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Community => Science and Technology => Topic started by: Dakota Bob on January 16, 2013, 06:56:09 pm

Title: Interested in picking up programming
Post by: Dakota Bob on January 16, 2013, 06:56:09 pm: So for a month or two I've been dicking around in Python3 and I'm really interested in starting to seriously program but I'm not sure where I should start. Is there any must-read books I should look into? Also, what language would one recommend to learn also?
Title: Re: Interested in picking up programming
Post by: Joey on January 16, 2013, 09:32:35 pm: I'd recommend Java first; it's a good choice for learning object oriented principles and basic data structures.
Title: Re: Interested in picking up programming
Post by: dpareja on January 16, 2013, 11:27:40 pm: C++ would be another good one to learn--it too is object-oriented but it is also a functional programming language (like C), doesn't hide a lot of the nitty gritty from you like Java does (so you will have to use pointers and such, which are a pain but worth knowing), and the syntax is pretty similar so you won't have to relearn all of that.
Title: Re: Interested in picking up programming
Post by: Sleepy on January 17, 2013, 12:27:01 am: Java and C++ are both good languages to learn. You might want to start with Java because it doesn't let you shoot yourself in the foot like C++ occasionally does. Both are important to learn because they're so common, and the syntax is so similar that it's fairly easy to learn one after learning the other. There are concepts in C++ like pointers that don't occur in Java, but you'll want to save that for later, after you know a lot more about the basics. If you do continue with this, a good book is Design Patterns (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Design_Patterns) once you get into object-oriented analysis and design.
Title: Re: Interested in picking up programming
Post by: Distind on January 17, 2013, 04:10:13 pm: I'll recommend Wiley's Teach Yourself C++ (http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/wileys-teach-yourself-c-7th-edition-al-stevens/1013991120), single best programming book I ever worked with.

While java and .net languages are easier to deal with, if you can learn C++ you can learn just about anything. I did some of my learning in Java, but after starting with C++ it felt like having kid gloves on and the Zero Day exploits have gotten to the point where i don't even keep it installed on my computer anymore.
Title: Re: Interested in picking up programming
Post by: Yumeji on January 17, 2013, 04:59:28 pm: Quote from: Distind on January 17, 2013, 04:10:13 pm
I'll recommend Wiley's Teach Yourself C++ (http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/wileys-teach-yourself-c-7th-edition-al-stevens/1013991120), single best programming book I ever worked with.

I want to second this. Wiley's Teach Yourself C++ was the first book i read on the any programming language, and did an excellent job.
Title: Re: Interested in picking up programming
Post by: Dakota Bob on January 17, 2013, 08:21:05 pm: Thanks for all the suggestions guys, I found a cheap copy of that teach yourself c++ book on amazon so I'm certainly going to check that out.