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how do you learn programming ?
Posted: Sat Jun 28, 2003 5:43 am
by SeeD
how do you guys learn programming ...
i know from books ... but when you read em ..
how are you gonna test em ??
where should i write em if i've read the books ??
can i write something in borland C++ builder and compile it ??

what i said just now
Posted: Sat Jun 28, 2003 10:12 am
by SeeD
i see alot of people viewing ...
but can someone tell me something ?? please ~~
Posted: Sat Jun 28, 2003 10:31 am
by Fred
I started with 'try and compile'. Just take some example and try to see how it works by changing values. It's may be not the best technic, but it works (at least for me

)
Posted: Sat Jun 28, 2003 10:37 am
by SeeD
where did you start from ??
reading programming books ??
or you start immediately with the 'try and compile' thingie
cus i haven't even read boosk about programming yet ..
Posted: Sat Jun 28, 2003 11:31 am
by benny
@SeeD:
I learn by doing, testing and changing some examples codes (especially snippets) and see what happens.
Furthermore, I like step-by-step tutorials where you test some lines of code. So, you actually type in the code .... compile it ... see the result ... change some parameters ... see what changes ... and read in the tutorial the explanation.
Reading a book
without trying out in practice is not my way.
A wise man once said:
What you hear ... you forget.
What you see ... you remember.
What you do ... you understand.
Well, this is just my point of view - maybe other's do it in another way!
Anyway ... happy coding.
Greetz,
benny!
OIC
Posted: Sat Jun 28, 2003 11:36 am
by SeeD
so ... whats the best language used for making a game ??
C++ ?? java ?
Posted: Sat Jun 28, 2003 12:00 pm
by dbellis
with you being new to programming i would suggest you get either purebasic darkbasicpro(buggy though) or blitz3d as these will be the easyer languges to learn the best language for making games though is C/C++ its the stande for all big games titles but has a very heave learning curve if you have 2 years to get used to it do that if not 1 of the above will do.
dbellis
IC IC
Posted: Sat Jun 28, 2003 12:11 pm
by SeeD
these are easiest languages ?? purebasic and blitz3d ??
never heard or it before ...
haha ~~
hehe ... im interested in C++ but haven't read em ... gonna buy a book soon ...
----------------------------------------
does the purebasic , blitz3d and C++ the same ??
i mean ... the language ... the code ...
and can they make easy game such as tic tac toe and hard game like doom 3 ??
Posted: Sat Jun 28, 2003 2:46 pm
by plouf
i think the best way to learn is study from a book basic stuff of programming i.e what variables are , fuctions etc (the logic is the same in all languanges C..) and then experimental with simple examples like
the ones in example directory of PB (thats the way i did at least.. and most other ppl as it seems

)
definitely basic languanges (PureBasic f.e.) is much easier to begin with
Posted: Sat Jun 28, 2003 3:01 pm
by SeeD
ic ic ...
but.... can i read the books on C++ and learn PB in pc ??
will that be effective ?
Posted: Sat Jun 28, 2003 4:52 pm
by LarsG
I would recomend (as others have before me), to start with a BASIC language (PureBasic or BlitzBasic are ideal for this).. Learn this language indepth, and when your comfortable with it, then you can start learning C(++)... The principle is the same, but the C(++) syntax can be a bit hard.... Also C(++) requires more (hard) work to achieve (simple) things, and there are things, which you don't have to worry about in a BASIC language, like constructors and destructors... The benfit of C(++) is obviously more control over every element in an Operating System...
-Lars
Posted: Sat Jun 28, 2003 5:27 pm
by tomk
Hi,
I STRONGLY suggest that you first "give yourself a simple target" like "I want my own adress/video database program" and then start with purebasic or something similar. Take some examples and modify them according to your needs.
Switching to another language takes time, I donot think that you can really learn C++ or C## in less then 5 years. A language is much more then a collection of operators and functions.
And programming a game needs additional things like leveldesign, sound, graphics, .... And of course you will need "project managing" skills, that means define targets and transfer them to programming needs.
Start with simple things or you will give up frustrated.
HTH
Tom
Posted: Sat Jun 28, 2003 11:27 pm
by ricardo
Fred wrote:I started with 'try and compile'. Just take some example and try to see how it works by changing values. It's may be not the best technic, but it works (at least for me

)
My same case, i keep using this method, thats why the examples are so important, examples is the best school i think.
Posted: Sun Jun 29, 2003 4:26 am
by SeeD
okey ... ill start with PB, but .. how long will i need to study this language ??
they have books >?? or i just read the tutorial ??
Posted: Sun Jun 29, 2003 11:55 am
by Num3
SeeD wrote:okey ... ill start with PB, but .. how long will i need to study this language ??
they have books >?? or i just read the tutorial ??
Well learning to program is like learning a foreign language.
I've been programming since i was 15 (also started by test & fail) back in a ZX Spectrum...
I own purebasic for about 7 months, and i'm still learning every day, but i can tell that i only really understood windows after i started to program in Pure.
Sophro (PB user) says to me: "You're always involved in so many projects!" - that is because i test many things and ideas before actually going for the final product and because i need to learn how to make them before i go on coding.
Here's a list of the the programming languages i ever used:
- Zx Basic (Zx Spectrum)
Amos (Amiga)
Blitz Basic (Amiga)
Pascal (Pc)
Visual Basic (Pc)
Java (Pc)
Delphi (Pc)
RapidQ (Pc)
PureBasic (Pc)
i also use:
VBScript and JavaScript for internet / office automation
My advice is, try simple things at the begining, like open a window then add a gadget, then make that gadget work...