Best Programming Language for Beginners?

Michael_10

Michael_10

Michael_10

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15 Jan 2010
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Hi people, quick question about programming languages. At school we learn the basic functions of visual basic 6, now id like to expand on that and learn more. My question is should I stay with visual basic or is there a better, language for beginners to learn?

thanks
 
From what my lecturers always said Python is very easy but other than that java, however since youve been leaning vba by what it sounds c# would be your next step which has a few similarities to java
 
Leave visual basic, leave it right now!

C# is good both for long term use and to pick up as a beginner, it's the best of both worlds really and isn't going away anytime soon. My old CS lecturer made a very good C# learning book, can get it here: http://www.csharpcourse.com/ takes you from the basics to the more hardcore stuff.

If you really want to expand your skills then look into C, you will learn a lot more in the long run and while it's harder than C# there is a lot of very detailed learning materials around and if you're interested enough you will soon pick it up :) Kind of the jump in at the deepend approach.
 
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Java is a popular one in Universities. Though I would have liked to have been taught C or C++. In higher level languages like Java and .NET, a lot of the nitty gritty gets abstracted away from you and all done behind the scenes. Makes for much faster programming, but also means you never get to learn what really goes on.

I would second what tntcoder suggests. I love C# but rarely used it for a long time! It is great for a beginner and once you have a good working knowledge of one language, you will find you can quickly pick up others. It is best to learn the fundamentals of programming and only once you have them down do you worry about which language to use.
 
If i was going to try out C#, i take it i can just buy a copy of it somewhere? im just looking to try some things out as a hobby, so i take it all range of programs can be created? from the simple to the really complex?

oh and what is bad about vb?
 
Michael_10 said:
If i was going to try out C#, i take it i can just buy a copy of it somewhere? im just looking to try some things out as a hobby, so i take it all range of programs can be created? from the simple to the really complex?

oh and what is bad about vb?
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You can do it for free, using Visual Studio Express.

Assuming you mean the old VB6 (often used in schools/colleges), it will teach you bad habbits that do not translate well to other langauges. This article sums up many of its flaws.

VB .NET is a fair bit better, but if you're going .NET you might as well use C# imo.
 
For C# you will need Visual Studio Express - it is a free version of the full blown Visual Studio, but should have everything you need for learning and creating software. http://www.microsoft.com/express/Windows/

And yes, all sorts can be written in C#.

VB6 is bad because it is old and crap by today's standards. Newer VB.NET uses the same underlying technology as C# and the other .NET languages, but retains the syntax and language structure you are likely familiar with. However, I would definitely recommend C# over VB.NET.

D'oh, got ninja'd! :(
 
Oh right, its free, that is even better!! I'll defiantely give it a go, had a lot of recommendations from here!

Because i am a complete novice there is something i need to get cleared up. Are al these languages made for the windows DOS environment? Or could they be used on a UNIX system? or does that require a completely different type of language?

Another (annoying) quick question, are UNIX systems meant to be more secure becausr they were originally designed for servers where security was important?

Thanks for answering all these, i have a real interest in computing but i have soo many questions!! :s
 
Michael_10 said:
Because i am a complete novice there is something i need to get cleared up. Are al these languages made for the windows DOS environment? Or could they be used on a UNIX system? or does that require a completely different type of language?
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The languages can be used on any OS but if it's a compiled language like C then the code needs to be compiled on an OS specific compiler. That all assumes that you're not doing anything OS specific in the code - eg calling specific Windows functions.

Interpreted languages like Java are more portable and generally run on anything with the appropriate interpreter.

Another (annoying) quick question, are UNIX systems meant to be more secure becausr they were originally designed for servers where security was important?
Click to expand...
The usual security benefit of UNIX is that there is only one admin level ID (root) on a system and generally it's not set up for doing actual work so any normal user access is at a more restricted level. It's more about best practice than actual technical security - UNIX can be just as insecure as Windows if it's not setup/used properly.
 
Michael_10 said:
Because i am a complete novice there is something i need to get cleared up. Are al these languages made for the windows DOS environment? Or could they be used on a UNIX system? or does that require a completely different type of language?
Click to expand...

You can run C# programs on a Unix based OS using the Mono project, basically almost any .NET code you write on Windows can be compiled/executed with Mono on a unix based OS.

Stuff written in compiled languages as said above is generally speaking more platform dependant.
 
Thanks for all the responses to all my questions, this really is the best place to come for advice! as far as learning the language goes i take it you can find tutorials and ideas for programs all over the internet? :)
 
tntcoder posted this link earlier: http://www.csharpcourse.com/

And yes, there are scores of websites out there dedicated to programming. Plus OcUK has a dedicated Programming sub-forum you should go to for specific questions. An absolutely fantastic website is also stackoverflow.com. No need to register either to post questions. :)
 
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