Where To Start

[jnneson]

Hello,
Please I want to be a good Programmer atleast be able to do something on my own, I will like to know where to start learning from, Which lang. to learn first, what step should I take?
Also I will be glad if I can know someone that can be my teacher, so I can be more serious, and it will be a two way learning process.... please anyone there to help

[ddanbe]

I guess you wil find no teachers here. But rather a lot of persons who are very willing to help you out if during your software development cycle you encounter some problems.
What is your goal?
What do you know already?

[rubberman]

I started my professional programming career in the 1980's. I was a sales rep at a computer store in the Silicon Valley, and one of my customers was looking for a commercial accounting program for his wholesale bakery business. He looked at everything we had or could get, and nothing would do what he wanted/needed. I had been doodling with dBase-II at the time and told him I thought someone could write a custom program to meet his needs. He said "Why not you?" I replied that I had never done anything like that before, but I did have a foundation in accounting (from running my own business in the past, and doing accounting at other firms). We agreed on a price, and payments staged upon progress. Several months later, after we had agreed on his requirements, he had his accounts receivable system (the most important thing to him - billing and getting paid from his customers). The main thing was that if the customer didn't understand the statements, they wouldn't pay... He was my client for the next 10-12 years until he sold the business. Later, I wrote both accounts payable and general ledger (double-entry) for him, and he was very happy with both.

So, I guess my point here is you learn best by doing and reaching beyond your current capabilities. It is not an easy process, but the rewards are high!

Good luck to you!

FWIW, one of his retail stores in LA was featured in a Whoopie Goldberg movie. La Baguette was the name. Best french bread outside of Paris - he had a 5-star french pastry chef on staff. Nummy! I used to take bags of great eats when I would do a site visit to the offices in Redwood City, California - just down the road from Oracle... :-)

[jnneson]

@ddanbe, I will assume I dont know anything so I can learn, please any suggestion of where to start from... Thanks
@rubberman,
Please Where would you suggest I start the learn from...
Generally I know their is PHP, JAVA, C++ C. and so on, but I am confuse which of this could do me a favor as a foundation... Thank

[Schol-R-LEA]

While it is hard to give general advice on this matter - different languages appeal to different programmers - as a rule I recommend learning some HTML markup first, before going into an actual programming language. This will give you some sense of the general structure of a program, but is conceptually simpler - it is a static layout, rather than a dynamic set of operations.

My next suggestion is to pick a relatively dynamic, but low-ceremony language like Python, Ruby or (my personal preference, though a bit obscure) Scheme for your first actual programming language. You will want a good online book or site for your information on the language you choose, and to read and try to understand as many existing programs as you can. For Scheme, I would recommend Structure and Interpretation of Programming Languages and the Abelson-Sussman Lectures; for Python, try Think Python; and for Ruby, The Ruby Way. Which of these will work for you is something you'll need to try out for yourself, though I would argue that Scheme is the fastest one to learn, after which learning the others will be easier.

Which brings us to the third step: learn one of the other two languages from the one you picked. Most people find that once they have learned one language, leanring others becomes easier, and the more you learn the easier learning more becomes. I would say that you should carefully compare the differences and similarities between them, and review crestomathy sites such as Rosetta Code to familiarize yourself with different ways of writing the same program.

I would then go on to learn a little bit about an assembly language; you don't need to master it, just understand enough to get a sense of how things work underneath the high-level code. This is less a practical projec than it is to get a deeper undertanding of how things are under the hood, so to speak.

I would then turn to C, the classic systems language. This is one of the key languages which is used for low-level programming, and much application programming as well. It is also the basis on which several other languages, including C++, Perl, and Java, are built.

Finally, I would turn to either C++ or Java. I think C++ would give you more deep insight overall, but it is a significantly more difficult language than Java.

This is just one way to learn, of course, but it is the general plan I would suggest. YMMV.

[jnneson]

@Schol-R-LEA, Thank so much for your time, well, I would say I have once read a book on html, but that is about two year ago-I still have the ideal do.... scheme- I am just hearing about it for the first time, I will try and get the book online and read it, I have heard about python and Ruby, I will try to sit up and lay my hand on it.... thank so much, I will first the first three first and see how far I can go with it... Thank again,

[jnneson]

hello,
Please I have just refresh my knowledge with html. Please I will like to know how to send new letter to member-list that I have via my Cpanel... please I do await you help.. thanks

[blueangel87]

to be honest im not new in programming i only forgot to build software bcoz i coudn't practice it for 6 years..im teaching now a basic computer education..and i want to refresh all my knowledge in programming..bcoz of K-12 program by deped..can u pls help me guys??

[AleMonteiro]

jnneson,

welcome to this loving, createfull and bizarre world of programming.

Based on what you said, I'd suggest you chosse what do you want to create first, and start learning that.

Examples... if you want to build your first web page, start with HTML and CSS, then JavaScript. If you got some of that, you can move to the server side, with PHP, Java or .Net, and further some database.

If you want to build an desktop app, for Windows go with .Net, for Linux, really don't know =/

Mobile? I'd go with Android.

Good luck.