Computer Programming?

[CroMagna]

I've decided to try my hand at computer programming. I have the textbooks that I'm going through. I figure even if I can't land a job in that field, I can at least having the programming languages on my resume. Right now, I'm learning C++. I would be interested to hear from people in IT careers.

Edit: I think a 30 day trial is in order.

[raphnix]

Good luck with the programming. C++ is quite simple a good start for basic programming because it has the fundamental concept in gaining the right programming skills.

[ns123]

I think programming is a bit like a martial art. You can't really learn it effectively by reading a book. You have to just DO it.

What would help me is to just do it hands on. You learn so much. A book can get you the basics (syntax, algorithms, etc) but it won't give you the analytical skills to be able to solve the problem with software.

My advice, find a need somewhere, and see if a software (programming) solution will fill it. If it does, write that program to fill that need, that's the best way to learn.

Good Luck, and good for you for taking action in your life, not just "thinking" about it!

[Illumination]

Agree with ns123.

To really learn programming, you'll need to get your hands dirty. Read the book, know the basics, understand the concepts. Then build something - maybe an inventory management system. That's when all the questions will start coming in.

[Christian223]

I recommend you to try GameMaker, it has a programming language of its own and you can learn programming with that in a very fun way, making games Good luck.

[Lauxa]

...programming is something you have to do, not just read about doing. The books will give you some exercises, but if you could find a programming project that excites you it will go better. You might even find an open-source project that you could contribute to; a lot of companies are looking for people who have experience working with open-source. Also, C++ may or may not be the best language depending on what you want to do. Personally, I find PHP and other web programming languages more exciting right now.

Good luck!

[MyEyeIsOpen]

The advice here isn't bad -- think of a small project, then do it. Learn as you go along.

[Starman]

Hi CroMagna:

C++ is an excellent choice. There are no bad programming languages, just as there aren't any bad hand tools (hammer, screwdriver, etc). The best one is the one that fits the project you're working on at the moment.

C++ is a pretty low-level language, and is great for developing systems like database, communications, automation, etc, where you need a lot of control over the system hardware, and a lot of flexibility. I've written tons of applications in it.

The trick in this industry is to know several languages, one for each type of development. You may need to build an application with lots of user interface elements and underlying logic, like you see in a Windows networked application, that may use a database like SQL Server. One of the .NET languages is great for this; I would recommend C# (C Charp) or Visual Basic .NET. for this type of development.

Software for automation, communications, and other complicated software systems, C and C++ is unbeatable.

Particularly in automation, a real-time operating system and software may be needed, and C is a great language for this type of development. Don't let people tell you C and C++ are practically the same thing; there are very important differences in these two, besides the obvious ones, having to do with memory management and allocation.

Some other useful skills to have for programming is: HTML and associated tools like FrontPage, SQL for database programming, and sometimes graphics software like PhotoShop or GIMP. Principles of networking are also very important to know about.

Don't forget to learn as much as you can about the operating systems that will actually run your software (Windows, Linux/Unix, QNX, VxWorks, whatever).

As you can see, there is absolutely no shortage of stuff to learn. You will NEVER run out of new material.

Starman - Automation Software Engineer

[viscapes]

One other thing to keep in mind (on top of all the good advise here), is that it can be very helpful to study other peoples code. There are usually a million and one ways of writing the same program, with various advantages and disadvantages of each. A lot of IT people can be very stuck in the mud and claim their style is better than some other styles because of x, y and x, but don't afraid to find a better way of doing something. It's always worth learning how other people do things and taking techniques from them that will make you a better programmer.

Cheers
Paul

[MisterEThoughts]

Sounds great! It will be a difficult, but it is definitely doable. Good Luck!

[Kazeko]

CroMagna,

Learn C# ("see sharp"). Learn .NET ("dotnet") platform. That's how you can advance very fast and earn big bucks.

If you learn C++ from the very beginning, you may fall very often. Go for it if it's your type of training. But my advice - learn it only after you'd have tried the basics. C# teaches basics (smoothly). C++ teaches hardcore stuff, and is getting old.

[viscapes]

Originally Posted by Kazeko

CroMagna,

Learn C# ("see sharp"). Learn .NET ("dotnet") platform. That's how you can advance very fast and earn big bucks.

If you learn C++ from the very beginning, you may fall very often. Go for it if it's your type of training. But my advice - learn it only after you'd have tried the basics. C# teaches basics (smoothly). C++ teaches hardcore stuff, and is getting old.

I disagree. I think C++ is a better starting point.

.NET and C# tend to make more use of the features of Visual Studio, which is great when you're developing since it makes life that little bit easier, but from an educational point of view, I think it's better to appreciate the underlying principals of programming before making use of higher level shortcuts.

I'd suggest starting with C++ and even considering some of the less widely used methodology-specific languages such as Eiffel (Object Oriented) to learn the fundamentals first.

[Kazeko]

Paul,

I agree with you, from your point of view. If you're very serious about programming, and willing to spend 5+ years for education, then you should start as "low-level" as possible. In that case I'd recommend starting from learning fundamental principles of computers and operating systems. And C++ would be the only choice (at least the best one). Even better to write some portions of code in Assembly language. Then (if your target is Windows platform) you should learn API, threads, memory management and so on. Then some high-level concepts like COM, .NET, databases...

But as I see, CroMagna just wants to taste programming. From this angle, I see C# as a perfect choice. I highly recommend "Programming in the key of C#" by Charles Petzold - it's an excellent book for beginners.

[funchy]

C++ is good to tinker with. Keep projects small while learning. It's something you have to do to really understand. C++ is one of the more popular and desirable languages to know. If you stick to mainstream C++, it's something you can use to pretty easily program on anything from a PC to a Mac to a Linix machine. I do not care for the brand or machine-specific derivatives of C.

An easy way to play around with programming is JavaScript. You can do a lot without having to worry about libraries or machine-specific details. And all of the reference material is online for free. IMO it's pretty simple to learn.

I will say that the job market isn't the best for ComSci jobs right now. I earned a Bachelor's in ComSci. Then the dot-com bubble burst. And many of the bigger corporations realized they could just outsource programming jobs overseas or to H1-B workers for a fraction of the money. Add to that the bad economy right now, and you can understand why it's hard to find a good programming job. I am not trying to discourage you, but I just wanted to caution you so you can be realistic, if you're doing this for career reasons.

A college program is an excellent way to get into the field. From there I'd highly recommend an internship, if you can get one.