Hey guys, i am a canadian resident and im 15yrs old. I want to learn programming, heres the trouble: What language?
I know there's c,c++,VB,etc
I tried once using Visual Basic 6 for dummies but it was sooo boring, it just said how to make objects and buttons etc etc so i ditched it. My goal is to eventually be able to write some software or help microsoft by revising their work. so its a lengthy process but where do i start?
Thanks guys?

Thx in advance!!!
Darin Luckie
AMD Athlon 900
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20GB hdd
Windows xp professional

that's errr... a noble purpose for mankind that uses windows.

some advice from me.
first, learn basic languages.
like C, CPP
learn C, so you know structured programming, passing parameter, using pointer.
CPP, to learn object concept.

i highly recommend to learn C and CPP, because your logic is shaped here.if you have a strong base of logic, learning any language is easy. just a matter of syntax difference.

learn visual programming : visual studio
(VB, VC++, VFP, VJ++, VD).
learn .NET platform if you can.

about VB you learn, it's just a mere beginning. have you touch the advanced part of VB yet?

learn OOP programming : Java.

learn web programming : ASP, PHP, scripts

these some steps if you want to be make a software.

but to help microsoft,
learn C/C++ and assembly.
some said that windows created from C.

and one more thing. if you revised microsoft's work , congrats, you'll probably got into jail. microsoft's code is not open source.
except you worked in microsoft.

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microsoft is pushing everything to the .net platform, I would look in to C#.

thx for the info....what i meant about revising microsoft's work is to become a beta tester and learn Programming to help for wtv reason.....what books or internet links should i be looking for???

Thx in advance!!!
Darin Luckie
AMD Athlon 900
256MB DDR 400
20GB hdd
Windows xp professional

Just a word of caution. Beta testers dont get to see the code, just report errors or to use their skill and knowledge to find the them.

The only people that get to revise the code are Microsoft programmers.

If you want to revise somebody elses code you need to be looking at Open Source, something that Microsoft definately isn't.

Stuart

i know that im saying that i want to use the knowledge i learn from programming to hlep me and i know about open source like linux

Im just trying to learn and i asked my friend and he said it was really more than a hobby and he loved it and i love the thought of being able to write programs or learn and so anyways all im saying is: Where do i start and where can i get some mewbie info to get me started???

Thx in advance!!!
Darin Luckie
AMD Athlon 900
256MB DDR 400
20GB hdd
Windows xp professional

where can I find the utility - tweak13

Ok as Fel already pointed out, Try to start by learning C and then C++. Mind you though, Programming is a commitment. It will take a lot of time and effort before you are able to write any decent code. Trust me on this ;) (Three years ago I was here asking the same question). We'll all be glad to help you around here as best as we can. I am still pretty fresh myself on the C side of things but again, once you got the logic worked out (which C will definatly teach you), any programming language will be easy to master.

So if your serious about this, go to google and search "C Program Tutorials" or something like that. Also go to www.bloodshed.com and download Dev-C++. Its a completely free development environment with all the features you'll need (and probably even more that you dont need at this point :p).

If you really want to learn the right way, Go to your local bookstore and check if they have the book "C, How to Program" bey Deitel&Deitel, OR "C Programming, A Modern Approach" by K.N. King. (mind you the that the last book I mentioned is very brief on alot of Topics, rarely spending more then a couple of pages per chapter, so its great for a quick look-through, but if you want to learn the nuts&bolts of programming, go with Deitel&Deitel. You wont find a better book).

Cheers,
And keep us posted if you have any questions.

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longman2006,

I'd have to agree with most everything that's been said and add a couple of things. First, you need to decide which direction you want to go. Are you interested in quick development, good user interface, and a large scale audience. If so, I'd go with starting in C/C++ and then moving on to the Visual languages like VB, VC#, etc. Notice I didn't say move "up"--programming is all the same thing. Contrary to others (and I may get slammed for this), I don't think any language is any better than another in a strict programming sense. Instead, languages differ in strengths and weaknesses. Like you observed with VB: you can put controls all over the place but you really didn't feel like you were getting anywhere. Starting in C/C++, you won't be able to put controls anywhere since it's not a visual language, but they are arguably the most powerful languages in the world.
If you're wanting to go specialized (game programming, OS programming), you can just about (though not quite) forget the Visual stuff other than for your own enjoyment. Windows ain't written in C# I can tell you that. How do I know? Becuase C# is based on a framework, the .NET framework. What was the .NET framework written in? Well, not C# or we'd have a big circle with no source. Instead, C# is a quick way to develop programs (much quicker than C/C++ in _many_ cases) by ignoring many of the more intricate details of C/C++ code.
Anyways, working on stuff like Linux, I'd go with hardcore C/C++ and then delve into Asm (assembly). You'll need C/C++ for the high level stuff and Asm for those great little drivers and low-level OS work (like hd's, cd's, etc.)
To your question: where to start. How about your local bookstore! I'm amazed at how many books there are at my local stores on computers. In fact, in just the past two weeks I've bought over 15 books on web stuff (PHP, ASP, MySQL, Java, HTML, CSS, etc.) from my local bookstore. Even libraries can have a nice selection of programming books. A lot of times books are "outdated" and put on sale. I'm sorry, but no book on C/C++ is ever going to be outdated, it just may not be the latest edition. But for %50 off, how can you go wrong!
Like someone mentioned, programming is a big commitment. It may cost you financially, but it's actually a lot easier to get started these days. Just look at all the free compilers. You've got the Express editions from Microsoft, and if you want to go hardcore C/C++, I'd suggest OpenWatcom. It's an open source version of a compiler I learned on in my early teens (13 I think) that cost me $300 at the time. Now it's a ~60MB download that will open up the wonderful world of programming to anyone. Last time I downloaded it, it was still free, just click on "download now" rather than "donate". (www.openwatcom.org)
Hang in there and remember: we were all once where you are. Welcome to a great start! I wish you the best of luck.

(Sorry for the long post. I really like programming!)

Stephen

"Live long and PROGRAM......or at least do _something_ with all that time...!"