Stick with it for a bit, but think I might move over to learning Java.
Why Java exactly?
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Stick with it for a bit, but think I might move over to learning Java.
Web apps, but the more I'm reading seems like Java is pretty outdated in that respect? I'm pretty blind when it comes to anything outside SQL or anything backend for that matter.
Many thanks for your response.
So the absolute programming novice should start out with Python?
I probably should have framed my question better, but would Python also be your choice for the novice to gain the easiest path for the conceptual understanding of programming? It's just that I have read here & there that C programming gives the learner a more basic insight in to the software-hardware interplay, and my initial goal is not necessarily to first achieve any programming outcomes from the outset, but rather to better understand the underlying concepts of programming, as I reckon this would be the good base to underpin further learning.
As for R programming, I think I probably would like to learn it as I am currently doing work as a molecular physics research, and I assume this programming format would have various uses. Should a novice learn another programming language prior to looking at R?
Basically, If I was your 12 year old kid, what path would you map out from start to finish in order for me to become an adequate programmer?
You could always do what my wife’s friend did when she couldn’t get software that suited her research: go and get a Masters degree in IT in your spare time.
I would say that I'd invest in some free online tutorials/lessons before paying for a degree. At least see how much you like it...
Yes. It’s easy to learn, quick to write and massively extensible.Is Python that useful to learn other than some specific use cases these days?
I started out with Quick Basic, Turbo C and Turbo pascal. Like you I gravitated towards VB when it came out, it suited me being a better artist than a programmer. I was always thinking about doing Flash development but luckily never committed to it. I had to grapple with C++ when I was trying to make a game, MekArcade. MekArcade | SourceForge.net & MekArcade Windows, Mac, Linux game - Mod DB I can't say I ever came to terms with it and I needed the Cube engine devs to do a bit of stuff to their engine eg add torso rotation to the character model, which I couldn't do, but it never happened. Again, being better with visuals I did learn about 3D modelling and animation. Funnily enough doing that really helped doing sculptural works, understanding the interaction of light, on a form via a surface with it's own particular properties. I could always draw 2D stuff but was hopeless with 3D works, but after making possibly thousands of models over 6 years, I found suddenly I could sculpt. It goes to show that you never really know how the skills you learn might become useful.....I started off in the 90s with Visual Basic (pre .NET stuff) and writing HTML in Notepad. I wish I stuck with it instead of stupid career counsellors at school telling me there was no future in it due to stuff like Adobe Dreamweaver replacing web developers and high level application design replacing low level programming LOL! Then I just spent years writing mods for games like Ultima Online. I've been on the tools for nearly 20 years but the pull to do something that I always feel I should have has been getting stronger so about 4 or 5 years ago I decided to get right into coding again. YouTube has probably been the best resource. I did do a Cert IV in Programming in that time which helped with some design concepts I don't think I would have ever known to research myself, but besides that it was largely a waste of time and money.
I started out with Quick Basic, Turbo C and Turbo pascal. Like you I gravitated towards VB when it came out, it suited me being a better artist than a programmer. I was always thinking about doing Flash development but luckily never committed to it. I had to grapple with C++ when I was trying to make a game, MekArcade. MekArcade | SourceForge.net & MekArcade Windows, Mac, Linux game - Mod DB I can't say I ever came to terms with it and I needed the Cube engine devs to do a bit of stuff to their engine eg add torso rotation to the character model, which I couldn't do, but it never happened. Again, being better with visuals I did learn about 3D modelling and animation. Funnily enough doing that really helped doing sculptural works, understanding the interaction of light, on a form via a surface with it's own particular properties. I could always draw 2D stuff but was hopeless with 3D works, but after making possibly thousands of models over 6 years, I found suddenly I could sculpt. It goes to show that you never really know how the skills you learn might become useful.
I actually don't like Python much, it's slow and the OOP business adds a bit of overhead, nonetheless it's a good place to start for folks learning programming given the resources available for it and the platforms supported. I have found C on the arduinos pretty easy, it's much like the old simple C I remember, not the monstrosity of C++. I was interested in you recommending C#, because that's what a few friends recommended to my son.
I've really only done 'hobby programming' for desktops in recent years with PureBasic. Fast, old school procedural language that compiles to small, assembly language exes on Windows, Mac and Nix boxes. Next version is going to use C compilers which will open up platforms like the Pi, Android and IOS, which is very, very exciting. Makes me glad I stuck with it.
Yes, everything gets tacked on and so many ways to make obscure errors that are difficult to find.C++ feels absolutely bloated to me. Though I admit I've only ever used it within other frameworks like in Unreal Engine, but there is so much tacked on to it being so old and constantly updated to be more modernised. I find things like multiple inheritence messy and potentially dangerous (quite easy to call your entire program into memory if you're lazy). Compile times feel slow even on my 5900x. Meanwhile C# at least to me feels and looks elegant. Of course it's not an option if you need to do anything low level, but it compiles quick, writes neatly and has lots of nice features like Interfaces, no need for pointers and references, no header files or having to declare a method before its called, as well as some other quality of life things. With the .NET framework just about everywhere I would argue it's a pretty good place to start, especially as you don't have to worry about things like memory management. But I guess it all comes down to use cases. For me Python was never really a thing. I've looked at it, but never had a reason to learn it. My interest first came from video games while in high school in the 90s and that pretty much stuck with me. So I dabbled in C and C++ but without going to university it was really pushing sh*t uphill to learn. When I got into Unity and in turn C# did I finally find a language that I can say that I really enjoy and feel comfortable using.