Computer Science Canada What is the best language for a beginner programmer to start out learning first? |
| Author: | jaymon333 [ Sat Oct 13, 2007 9:22 pm ] |
| Post subject: | What is the best language for a beginner programmer to start out learning first? |
What is the best language for a beginner programmer to start out learning first? Also what language is used most commonly for software development? Are all languages equally good at everything, or are some languages meant for game development or software development ect. Or do they basically all work the same way, and it's a matter of which is easiest for you too learn? |
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| Author: | richcash [ Sat Oct 13, 2007 9:46 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: What is the best language for a beginner programmer to start out learning first? |
Read this. Not all languages are equally good at everything; almost all of them are different and have their own advantages, disadvantages, and uses. For a beginner, I wouldn't advise C or C++. I would advise a language like ruby. |
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| Author: | iluvchairs112 [ Sat Oct 13, 2007 9:55 pm ] |
| Post subject: | RE:What is the best language for a beginner programmer to start out learning first? |
I started out learning Turing, which isn't really useful once you go on in programming because it isn't used often HOWEVER I'm glad I learned it first because it gives you a basis for most every other programming language. It's fairly simple to learn. Once you learn one language, it's easy enough to learn another. I learned Java after Turing and it was so much easier to learn. I can't tell you what language to learn first, because I haven't learned all the languages (I only know Turing and Java well). Most commonly used would be Java and C or C++ Different languages are good for different things ... I'd explain some if I had more time, but just search around and you'll find the differences. |
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| Author: | jaymon333 [ Sat Oct 13, 2007 10:05 pm ] |
| Post subject: | RE:What is the best language for a beginner programmer to start out learning first? |
alright thank you, so I think I will start with Ruby because according to one guy its good to start with, and then move into C++. Im confused, because when I look for books, or see people's chat about Ruby, there's something they talk about called Rails. I've seen a book also called Ruby on Rails, I'm confused about this Rails thing and how it applies to Ruby? |
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| Author: | richcash [ Sat Oct 13, 2007 10:25 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: What is the best language for a beginner programmer to start out learning first? |
I believe Ruby on Rails allows you to use ruby with the internet. Don't worry about it yet, first learn the integral parts of the language. Oh, you might want to try ruby before downloading it. See if you like it. That site's lesson is also pretty good for a beginner programmer. |
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| Author: | Dan [ Sat Oct 13, 2007 10:30 pm ] |
| Post subject: | RE:What is the best language for a beginner programmer to start out learning first? |
Yep, rails is just an API of clases and methods to make it so you can easly make dnaicamly generated web pages with ruby. http://dwite.org is made with RoR (ruby on rails). Although rails is cool you don't need to know anything about it to make programs in ruby. Ruby by it's self is not speficaly made for making web pages like php is so it can be used for alot of diffrent applications. However if you do learn ruby it will make, making web sites in RoR alot easyer. |
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| Author: | Tony [ Sat Oct 13, 2007 10:56 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: What is the best language for a beginner programmer to start out learning first? |
richcash @ Sat Oct 13, 2007 10:25 pm wrote: I believe Ruby on Rails allows you to use ruby with the internet.
You can very well use Ruby for the internet without Rails. Rails is a framework that helps with developing Web Applications. It's not the only one, for example there's Nitro. Though Ruby on Rails is the most popular one available. I would strongly recommend learning Ruby on its own first. |
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| Author: | wtd [ Sat Oct 13, 2007 11:11 pm ] |
| Post subject: | RE:What is the best language for a beginner programmer to start out learning first? |
There's also Camping. Ruby (and a wide assortment of other languages) features the delightful ability to let you see the result of evaluating an expression without having to write the skeleton of a program, and without having to explicitly compile and run it. |
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| Author: | jaymon333 [ Sun Oct 14, 2007 12:57 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: What is the best language for a beginner programmer to start out learning first? |
richcash @ Sat Oct 13, 2007 10:25 pm wrote: I believe Ruby on Rails allows you to use ruby with the internet. Don't worry about it yet, first learn the integral parts of the language.
Oh, you might want to try ruby before downloading it. See if you like it. That site's lesson is also pretty good for a beginner programmer. " you might want to try out ruby before downloading it" What do you mean by downloading, like I know what downloading is, but how does it work for a language? like with C++ you just open a compiler or notepad and start typing, theres nothing to download,,,,, or by downloading do you mean don't download a compiler compatible for Ruby until you know if you like it first? |
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| Author: | Tony [ Sun Oct 14, 2007 1:10 pm ] |
| Post subject: | RE:What is the best language for a beginner programmer to start out learning first? |
Well you still have to download and install both a C++ compiler and Notepad (or another text editor of choice) The idea was to try out Ruby, following this link |
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| Author: | jaymon333 [ Sun Oct 14, 2007 4:16 pm ] |
| Post subject: | RE:What is the best language for a beginner programmer to start out learning first? |
Where is the best spot to download Ruby? And why do you need to download it? Why can't you just open a text editor and start typing? Do you use a compiler for Ruby? If so, can anyone name a good one? |
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| Author: | rdrake [ Sun Oct 14, 2007 4:36 pm ] |
| Post subject: | RE:What is the best language for a beginner programmer to start out learning first? |
Click here, download that file and install it. Press Super+R (Super is the Windows key on your keyboard) to launch the Run window. Type in "irb" without the quotations then hit OK. You can now type in Ruby code and see what it does. |
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| Author: | jaymon333 [ Sun Oct 14, 2007 5:01 pm ] |
| Post subject: | RE:What is the best language for a beginner programmer to start out learning first? |
are you supposed to type into that black screen or into a txt editor? Also are you supposed to use a compiler? |
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| Author: | rdrake [ Sun Oct 14, 2007 5:12 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: RE:What is the best language for a beginner programmer to start out learning first? |
jaymon333 @ Sun Oct 14, 2007 5:01 pm wrote: are you supposed to type into that black screen or into a txt editor? You can do both. For now just type into the black screen.
jaymon333 @ Sun Oct 14, 2007 5:01 pm wrote: Also are you supposed to use a compiler? No. |
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| Author: | jaymon333 [ Sun Oct 14, 2007 7:39 pm ] |
| Post subject: | RE:What is the best language for a beginner programmer to start out learning first? |
My theory from the little to know knowledge I have of programming languages is that the compilers correct your script, kind of like spell check in ms word, so if your not using the compiler? how do you know when and where your going wrong? |
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| Author: | Tony [ Sun Oct 14, 2007 7:46 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: RE:What is the best language for a beginner programmer to start out learning first? |
No, the compiler compiles all of your source code into a machine language executable. jaymon333 @ Sun Oct 14, 2007 7:39 pm wrote: so if your not using the compiler? how do you know when and where your going wrong?
you see if the program behaves correctly as you type it. You get your results back right away. It's actually a bit of a trick question. Ruby doesn't use a compiler, it uses an interpreter. The easiest way to think of the latter is that it "compiles" (interprets really) code on the fly, one line at a time. |
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| Author: | jaymon333 [ Sun Oct 14, 2007 8:28 pm ] |
| Post subject: | RE:What is the best language for a beginner programmer to start out learning first? |
so as it interprets, let's say I type my code in wrong, will it give a message saying what the error was and how to fix it right away? |
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| Author: | Tony [ Sun Oct 14, 2007 8:30 pm ] |
| Post subject: | RE:What is the best language for a beginner programmer to start out learning first? |
yes. Why don't you try it out? |
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| Author: | jaymon333 [ Sun Oct 14, 2007 8:41 pm ] |
| Post subject: | RE:What is the best language for a beginner programmer to start out learning first? |
because I don't really know what I could type in ebcase I don't know the language... Was it you who recommended it too me and said that I should start without using a text editor and just use the black screen that looks like DOS to learn? |
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| Author: | Clayton [ Sun Oct 14, 2007 8:50 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: RE:What is the best language for a beginner programmer to start out learning first? |
Ummmm... rdrake @ Sun Oct 14, 2007 5:12 pm wrote: jaymon333 @ Sun Oct 14, 2007 5:01 pm wrote: are you supposed to type into that black screen or into a txt editor? You can do both. For now just type into the black screen.
jaymon333 @ Sun Oct 14, 2007 5:01 pm wrote: Also are you supposed to use a compiler? No. |
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| Author: | richcash [ Sun Oct 14, 2007 8:51 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: What is the best language for a beginner programmer to start out learning first? |
Pick a ruby tutorial and start typing in that black screen. This tutorial is a good introduction for complete beginners to programming. Or you can look at the tutorials at the very bottom of Ruby Tutorials (found on compsci.ca). Just start typing code and following any tutorial you choose. |
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| Author: | jaymon333 [ Sun Oct 14, 2007 9:07 pm ] |
| Post subject: | RE:What is the best language for a beginner programmer to start out learning first? |
the link tot he first tutorial you linked, the one where there is a tree on the front page, I started that one already, just a little bit, and that one tells me to be using a text editor, saving it in the format calc.rb btw can I save it as anyhting, like mojo, asl long as I type in the right name when using the command 'cd (script title) but ya that tutorial tells you too use a text editor and then save it each time you want to test it out, and run it into your command system |
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| Author: | Clayton [ Sun Oct 14, 2007 9:09 pm ] |
| Post subject: | RE:What is the best language for a beginner programmer to start out learning first? |
you can just as easily type that code in the command line, in irb, and watch it execute right in front of you. It makes learning infinitely faster. |
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| Author: | jaymon333 [ Sun Oct 14, 2007 9:11 pm ] |
| Post subject: | RE:What is the best language for a beginner programmer to start out learning first? |
alrighty good point, is there a way to save it tho then if im not doing it into a txt editor? what if I want to continue the tutorial later on the next day... isn't using a txt editor the only way to save waht I was working on? |
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| Author: | richcash [ Sun Oct 14, 2007 9:40 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: What is the best language for a beginner programmer to start out learning first? |
If you're writing a full program that you'll be working on, then you should use a text editor. I don't think you can save in irb and you want just the code for a real program. But if you're learning and experimenting, then use irb. It's way more convenient. Following along in a tutorial, you don't need to save. The programs aren't long and it's usually a totally different program for each new concept. |
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| Author: | Tony [ Sun Oct 14, 2007 10:41 pm ] |
| Post subject: | RE:What is the best language for a beginner programmer to start out learning first? |
Actually you could save your history in IRB, that would effectively restore the session to how it was left off, after running all the code again. I often test my code out in IRB, and when that works - I paste it into the rest of my application in the source files. |
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| Author: | jaymon333 [ Mon Oct 15, 2007 11:45 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: What is the best language for a beginner programmer to start out learning first? |
so you can save your history in irb?, how would this be done? |
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| Author: | Tony [ Mon Oct 15, 2007 12:31 pm ] |
| Post subject: | RE:What is the best language for a beginner programmer to start out learning first? |
like so |
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