Re: Programming question-Please help

From: "[Tariz] The Dungeon Master" <adnd@mailandnews.com>

Date: Sat, 05 Jun 1999 00:00:00 +0000

Hi,

Sam Palmer <Sam@Bitton.homeway.demon.co.uk> wrote in message
news:NOU6CBA5RBW3EwlE@homeway.demon.co.uk...
<snip>

I won't reiterate what the other guys have said but will say that whether
you go for a self-study approach or taught course is up to your personal
preferences.  Some people learn best when there is other people to direct
them, whilst others learn best when they are left in peace to do it.

If you take either approach you will benefit most if you learn good
programming skills rather than just the syntax of your chosen language.
Whilst a
poor language choice can teach you some bad habits which can be hard to
unlearn.  For this reason I would recommend a strong-typed language such as
C, C++ or Java.  These will also prove very useful in the commercial world.

Also don't try to leap before you can crawl:  Don't confuse the operating
system with the language.  Windows / Unix / Linux have rich APIs
(Application Program Interfaces) which you shouldn't concern yourself with
initially.  You can always learn these later when you have a grasp of the
fundementals of programming.

Be aware of books, sources etc. that offer you quick and easy solutions.
Learning to program takes time and effort.  If you go into it thinking it
can be achieved overnight, in 21 days or whatnot you will only be setting
yourself up for a fall.  It takes around 10 years of practice to become a
GOOD programmer but most people can learn the fundementals in 6-18 months.
I can learn the syntax of a language in a few days (if its sensible) but it
doesn't necessarily mean I can do much with it.  Each language has its own
nuances and techniques.  For example, C++ and Java are both Object Oriented
Languages and you should read something about what this means before going
further.  Trying to apply one languages "ideology" in another will only lead
to piss poor efforts.

I personally don't like Que and Sams books because they pretend you can
learn everything you need in a short period of time as well as being sketchy
in
some areas and simply wrong in others.  However, they can have their appeal
because they usually are easy to understand and hopefully will invite you to
do some serious work later.

Notwithstanding your choices on language or learning method you will want to
have:

a)    A good reference book ( K & R for C, Stroustrup for C++ and the
Oreilly language reference for Java).
b)    A good book on Data Structures and Algorithms (Personally I like Glenn
Rowe's book for C++ for this).  A lot of new programmers don't learn the
right techniques for solving common problems and a good understanding of
common algorithms plus their benefits will assist you in your entire
programming career.  My favourite maxim is "Don't reinvent the wheel, unless
you have to"
c)    A good (preferably free) compiler without too many bells and whistles.
Whilst I use VC++ for my Windows programming it can be somewhat daunting as
a beginners tool.  The GNU tools (www.gnu.org) are particularly useful an
free.
d)    Check out the appropriate newsgroups.  For C and C++ I heartily
recommend alt.comp.lang.learn.c-c++ and for java everything under the
comp.lang.java hierarchy

Anyway, all the best and I hope you enjoy it.

--
Cheers,

Seyed
Dungeon Master
Ascension at Tariz
adnd@mailandnews.com
http://strata.kmpinternet.com/adnd/

References

Programming question-Please help
Sam Palmer <Sam@Bitton.homeway.demon.co.uk>
Fri, 04 Jun 1999 00:00:00 +0000

Referenced By

Programming question-Please help
Sam Palmer <Sam@Bitton.homeway.demon.co.uk>
Fri, 04 Jun 1999 00:00:00 +0000