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#26 2008-09-20 13:24:14

ornitorrincos
Forum Fellow
From: Bilbao, spain
Registered: 2006-11-20
Posts: 198

Re: New to programming, don't know what to program...

pauldonnelly wrote:
daf666 wrote:

I suggest C...   I dont like the idea of an interperter running my code.

Why not some other compiled language, then?

C is simple enough to understand while it exposes you some computer internals

anyway, answering the original post, find something in the system you don't like, a functionality you want to add to your computer, you will be learning languages without noticing it.


-$: file /dev/zero
/dev/zero: symbolic link to '/dev/brain'

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#27 2008-09-20 13:35:32

Issh
Member
Registered: 2007-12-02
Posts: 58

Re: New to programming, don't know what to program...

Get K&R The C Programming language, it has a lot of exercises in it as well as being the bible.

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#28 2008-09-20 22:38:43

pauldonnelly
Member
Registered: 2006-06-19
Posts: 776

Re: New to programming, don't know what to program...

daf666 wrote:
pauldonnelly wrote:
daf666 wrote:

I suggest C...   I dont like the idea of an interperter running my code.

Why not some other compiled language, then?

When the Linux kernel will be rewritten in C++ I will recommend it wink

The point is that there are many compiled languages. It's not a choice between C or an interpreted language.

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#29 2008-09-26 08:31:43

daf666
Member
Registered: 2007-04-08
Posts: 470
Website

Re: New to programming, don't know what to program...

The point is that there are many compiled languages. It's not a choice between C or an interpreted language.

I agree, this is a very good read for those who cant decide about c/c++ etc:
http://autotoolset.sourceforge.net/tutorial.html#SEC12

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#30 2008-09-26 23:57:10

crouse
Arch Linux f@h Team Member
From: Iowa - USA
Registered: 2006-08-19
Posts: 907
Website

Re: New to programming, don't know what to program...

shining wrote:

If you really lack ideas, you could try fun exercises like the ones on http://projecteuler.net/ :

Project Euler is a series of challenging mathematical/computer programming problems that will require more than just mathematical insights to solve. Although mathematics will help you arrive at elegant and efficient methods, the use of a computer and programming skills will be required to solve most problems.

The motivation for starting Project Euler, and its continuation, is to provide a platform for the inquiring mind to delve into unfamiliar areas and learn new concepts in a fun and recreational context.

Pretty cool site smile
Thanks.

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#31 2008-09-27 00:17:34

Stythys
Member
From: SF Bay Area
Registered: 2008-05-18
Posts: 878
Website

Re: New to programming, don't know what to program...

If you really lack ideas, you could try fun exercises like the ones on http://projecteuler.net/ :

Project Euler is a series of challenging mathematical/computer programming problems that will require more than just mathematical insights to solve. Although mathematics will help you arrive at elegant and efficient methods, the use of a computer and programming skills will be required to solve most problems.

The motivation for starting Project Euler, and its continuation, is to provide a platform for the inquiring mind to delve into unfamiliar areas and learn new concepts in a fun and recreational context.

yeah I use a combination of project euler, as mentioned above, and SPOJ (http://www.spoj.pl/) for my programming exercises


[home page] -- [code / configs]

"Once you go Arch, you must remain there for life or else Allan will track you down and break you."
-- Bregol

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#32 2008-09-27 02:07:11

heleos
Member
From: Maine, USA
Registered: 2007-04-24
Posts: 678

Re: New to programming, don't know what to program...

I apologize for not reading all these posts, but I'll add my 2 cents anyway tongue

I decided to go into the computer field after highschool. Having no experience with any programming at all before college, my first semester was C programming. I ended up having classes in C, C++, perl, SQL, Java, ML,  and python. I think C is a very good language to start with. Personally, I don't like programming in C, and I never did, but I can't downplay how versitile and useful it is. You can do just about anything if you know how.

That being said, my favorite class was definately Perl. It was really fun to come from C, where everything seemed to be so strict, to Perl, where you could use default variables, and write quick and dirty scripts/CGI very fast.

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#33 2008-09-27 19:13:00

mentallaxative
Member
From: Australia
Registered: 2008-07-14
Posts: 134
Website

Re: New to programming, don't know what to program...

This is a great thread which inspired me to try my hand at programming. I got my first taste of programming with Lua doing simple things while mudding. After reading numerous recommendations of Python, I tried a couple of tutorials of it, only to find I was not really understanding it. I didn't really want to go back to Lua, because it seemed less popular and less well supported than Python. After wasting my time reading too many forums for advice, I went back to Lua and started doing problems at Project Euler. I'm also trying to create a small game in the Love game engine, and am finding it much more daunting than I first thought!

I'm much more satisfied with Lua than I was with Python. What is the point of me saying all this...? Well, I guess if you're not learning programming as a job, you should spend time with what you're comfortable with already, or something that is fun for you. Some of the concepts generalise across programming languages anyway, so your time is hardly wasted if you decide to change.

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#34 2008-09-28 03:39:49

Daenyth
Forum Fellow
From: Boston, MA
Registered: 2008-02-24
Posts: 1,244

Re: New to programming, don't know what to program...

An excellent point. Learn programming, don't learn a programming language.

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