When did you start programming?

[tech291083]

Hi,

i often read interviews of software developers/programmers etc, and one thing seems to be quite common feature, that is their acknowledgement of the fact that they all started programming at an early age. i am eager to know from professional programmers who are assciated with this forum/community in terms of what their experiences have been.

1. what age they started programming.

2. how did they learn the language of their choice.

3. which one is their favourite now.

4. can parents/schools help kids learn programming at an early age to get them started into computers.

thanks..

[vikonava]

Hi! My name is Victor Nava I could call myself a computer programmer as I know several programming languages including the most basic Visual Basic, HTML, PHP, JavaScript, Pascal, etc. I currently have my own website check it out in the signature. Im 19 years old studying High School at here in Monterrey, Nuevo Leon in Mexico.
I started studying by my own at the age of 11 years old, I suppose most programmers did at an eager age. I learned first HTML because I remember I saw a webpage done by a woman that said something like "hey look at the cool webpage I have done", since then I have just been reviewing languages because for me every language looks alike just by special operators, commands and little syntaxic changes.
MY favorite language now is PHP, im willing to develop some websites done entirely from me in the 2007 including a MMORPG game (its has started at end of november) and some websites for companies to do their file sharing easier and cheaper.
I think parents cant help kids learn how to code, i think it is something that grows from yourself since I have give classes to 3rd school graders and i didnt got to teach them anything, i mean they didnt wanted or werent interested on learning, so this skill must be deveolped by yourself.
Now im waiting to enter university since im gonna enter a "intership" or something like that i dont know how-to-name-it programm with Microsoft hehehe wish me luck :)

[nschessnerd]

Hi, Im matt, Im currently 15, and i learned my first actual programming (not web dev) language at 14. i took a class on basic java using kjr. I currently have roots in something like 15 languages including c++, java, asp.net, php, mysql, html, javascript, actionscript, python, ruby, c#, css, and some other ones that are lost in my mind. I decided the other day i hate c++, pointers kill me, and -> is a really dumb idea for guis. My parents aren't really good with computers, so they didnt help, but i work at my school around programmers so i gain knowledge from them.

M.

[jbennet]

Qbasic about age 9
visual basic version 5 at about age 10
upgraded to visual basic 6 about age 11 and also learnt HTML
about age 12 began a tiny bit of c++ and linux
about age 13 got Visual Basic.NET 2002
age 14 upgraded to Visual Basic.NET 2003 and learnt ASP and ADO
age 15 mastered linux properley - leant some PHP
age 16 upgraded to Visual Basic.net 2005 - leaent some SQL
now (nearly 17) im mastering basic c++ and and CSS

im now studying computer science at6th form college which is fun

[Jaseva]

jbennet - wow, that's starting young! - what is "6th form college"?

I don't know any actual "programming" yet. Only web stuff.

I learned html by reading a book when I was 20 and quickly learned css and a tiny bit of php after that. Up until now that is all I knew.

I am 27 now and started college about five months ago. Right now I'm learning is VB, but over the next few terms will be leaning many more languages.

[jbennet]

in england you may leave school at 16 with some GCSE's (qualifcations) and find work or you may continue your education by choosing to stay on for up to three years at a"sixth form colege" (kind of a precursor to university)

I just baught Microsoft Presses "Visual Basic 2005 Step By Step" - i love it and although its for the professional edition most of the stuff in there generally works with Express Edition (which is free).

VB is a great language to get started with as it teaches you

a: the microsoft IDE
b: core concepts in programming
c: good programming practice

[Jaseva]

I'll have to check out that book. VB seems pretty good so far. It's not easy, but not too difficult, either.

That's interesting that you can stop school at 16 over there. Here you go to high school till 18, then go to college (university). I obviously waited a LONG time after high school to enter college :p

Did you learn all those languages at school or on your own?

[jbennet]

most of them on my own

I learnt HTML in GCSE I.C.T and am learning VB6 this year at college (next year we do assembler and c++)

[DimaYasny]

started with qbasic and batch scripting at 12. by 16 I was working for Amdocs as an AI developer, specializing in Prolog (yeah, I know it's archaic). At 18 I was drafted, and when I left the army at 21 I decided to go into system administration instead of programming. but my old programming skills, namely prolog, pascal, php, sql, magicdev, assembly and some other stuff do help a lot, not with actual programming, but with the general perception of things, which is very important in IT.

[tech291083]

started with qbasic and batch scripting at 12. by 16 I was working for Amdocs as an AI developer, specializing in Prolog (yeah, I know it's archaic). At 18 I was drafted, and when I left the army at 21 I decided to go into system administration instead of programming. but my old programming skills, namely prolog, pascal, php, sql, magicdev, assembly and some other stuff do help a lot, not with actual programming, but with the general perception of things, which is very important in IT.

Hi,

Thanks for the response. Appreciated.

[hbk619]

when did i start programming? ... about 8 weeks ago, seriously. wanted to learn, so got a book out on xml as it seemed simple. then wanted to do some real programming, so i got a book on C from the library, which is due back this monday. Had to renew it because i didn't have time to finish it ;D

now got one on java and one on Visual Basic. working my way through it all

this should be taught in schools. at leat within the IT syllabus. I wish BTEC ICT covered more of it :-\

[~s.o.s~]

XML, C, Java, VB.... ;)

Girl, you sure are messing up pretty bad. At first concentrate on a single thing otherwise would end up being a jack of some trades and master of none. Too many languages will only confuse you.

[jbennet]

yeah i learnt them like this

HTML
VB -> VB.NET / C#
PHP + MySQL / ASP.NET + MSSQL
C -> C++ -> Assembly

[chewbacca810]

been programming since age 10, about 12 years now (i think?)

i prefer java for applications and php for web apps

when i was young an stupid, i programmed in MS languages: started in qb, then vb1-6, and finally vb.net. learned to hate MS and kicked the MS habit years ago. have been using java or c since, as well as various scripting/markup languages.

programming is a lot like math or physics, i don't think you can interest a child in programming. programming never feels like work to me, it interests me on a mechanical level. math and physics are the same way, most kids are just bored by those things.

[jbennet]

im the opposite. i hate maths and physics but love computers,biology and chemistry?

[chewbacca810]

im the opposite. i hate maths and physics but love computers,biology and chemistry?

i used math/physics as an example, but the same holds true for all sciences, really. i think it takes a certain mindset to be interested in any science, for me it's because i like to know the mechanics of how things work

[hbk619]

XML, C, Java, VB.... ;) Girl, you sure are messing up pretty bad. At first concentrate on a single thing otherwise would end up being a jack of some trades and master of none. Too many languages will only confuse you.

well, XML is real simple. at least it seemed to be, the thing is, when i read stuff of the internet it doesnt sink in. (i.e. ebooks). So i borrow books from the library, and i finished the C one and saw a Java from the same company so thought might as well. the first half is pretty much the same as the C book. and VB was because is had a £5 smiths voucher :mrgreen:

[jbennet]

if your learning vb get "VB 2005 Step By Step By Microsoft Press" from amazon (its about £25

best vb book i have ever read

[ft3ssgeek]

I started at age 10 with qbasic and batch files...quickly picked up html and javascript, then moved on to PHP and SQL...After that I picked up C++ and am now trying to figure out assembly...I definitely think it's a personal decision about going into programming etc...I have alwways loved the math stuff and the IT stuff...I had great encouragement from my parents while growing up, but in the end, it was I who was curious about how things worked...That was the biggest factor...the curiosity...

[Terry Robinson]

1. what age they started programming.
About 30, but then again that was 30 years ago when the first Radio Shack TRS-80 became available. It used "Level I BASIC" (by Bill Gates and Paul Allen - too bad we didn't stop them then).

2. how did they learn the language of their choice.
My first language "of choice" was Forth (still one of the most powerful I ever used). I used it because it was small enough to fit on the Trash-80 and far faster than BASIC. When I went to PCs I tried about everything (C, C++, Java, Smalltalk, "4GL" systems...). Most of my work has been in Pascal, Modula-II and Delphi because they are the easiest to debug and maintain in the long run and every bit as powerful as those from the C family.

3. which one is their favourite now.
Delphi. For Win32 it cannot be beat. For NET I'd probably go with C# (designed by the same guy who did Delphi). VB prior to NET was a good idea which never got finished. The NET version is a lot better but from what I hear not many people are using it.

4. can parents/schools help kids learn programming at an early age to get them started into computers .
Yeah, buy them a good computer and something beside games.