Basics of programming?

I am starting to program and I have C++ and perl. First off, I need to learn how to program...is there an "idiot's guide to programming" or something else that is really really really basic that starts from scratch online??

Also, which is better(or which should I use): Perl or C++? And just a few last random questions: how do you program in a button on a calculator? Should I start with a simpler program BEFORE I even take a shot at perl or C++?

Thanks for reading (and hopefully answering) my rambling post.

:smokes:

There are tutorials all over the net. Just do some searches. As for which language out of Perl or C++, I think that's for you to decide. Do a bit of reading on both. Test a few apps and write a few of your own. Think if what you would like to do and which language you can do it with easiest, or in some cases at all. I am able to learn on my own to an extent, but I much prefer taking classes in school to learn stuff. You may be the opposite, but if not I recommend you take a look at your local college and see which courses they have, or see if they offer any programming courses at your school if you're lower than college level. As for your calculator question, I haven't a clue, but I'm sure you can dig up some info on it.

not to be a dick about it but there is a search fundtion and this has been dragged up time and tiume on the boards.

http://www.antionline.com/showthread...threadid=13389

edit >> errr wtf should be link to tutorial index o.O how did i edn up pinting to a long dead alt.forum??? hmmm will look out proper link now


actually Negs Tutorial index is prolly a better one to check out >> http://www.neg.be/index/?c=6


about half way down there is a programming section

v_Ln

Valhallen, I checked out your link and every post said this:

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This person has been banned from AntiOnline, and as a result, all of their posts have been marked as Hidden. The user was banned for a reason, so this post may: promote illegal activities, contain flames, off topic content, and less-than-family-friendly language, among other things.

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As for which language out of Perl or C++, I think that's for you to decide. Do a bit of reading on both. Test a few apps and write a few of your own.

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No, I mean learning straight from scratch...I don't even have a clue as to what the devil an "app" is!

:smokes:

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q...=Google+Search

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Valhallen, I checked out your link and every post said this:

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check the edits - i messed up the linkage...my bad

v_Ln

Draxx,
If you have no programming knowledge at all then I would suggest you check out BASIC
http://www.hitmill.com/programming/qbasic.html
Basic is more of a learning tool than anything else, but it will give you a great starting place.

Once you master basic I would suggest you learn everything you can about object oriented programming. What language you use is up to you. Here are a few oo links:
http://www.uml.org/ UML is used for design, not for coding but it will give you the ability to easily layout software designs

http://msdn.microsoft.com/vbasic/usi...d/default.aspx .NET
http://java.sun.com/ Java

Hi Draxx

Taking into account that you have c++ and perl available, and also that you wish to learn
one of those, I recommend you to start with c/c++. There is no need to learn a "simpler"
language in my opinion.

I love perl quite much - and you can use it pretty efficiently in a broad range of
application. The drawback, in my opinion, is that it obfuscates the meaning of a
programming language by an extensive use of short-hand notations (perl programmers
here might know what I mean, which does not necessarily mean that they agree :) ).

Anyway, it also seems to me that you want to make, for example, use of the MFC classes
(buttons, textboxes, ... ).
Just a quick note: What are MFC classes. "Microsoft Foundation Classes" is a large library
of C++ classes developed by Microsoft in order to putting up "applications that look like
typical windows applications" :) MFC is not a programming language - it is built upon
c++. (Trying to "answer" your remark about buttons on a calculator).

I strongly recommend that you start to understand the basics of a programming language
with so-called "console applications" which essentially run in the command shell
environment (no graphics and so on).

A very good basic introduction[1] has been written by white_scorpion.
There is also an intermediate tutorial[2], by the same guy.


Cheers


[1] http://www.antionline.com/showthread...hreadid=263493
[2] http://www.antionline.com/showthread...hreadid=264033

start with c programing and pm me for detail's and tut's it could take some time.....................

Agh... Just got to love when programming questions about perl come up, and I happen to be away, not in the mood or just generally don't give a damn to answer them.

Now that I am in an actual talking mood, I shall enlighten you.

First off, there are so many differences between perl and C/C++ that is a bitch and a half. Trust me, I can code in both, and it is a pain converting perl to C++. A lot of things don't convert so you have to create really interesting ways to do it.

Now as for which one to choose, that is a matter of personal preference. I personally say learn them both. They both have their benefits, they both teach you how to program.

I will say however, if you absolutely must choose one to learn before the other. I say go with C++, you learn a couple bad habits with perl. That and OOP will make your perl code a lot easier, and better. IMHO.

As for perl weakness being obfuscating everything. Yeah, you are right, I am not going to agree with you.

Perl has plenty of weaknesses. Wway to many for me to talk about here, and way to few for me to write a descent tutorial on. (Well atleast not while I am being lazy)

As for using the index to check for things, most of the stuff in the index is jacked up. To actually find half the tutorials in there, you have to do a search by either the exact topic. (I am not referring to programming) Or you have to use the person's name that wrote it.

One last thing Draxx, if you are going to learn programming, I would recommend, not only getting books on perl and C++, but get general programming books.

Once you learn the theory of programming, learning any language will become easy. All that is will be, is learning syntax.

(That, I am actually working on, Pretty much all theory.) A book that would be pretty good for you would probably be, Introduction to Algorithms. I will say, wait to read it though. You are going to need to know atleast one language before you start it. It does not matter which langauge though.

You yeah, ZC, I am proud of you, you didn't say java, I was going to have to come after you with my Universal Command Guide book(Very Heavy) , and hit you on the head with it, if you did say Java.


Somewhere within the hell that is the tutorial index, there is a link to several tutorials on perl.

As for websites to go to. I would say:
www.perl.com
www.perlmonks.org

Are the way to go.

Good starting languages:

Python (basicly on every OS)
QBasic (windows only, QB ships somewhere on windows 98 and older CDs).

If you'd like to be a network admin on a linux system (and maybe do a little bit of hacking once you know how to exploit the system), then Perl is your language. As it isn't really cross-platform (confined to the *nix realm, and possibly some Unix-based Mac OS's), and because of it's lax rules in defining types (a string is an integer is a something else, etc.) I wouldn't recommend it as your first language. It'd be like students learning ebonics before proper english, but that's a debate for social scientists.


C++ is awesome! Want to code software for business? C++ can do that. Want to design video games? C++ can do that. Want to make hardware drivers? You get the idea... I seem to have let my enthusiasm overrun.

My suggestion? Learn C++, move on to MS C# (unless you really want to code your own GUI classes), and from there, maybe some assembly or Cobol, though the latter seems to be on the way out.

Erm, perl runs on windows via the activestate perl engine. You can use it for wsh, asp, com automation, etc.

Choose your language based on what interests you. If you want to do regular business apps, video games, etc. then go with C, C++, or C#. You can do some java work here but it's not as common.

If you want to do server side web apps then I'd recommend VB, C#, Java or Perl.

If you just want to learn a scripting language to manage day to day tasks then python (on linux and windows), perl (on linux and windows), or if you want something windows specific and stupidly easy then vbscript for wsh.

If you think you are ever going to do any kind of enterprise development (say n-tier business apps or the next mmog) then I'd recommend learning all you can about network programming, database programming, multithreaded programming, and all the architecture and design you can.

If you have any questions feel free to hit me up.