25 replies to this topic

[MichaelA]

Since tomorrow my summer officially starts i will have some time on my hands, and i was going to pick up on coding any language suggestions?  (Python,Ruby,etc) Also if i could get some easy project suggestions  to start off with. (aber,etc)

anyone have suggestions/tips?

Edited by MichaelA, 05 June 2014 - 08:02 PM.

[Strategist]

@Waser Lave @Dan @Neoquest @Pyro699 @Sweeney these guys may have some tips for you (I know nothing of programming so yeah, not gonna be of any further use to you )

[Sweeney]

I work in Javascript and PHP these days. I haven't used a "real" programming language in years

[Pyro699]

I honestly cannot believe the 2 languages you actually mentioned were python (one of the easiest to start learning) and ruby (the cluster fuck of the programming world).

 

If you are just starting, python is probably the easiest and most intuitive language (that is my opinion, i am sure others will challenge it). Another good language is Javascript if you are going to be learning web development; although actual javascript can become kind of clunky at times, all of my javascript development is now done with CoffeeScript (You ever use this @Sweeney?) which is basically shorthand JS.

 

Anyways, any actual questions, feel free to ask and we can do our best ^^

[MichaelA]

any good website to coding on?

[Irradium]

Personally, I've always felt that Python is great for small projects and scripts, and is my own favourite language.

 

Like Cody said, it is very easy to learn and intuitive, and I think it looks the cleanest of all the languages (code is read more than it is written, yadda, yadda) due to the fact one would use whitespace instead of curly braces to compose blocks of code. And I just prefer that. Looks nicer, and it's easier to see the intent of the code.

 

On the other hand, I also like C++, because although it's 'messier' (if you contrast it with the point I made about Python) and easier for me to fuck up in, I feel I can do much larger projects with it as C++ 'feels more in tune with itself' - I think that's how I feel about compiled and interpreted languages in general. I can't really explain it any better than that, sorry.

 

 

As for projects, I jumped right in at the deep end going straight for a fully integrated GUI program - it took me ages, but I learnt/failed so much - however, a friend of mine is planning to start off with rewriting Pong and some "generic 2D platformers" (in C#/C++, I can't remember which) and is working his way towards it by doing the logic, methods, classes, etc. first, then coding a GUI in on top.

 

Don't know if what I said is any help at all, but hey, good luck.

 

 

 

P.S. I don't know any good websites that I prefer to coding on my desktop, but I think that you (or anyone) would need a proper development environment where you can do I/O, server hosting and similar stuff... and to my knowledge those are hard to find, let alone cheap/free... but, again, I've never tried hard enough to make it work.

Edited by Irradium, 06 June 2014 - 07:43 AM.

[Sweeney]

(You ever use this @Sweeney?)

Nah. I'm one of those odd people who prefers to avoid libraries, and just uses pure JS.

[Waser Lave]

Nah. I'm one of those odd people who prefers to avoid libraries, and just uses pure JS.

 

You should at least use something like jQuery, makes things so much simpler.

[NapisaurusRex]

any good website to coding on?

I liked codecademy

[Sweeney]

You should at least use something like jQuery, makes things so much simpler.

I have used jQuery for a couple bits here and there. I feel like I have more of a grip of what my code actually does if it's all native, rather than relying on library functions that I don't actually understand

[Nymh]

Joe codes in Notepad.

He's THAT guy.

[Waser Lave]

I have used jQuery for a couple bits here and there. I feel like I have more of a grip of what my code actually does if it's all native, rather than relying on library functions that I don't actually understand

 

You'll just be replicating functions which are already written for you (and almost certainly better written) though.

 

Joe codes in Notepad.

He's THAT guy.

 

I still use Crimson Editor which is basically Notepad but with tabs and syntax highlighting, he's a silly one that Joe.

[MichaelA]

what did you guys use to make your programs?

[Sweeney]

You'll just be replicating functions which are already written for you (and almost certainly better written) though.
 

Best way to learn.

[talbs]

I've never really used CodeAcademy but it looks interesting and I may start using some of my spare time over there.

[Waser Lave]

Best way to learn.

 

Never going to reach the same level as those already-written functions though.

[Sweeney]

Never going to reach the same level as those already-written functions though.

...so?

[Pyro699]

I use Sublime Text; and only ever use eclipse when i need to create an android application.

[Waser Lave]

...so?

 

So for the best performance you should use the best tools...

[Dan]

So for the best performance you should use the best tools...

 

Absolutely. Sublime is what I use when writing html / css / js and I use VS2013 for C# & WPF bits.

 

Overall I agree with the notion of everyone else here, Python is probably a good place to start but I will say that it's not very quick and easy to get anything "visual" put together.

 

For something like that you'd be better off playing with C#. You can put together a UI in no time, whilst also learning a syntax that will help you out if you ever want to write javascript, C, C++ or Java.

[Sweeney]

So for the best performance you should use the best tools...

But the best performance isn't always a primary goal.

[Waser Lave]

But the best performance isn't always a primary goal.

 

Perhaps it should be.

[Dan]

I think you can learn more from using libraries in your code than you would not using them. 

 

Would you craft everything from scratch if you built a car?

[Sweeney]

I think you can learn more from using libraries in your code than you would not using them. 
 
Would you craft everything from scratch if you built a car?

If I wanted to learn how to build a car from scratch, then yes. If I wanted a working car as quickly as possible, no.

[Waser Lave]

If I wanted to learn how to build a car from scratch, then yes. If I wanted a working car as quickly as possible, no.

 

What about if you've already learned how to build a car from scratch and you started on a new car?