What language?

[=Atryeu=]

Well, I am interested in starting to program and would like some opinions. What do you think would be the best starter language? Visual Basic, C++, C#? Maybe something else though I would prefer it would that. I think I am going to be developing programs just to let you know before you post.
Edit: Also go ahead and suggest stuff like PHP, JAVA, and things like that. Whatever would be fun and possibly profitable.

 

[iLeviathan]

What kind of programs would you like to make though? Every language has its use for different types of programs. Id still suggest C++ then C# then VB, then whatever you want, and no VB if you dont want to code in it.

 

[Swan]

To start with, anything under .Net. People find Visual Basic .Net easy, though I mostly code in C#.

http://www.microsoft.com/express/

Visual Basic .Net isn't Visual Basic 6, just keep that in mind. .Net is newer, hence most definitely better.

 

[cp]

VB .net is definitely easy as a first language. The syntax isn't complicated; especially with the drag and drop GUIs, you can begin developing even within a few minutes of learning.
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/vbasic/ms789086.aspx

Like I always (or not) say, PHP is the way to go if you want to make some money. Granted, it's hard to find a job when there are tons of people like you applying for the same one, you'll generally be more successful. PHP has the best documentation that I've ever seen, and a whole load of examples with it, and on many other sites.

http://www.tizag.com/phpT/
http://www.w3schools.com/PHP/
http://www.php.net/

 

[SuF]

PHP is so easy to learn, and it takes about 5 seconds on google (Depending on connection speed. ) to find an answer to ANY problem.

Decide if you want to do web programing or just client and move on from there.

 

[=Atryeu=]

I was thinking I'd start with c++ and then maybe go on to php or something like that.

 

[Swan]

I was thinking I'd start with c++ and then maybe go on to php or something like that.

C++ is a fairly hard language to start with. Not discouraging you, but I'd start with something simpler. I.e. Java, PHP, or C#.

 

[slashshot007]

JAVA.
great language, still pretty complicated, however still semi easy.

 

[thorne_bro]

PHP is so easy to learn, and it takes about 5 seconds on google (Depending on connection speed. ) to find an answer to ANY problem.

Decide if you want to do web programing or just client and move on from there.

I wouldn't count that as learning it... That is practically using someone's hard work just to get a quick fix on something. If that were learning, anyone would surpass Einstein with his Atom Bombs. Learning is where you read and take in information and memorize it. And if a problem like that were to come up, if it were learning, you should be able to know without looking it up.

 

[Swan]

I wouldn't count that as learning it... That is practically using someone's hard work just to get a quick fix on something. If that were learning, anyone would surpass Einstein with his Atom Bombs. Learning is where you read and take in information and memorize it. And if a problem like that were to come up, if it were learning, you should be able to know without looking it up.

I've solved plenty of problems by use of Google, why should that be different than using a reference book or tutorial? I examine the code I find, memorize concepts, if necessary draw out a flowchart to show basic functionality and then recode it in my own way - if that isn't learning, what is?

 

[SuF]

I wouldn't count that as learning it... That is practically using someone's hard work just to get a quick fix on something. If that were learning, anyone would surpass Einstein with his Atom Bombs. Learning is where you read and take in information and memorize it. And if a problem like that were to come up, if it were learning, you should be able to know without looking it up.

If you do not know how to do something, you google it, and almost always the first page is the official php documentation with the methods you need. Then you read, and look at their examples and move on from there...

Learning is just not memorizing... If you think that, you will fail horribly in life. To learn you need to be able to analyze information and be able to understand it and rewrite what you read in your own way. Its not memorizing what they way it does, its about knowing what it does and how to use it...

I am strongly against memorizing for school, even with languages. When you naturally learn a language you don't memorize what words mean, you know what they mean and you can explain what they mean. Memorization is an idoit's tool to "learning".

 

[ic3dpker]

C+ should be good for a starter then try to move to c++

 

[Swan]

C+ should be good for a starter then try to move to c++

C+ isn't even a language as far as I know.

There are four "C" languages. C, C++, C# and Java. C is the original C language (obviously) and doesn't feature many things such as object orientation, but if you can use it correctly it is indeed a very nice language to use. C++ is built upon C - the name was coined from the increment operator (++) so literally, C++ means C + 1, essentially "The second version of C".

Java was created by Sun as the internet started to gain more and more popularity, and Java's strengths lay in the internet. Most computers will have the Java Runtime Environment (JRE) installed, and Java applets can be implemented in to a webpage with ease.

C# was created by Microsoft in competition with Java, but C# is mainly for desktop applications using the .Net framework rather than for the internet.

To start off I'd recommend Visual Basic 2008 (even though I can't stand to use it myself), Visual C# 2008 or Java (if you're a bit more adventurous) or PHP. Keep in mind that PHP can ONLY be used on a webserver that has PHP support, and is ONLY for website development.

 

[Desir0]

I would suggest Visual Basics as a first language

Java isn't too bad either, though it does give alot of compile errors and isn't as easy as Vb imo.

Can't comment on C#, C++ or any of the other languages such as python or pascal etc as i have never had the need to learn them.