beginning programming/scripting

[RememberWhenItRained]

I'm an information systems major, so i figure i should start learning programming/scripting (what's the difference anyway?)

Should i start with something like PHP, or a more classic programming language like Java?

little to no prior programming experience; i tend to do better with a physical book in my hand...
what language would you recommend for starting to learn this stuff, and can you think of a title you'd recommend reading to help learn that language?

how hard is Python? is that harder than java? I've noticed a lot of Ubuntu apps use python...

(yes, i know, i'm a newb, but better late than never, right?)

[nipunshakya]

Well, if you wanna get started with the programming stuff, i would suggest you go with C programming language first . . . . most of the object oriented stuffs originated now are from the basics of C programming language... in fact, C++ language is the extension of C programming itself...and so is Java. So i suggest you to start with C. I've just started to learn Python(25 hrs. till now) . . . and having the basic idea of it...dont know much about it...but after learning C programming, i found that C++ is easy to learn( my personal experience).
Anyways, I learned C from this book "C Programming,A Modern Approach by K.N King" goodluck.

[ikt]

I've just started to learn Python

Python ftw!

[F.G.]

i would say c, c++ or python are all fine (i love them all), you do need to pick one and focus on it (once you have the concepts other programming languages are easy).

I started with C, which is easy to learn, though generally seems to only be used for difficult, low-level, super-tech programming. also c is not object oriented.

if you're not mainly focused on programming in your degree, but broader system design, then i would suggest learning a 'higher-level' language, like python or c++. also these are object-oriented, and will give you an idea about object-oriented things.
c++ and python are both quite fun to learn. i think python is probably easier, there are some really good google developer talks on python which you could learn from.
i think you probably learn more from c++ (which is a really good basis for higher-level languages). for that i would suggest looking at the 'Schaum's ouline of programming in c++' book, it's pretty cheap, and has challenges and solutions.

regarding 'programming' and 'scripting', you get scripting languages, which are 'interpreted' (basically compiled and run line by line) and 'compiled' languages (where you compile the whole program, then run it). also generally the term 'script' refers to a single file, which you can run to do one specific thing, often quickly hacked together without the more complex design elements of a full 'program'. python is a scripting, interpreted language, c++ is compiled.

also surely this thread should be in 'programming talk'. did you look there?

[RememberWhenItRained]

Well, if you wanna get started with the programming stuff, i would suggest you go with C programming language first . . . . most of the object oriented stuffs originated now are from the basics of C programming language... in fact, C++ language is the extension of C programming itself...and so is Java. So i suggest you to start with C. I've just started to learn Python(25 hrs. till now) . . . and having the basic idea of it...dont know much about it...but after learning C programming, i found that C++ is easy to learn( my personal experience).
Anyways, I learned C from this book "C Programming,A Modern Approach by K.N King" goodluck.

interesting. Is C a lot easier than C++? I've heard ++ is a very difficult and demanding.

[mörgæs]

Moved to the cafe, as it is not a support question.

If you know HTML, getting into PHP would be a logical next step. If you want to learn object oriented, you can slowly introduce this to you PHP scripts when you are familiar with the basics.

[RememberWhenItRained]

Python ftw!

care to expound?

i would say c, c++ or python are all fine (i love them all), you do need to pick one and focus on it (once you have the concepts other programming languages are easy).

I started with C, which is easy to learn, though generally seems to only be used for difficult, low-level, super-tech programming. also c is not object oriented.

if you're not mainly focused on programming in your degree, but broader system design, then i would suggest learning a 'higher-level' language, like python or c++. also these are object-oriented, and will give you an idea about object-oriented things.
c++ and python are both quite fun to learn. i think python is probably easier, there are some really good google developer talks on python which you could learn from.
i think you probably learn more from c++ (which is a really good basis for higher-level languages). for that i would suggest looking at the 'Schaum's ouline of programming in c++' book, it's pretty cheap, and has challenges and solutions.

regarding 'programming' and 'scripting', you get scripting languages, which are 'interpreted' (basically compiled and run line by line) and 'compiled' languages (where you compile the whole program, then run it). also generally the term 'script' refers to a single file, which you can run to do one specific thing, often quickly hacked together without the more complex design elements of a full 'program'. python is a scripting, interpreted language, c++ is compiled.

also surely this thread should be in 'programming talk'. did you look there?

so between c++ & python, you'd say c++? i know i have to take Java as a major related class next semester (wouldn't hurt to get an early start or more advanced, but i don't think C++ is in the docket. I also have to take COBOL (which, apparently, is more current than i thought.)

good thought about the forum section. I figured it was a newbie question so i posted it here. I'll check over there. Perhaps a mod can move this thread if appropriate?

[DangerOnTheRanger]

care to expound?

Allow me.

Python is simpler, easier to learn, and overall more intuitive than C++; for example, here are 2 programs - one written in Python, the other, C++ - that both perform the same task: printing Hello World! on the screen:

Python:

print "Hello World!"

C++:

#include <iostream>
using namespace std;

int main()
{
  cout << "Hello World!";
  return 0;
}

Which looks simpler? Both are complete programs, and both accomplish the same task, but Python lets you do more with a smaller amount of screen space used. As you start to program more and more, you'll learn that the smaller a program is, the less chances there are of bugs hiding somewhere in the code. This is why Python code often (this is just my experience) has less bugs in it than C++, especially before the first test.

[F.G.]

care to expound?



so between c++ & python, you'd say c++? i know i have to take Java as a major related class next semester (wouldn't hurt to get an early start or more advanced, but i don't think C++ is in the docket. I also have to take COBOL (which, apparently, is more current than i thought.)

good thought about the forum section. I figured it was a newbie question so i posted it here. I'll check over there. Perhaps a mod can move this thread if appropriate?

ok, so i would really suggest c++ (though i'm always learnering too). with c++ pointers you will get a feel for memory locations and passing values etc. also if you follow a good book you will cover some data structures too.

python is excellent. but if you carefully go through c++, i think everything will be alot lot easier, with python and Java. so my personal recommendation would be c++.

[RememberWhenItRained]

Just talked to my Comp. Sci. professor today... he said that any of those three would work, but he would recommend Java or C++...

I'm thinking java for ease & simplicity's sake...