Best Programming Language for Beginners?

C++ and Java.

You will find the transition to other languages a breeze through.

Having studied Java, i managed to learn C# within a matter of weeks to work on some bespoke EPOS software.
 
I'd second the Python suggestion. It's a really easy language to learn but very powerful once you've learnt all of its features. It also works across all of the major operating systems.

A lot of new programmers struggle if they go straight to a pure object orientated language like Java.
 
Tbh if your a true beginner LoLCode is a great place to start :)

HAI
Can HAz STdIO ?
Visible "Hai World"
KthxBai

Its stupid and silly, but its language construction in progress as its a working project to make a computer language out of lolcat speak, lolcat is silly, but it teaches you language construction principles as well as C,C++ on which it is built, Worth reading about if not worth learning :P
 
OO isn't exactly difficult if you find a well-written guide/tutorial. Parts of OO can be hard to get your head around, but some of the basic concepts are, well, basic and shouldn't pose a problem if you concentrate! :D
 
I learnt java last year in Uni, this year I'm learning C. Java seems like a good introduction to me tbh, not so nitty gritty as C
 
i learnt programming from mirc scripting, lame i know, but it is actually good at teaching basic programming principles like if else statements and loops etc.

but i was told to learn vb back when i asked the same question it was vb 5.
 
C++ gets my vote :)

From there you can learn most (if not all) languages mentioned in this thread with relative ease..
 
theheyes
I think QuickBASIC is the only language I've ever really gotten on with. (not a suggestion btw)
Click to expand...

I remember learning Quick Basic back in the early 1990's, before we were allowed to go for VB. In fact I still have my 3, five and a half inch floppy disc's that were used to learn VB, back then it was VB version 3. My Quick Basic, I have on 3, two and a half inch floppy disc.:D
 
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I've downloaded C# and been following some tutorials, but there are just a few things I don't understand.

At the end of some lines a ";" is used, what does this mean? and why is it used at the end of some lines and not others?

The line of code "Console.ReadKey();" is used a lot, but I don't understand how this closes the console when a key is pressed?
 
The semi-colon tells the compliler that a particular chunk of code is the end of the statement. Compilers generally ignore whitespace and line breaks, so:

Code: 
Class myClass = new Class();

is the same as

Code: 
Class myClass = 
new Class();

If there was no way of telling the compiler when statements end, it would keep reading and confuse several statements as being one big one.

The reason why parts of code don't need it is because the compiler recognizes all the basic structures like IF, FOR, WHILE etc and knows how to deal with them.
 
Some languages require a symbol to say it follows on to a new line.

But you can conceivably write all your code on a single line, and you would need semi-colons to split up the statements.
 
Thanks Sirius! That clears that up, it is what I suspected it would do, just needed it written out like that to fully understand it!

Hope you don't mind me asking a few more questions :S

static void Main(string[] args)

class Program

These two lines of code appear in every program that is created, but I don't understand what they mean. Perhaps someone could explain them?

Thanks Again!
 
Every program needs a starting point. It is the line(s) of code that set up the rest of the program. In Java, C# and some other languages, this starting point is the called the Main method.

Static means you do not need to create an object to run that method. Void says no value is returned. The string[] args is an array that holds any parameters passed to the software.

class Program is a class called Program! :p

EDIT: What resource are you using to learn about C#? I would expect any beginner's guides to have this stuff in it.
 
I'm following a series of videos on youtube, but since the only thing we do in school is VB6, I'm not really familiar with some of the terms being used. Could you explain terms such as static, no value returned, parameters, object, method?
 
Lol bloody hell! I would read the book tntcoder linked to as I am sure it will explain all this stuff, but since I have nothing better to do I will quickly summarize what everything is:

Static: As said before, this is a type of method [or function as called by some] that can be called/invoked/ran without creating an instance [object] of a class first.

No value returned: A method/function usually takes in data and does something with it. In some cases it spits out data. More technically we say it returns a value. When you see void in a method signature it is telling the compiler that no data is returned. If it does return something, you usually state the data type to be returned.

Parameters: These are the values you give to a program/method to make it do something. They are sometimes called arguments.

Object: An instance of a class. Think of a class as a blueprint. It is useless as it is, but to make it useful you can create an object using that blueprint. It is objects that do the work in C#.

Method: Another name for function or subroutine.

All of this is basic OO stuff that should be in any good C# guide.
 
I would highly suggest getting a good C# beginners book and sitting down with it rather than following a set of youtube videos.

As SiriusB says, all this stuff will be covered when you're ready to learn it in any resource worth it's weight.

Find something that begins with a hello world program, and you'll be well on your way.
 
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