Programming beginner

marine1

marine1

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Hello guys, can someone advise me what would be the best programming language to learn for Windows? Like for example to make programs that would work with Windows interface?
All the stuff we download, how is that written? In what code?

Thanks.
I would like to try and learn this so any help would be appreciated.
I see according to Bill Gates, Windows was mainly written in c++
 
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.Net is probibly the best but lots of programmes (and Work) there.

Take a look at what kind of programmes jobs are offered and at what price. Remeber a junior programmer earns very little, onlt the senior guys pocket it!
 
Do you want to programme for fun or do you actually want to make a career out of it?
 
Was also going to suggest C# .NET, does a lot of the GUI etc. coding for you too so it makes life a bit easier. ;)
 
Cool. Once you get into it it can be quite a lot of fun. I still enjoy programming and do all my own little things, even though I don't need to do it for work.
 
What about programming for a career?Where to start?I've heard of two main programming branches i.e. Cormmercial Programming and Technical programming,I dont know anything about programming however i'm very computer literate(Gaming etc).Please advise.
 
C# .NET -> Good for Windows Apps , but can be a difficult language for a beginner

VB .NET -> can pretty much do the same as C# , a bit easier to read , but not considered as highly as C# [imho, i've not seen much diff in capabilities of the 2 languages...read below].

I think it's probably market perception primarily because VB [before .NET] was always considered a "beginner" language . Then i think the C++ [hardcore coders] guys moved into the windows market [need to make a living] and they most probably moved to C# [as the syntax are very similar] . So from there you still probably get this notion that VB.NET coders are "basic/beginner/non-hardcore" coders and C# are more advanced. That's also why you probably see a salary diff too, even though VB.NET and C#.net are very much identical in waht you can you "output".

Java -> Good for cross platform and web interfaces [i.e. apps stuff in your browser] . Java also tends feel alot like C# [syntax wise], can do alot of "fun" things with Java Apps [as you might've seen on the web in certain browser based MMORPG games] .

C++ -> The more advanced language if you're less inclined to write "front ends" . I.e. if you want to write an "engine" [physics engine of a game] or an "os" then you'll need this.
 
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So in other words the C++ is what they call "technical programming" at the Universities and the other langauges are the "cormmecial programming"?
 
pcgig said:
So in other words the C++ is what they call "technical programming" at the Universities and the other langauges are the "cormmecial programming"?
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Well i haven't really heard those terms used as such, "commercial" can mean anything, but there is definitely two "groups" of coders that i've encountered:

1] those that's very technical [hardcore]. These guys would code c++/c/assembler and basically whatever else gets the job done, they prefer to do very "low level" coding in the sense that they would program electronics [i.e. chips/cellphones/devices] or program the "engine" or "framework" . Any specialised coding would fall under here [i.e. developing some new protocol to transfer data on the network]

2] those that's more on a higher level, primarily coding software to get a job done easier/faster etc [functional programming]. This would be like programming MS Office, or an Email Client or an MP3 Player etc etc. In this case you generally don't want to know how the code "does it things" [i.e. memory management] , having a slick and user friendly interface is probably of more concern.

So i tend to talk of "Technical" vs. "Functional" Coders....

Type 2 isn't necessarily less skilled than 1...doesn't matter what you studied, you can end up in either 1 or 2.

However you usually get things like an ex-financial person coding financial apps [functional type] because he knows the end-user requirements better...

In short, i'd say the guys that writes "Symbian" [the operating system on your Nokia] is a Technical Programmer . The guys writing "MS Office" or "Windows Media Player" running on Symbian is more the "Commercial" types..
 
diabolus said:
C# .NET -> Good for Windows Apps , but can be a difficult language for a beginner

VB .NET -> can pretty much do the same as C# , a bit easier to read , but not considered as highly as C# [imho, i've not seen much diff in capabilities of the 2 languages...read below].

I think it's probably market perception primarily because VB [before .NET] was always considered a "beginner" language . Then i think the C++ [hardcore coders] guys moved into the windows market [need to make a living] and they most probably moved to C# [as the syntax are very similar] . So from there you still probably get this notion that VB.NET coders are "basic/beginner/non-hardcore" coders and C# are more advanced. That's also why you probably see a salary diff too, even though VB.NET and C#.net are very much identical in waht you can you "output".
Click to expand...

I think these days it's expected that you understand the whole .NET framework which includes C#, VB.NET, ADO.NET and ASP.NET. The difference between C# and VB.NET is mostly syntax and if you've been programming in one for a while it should only take you a weekend to become fairly proficient with the other.
 
Perdition said:
I think these days it's expected that you understand the whole .NET framework which includes C#, VB.NET, ADO.NET and ASP.NET. The difference between C# and VB.NET is mostly syntax and if you've been programming in one for a while it should only take you a weekend to become fairly proficient with the other.
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Agreed.
 
Yea. basically the same thing. There are minor differences in the two. But anything that is strictly for one language (ie: the IIF thing in VB) can easily be re-created a slightly different way in the other language.

It's more personal preference, I did mostly C# at college, and some small projects, but got a job now that uses VB .Net.
 
try w3schools.com , its very good for beginners and very easy, covers for majority of main scripting languages.
 
The windows interface is right at home with C++ and it's really not so hard to learn. If you are only going for windows then VB is also an option although not as popular anymore. Please no .NET anything. If I get one more app telling me to install the .NET framework which then tells me to do a windows update I will scream.
marine1 said:
I see according to Bill Gates, Windows was mainly written in c++
Click to expand...
I doubt Bill really knows what goes on behind the scenes. A lot of windows (memory management, segments, GDTR, LDTR, etc.) can not be written in anything else than some form of assembly.
 
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