Getting started!!!!

[jonhare24]

Hey guys...and or gals,
I was just wondering, what would be the best way to get started learning how to program. If you could give me a number of books to read and a good beginners program language to start with it would be greatly appericiated!


Thank u for your time guys and gals!!!

 

[Andrzejek]

I would say: Visual Basic 6.0, but other people will dissagree with me since VB 6.0 is discontinued by Micro$oft and not supported any more. But that's why you can get VB 6 on eBay for just a few $$$. There are a lot of books for VB 6 and I am sure you can find some in any library.

Have fun.

---- Andy

 

[LNBruno]

Since you're posting in a general database forum, might I suggest starting with Structured Query Language (SQL)? It's pretty much the basis for any database programming.

You might start here:

http://www.w3schools.com/sql/default.asp

< M!ke >
[small]Holidays cause stress. Crazy people crack under stress. Consider yourself warned.[/small]

 

[Thargy]

jon,

whatever you do, don't pay a penny for your software.
Developer editions of almost all software is available free, including Oracle, Microsoft SQL Server, Java etc.

You need to refine your question a bit. Do you want to do front end dev work, or database dev work, or both?

Do you want to learn the fundamental principles of block structured programming languages, or dive straight into OO work?

Narrow down what you want, and you'll get a better answer.

Regards

Tharg

Grinding away at things Oracular

 

[elsenorjose]

Python

http://www.ibiblio.org/obp/thinkCSpy/preface.html

 

[iolair]

If you're looking for database programming, I'd definitely learn SQL. Lots of different databases use SQL to make them useful. I use FoxPro, and it's still, after all these years, a fantastic programming environment.

Iolair MacWalter
Director of IT

 

[Olaf Doschke]

Hi iolair,

nice to hear foxpro mentioned. As a Foxpro MVP I can also suggest this one as a GEM in some aspects, eg like Access it integrates a programming language, GUI classes and a native database (DBFs), which makes it a one-in-all tool to create apps.

Nevertheless I wouldn't recommend it as a beginners language. It's quite okay, e.g. code is much more readable than C,C++, but it has some weird combinations of old commands in it for backward compatibility and more modern language constructs. You can do pretty much with VFP up to enterprise applications, but then cannot build apps for mobile devices.

If we're talking about Microsoft, Visual Studio always was the tool of choice for windows developers, nowadays with Visual Studio 2008, which is now available (

http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/vstudio/default.aspx).

If you're a Linux guy you'd choose everything under the roof of GNU, eg GNU C++, but that does not really adress beginners, it's more of a political choice for free software and open source.

Not that Visual Studio is much easier, but if you want to adress Windows Desktops it's the better choice and you can use MONO to support Linux Desktops too. You can get limited versions called Express versions free (

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

As a student or professional developer, you also get much cheaper versions of the full blown versions, eg SQL Server Developer Version has no limitations and just costs about 50 USD. I'd also look at the offers "Action Pack" (

https://partner.microsoft.com/global/40016455)

and "Empower for ISVs" (

https://partner.microsoft.com/global/40011351).

Both offer a load of software for rather few bucks.

Ruby and python or php are good options for both Linux and Windwos, especially for web applications, because you'll find much examples or even ready to use open source forum or CMS software you can extend as you need. Together with mySQL as the backend database you can choose any hoster and get these languages and database server very cheap, while windows hosting is less wide spread.

I'd recommend Visual Basic 2008 Express Edition plus SQL Server 2008 Express, even though the learning curve for it is higher as for ruby, python or php, and you'll have to read and learn a lot before building your first app, you can later do pretty much anything with the full version of Visual Studio, if you need and want.

Bye, Olaf.

 

[ceh4702]

Maybe you can download MS SQL 2008. I think they were letting people test it.

Not the easiest programming platform to learn on because you probably need both a database and a SQL Server to get it working.

VB is a nice platform to learn on as well as MS Visual C++. Probably VB Visual Basic is more common.

Another good platform is Java 2. You can download that for free from SUN.

If you go to a bookstore you might find some kind of book on SQL that comes with its own freeware compiler or SQL server. Even the Microsoft books and software sometimes come with rebates. The in thing now is .NET programming.

Might look at this MS Site:

http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/beginner/default.aspx

If you do not like my post feel free to point out your opinion or my errors.