Basic Programming

2xg

2xg

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Joined
Apr 11, 2012
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Hey guys! :wave:

My son Christian - turned 18 last week will be starting his first year in College this month and also interested in Programming. He doesn't have any clues what areas in programming languages will he be focusing on, if any you have some great ideas for him and provide links on basic programming stuff that will be awesome.

Thanks.
 
My personal view is that, because he is young, certification will be his best bet. So what I mean, is that what ever programming language he chooses, he is best to get certification to show he has an understanding of the programing language.

But choosing a programming language is like choosing between vehicle brands.(Ford, Toyota, Honda......)

It will simply come down to what he is interested in doing. What degree is it? What does he want to do as a job after College?
 
At least at my college they have programming classes that go over computer logic/algorithem creation that don't really cover any language but are great way to start out and will help with any language he chooses. They mainly choose to use Psudeo-code which is really just basic programming without the conventions.

If he is a math nerd like many programmers he may find Discrete Mathematics very interesting, it focuses on binary logic, search trees, efficiency(big O), probability...

If it comes down to class selection, any programming class will get his foot in the door. Personally out of the main ones taught in schools I prefer c++ although, it is a little harder to pick up than other languages.

Even if he decides to not stick with programming you generally need a computer class to show your computational abilities so it could be used towards that or as an elective credit.
 
Unless he's chosen his programming languages for these courses, most teach old VB (no idea why, I think it's stupid), or Java, inside of an IDE like Eclipse. I personally hate Java, i'd much prefer C++ or any C-style/based language instead. Java is a bit odd for me, but what I really enjoy for a hobby is C#, and since I know VB.NET I mainly use my knowledge there to help others progress in the basics of programming, for the simple language that VB.NET is.

C# programmers make more money career-wise over VB programmers, not sure why, C# although, has more of a relevence in comparison to other advanced languages like C or C++, or even also Java if you want to include that. I find C# much more enjoyable, and I think it's a great starting language. You can get some decent jobs as a C# programmer too.
 
All very helpful posts, thanks guys. :thumbsup2:

He can be very good in Math, he doesn't think he's good at it but I think he is.
If he is a math nerd like many programmers
Click to expand...

Oh, he just passed his driving written test earlier of today, now he has a permit and I will be the driver's trainer. :eek4:
 
It's not so much Math with programming (even though it is necessary), as much as it is to have a logical or analytical mind in my opinion. Being able to turn anything into logic and being able to analyze things is THE most critical part of a programmer's success. Being consistent and particular are also valuable traits for a 'programmer' to have..
 
Thanks AceInfinity....I have sent the Sysnative and your site links to my son so he can check them out.
 
If he asks questions, and he's interested in .NET, and also involved in a forum community that i'm a member of, i'd gladly help out in whichever way I can to give him a head start. I'd suggest that he starts off with a few simple programs, submit his code and get feedback from others continually until he has a stronger grasp of the fundamentals in programming (which by the way seems pretty standard in whatever language you're programming in; logic statements, data types, arrays, etc... All part of the majority of languages out there).

Documentation and reviewing snippets of code are 2 friendly methods of gaining knowledge in the world of programming.
 

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