of the above, I think the book or course you follow to learn the fundamentals is more important than the actual language.

Yea, the fundamentals don't change really but languages come and go.

I've used Python and Java so far. Python is super easy to start with, Java not that much more difficult.

 

[HardcoreRobot]

i started with c++ in HS. learned basic data structures,I/O,pointers, basic OOP etc

i will probably be doing most coding in java

imo its easier to learn c++ then pick up java than the other way around (bc java simplifies many things)

 

[znaps]

Agreed. Things like pointers and program stacks are fundamentals every coder should learn. This will come with learning C or C++.

 

[neilm]

I started with Pascal, only because it was on my course that year.

 

[hopejr]

I started with QBasic (mid-90's), took a step back to Advanced BASIC and GWBASIC, and then went to VB 3, VB 4, and VB 6. I learnt Java, then MC68HC11 ASM, C++ and C (in that order) at University before going on with (X)HTML (I did know a bit before, but not much), PHP, ColdFusion MX, VC# .NET, VB .NET, and Objective C in my spare time.
OOP is big now, as most languages are based on that paradigm, so Java may be a good place to start. Some argue that BASIC isn't really a language (lol), but if you want to get some basics (pardon the pun), you could start there too. C is the most used language (according to one of my lecturer's) because of the many embedded environments in the world, although it is a real pain to get used to (but, the syntax is used by heaps of other languages, such as Java, C++, etc), and I don't recommend that as a starting point.
I know a few people who started with PASCAL and said that was good too.

 

[Ken g6]

I started with Commodore Basic 7.0, then went to QBasic, then to C, then branched out from there.

If you want to start with basics, I would suggest JavaScript instead of Basic, preferably with Firefox for its great debugger. Then move on to Java, and C# or maybe C++/C if you want to go that deep.

 

[RalphTheCow]

I started with FORTRAN, but that's just because I'm old. I'm more interested in scripting and macro languages like VB for applications now, being a very casual user of programming.

 

[Armitage]

Originally posted by: sphinx
This is a simple question that needs a simple answer. Which language did you learn first to get your feet wet. I am not interested in web programming. I just want to know of a programming language to start off with. So, which language did you learn first, and which language are you using now. I don't mean to be a jerk but please no arguments on this is the best language, this suck that sucks. Just a simple question that needs a simple answer.

Alot depends on where you want to go with it. If you want GUIs & web programming, you probably don't want FORTRAN. If you expect to do mostly scripting, don't start with C. If you're doing it for a job, you should look at the industry your interested in and see what's common.

If you're just doing it for yourself, pick something with a large & active user base (helps with user-to-user support), and lots of available libraries & code. I wouldn't strat with syntactically difficult languages like PERL, and if you're really green an interpreted language with a command line environment for trying out bits of code as you go would be nice, instead of jumping straight into compiling/linking, etc. I'd start with Python if I were to start over.