Server Help

[Assassin2684]

Ok so i really want to learn how to start programming and stuff like that. I was looking around and asked some people what the best to start out with and they said "python" was a good starter one and for somthing more helpful they said "HTML". But i wanted to check with the experenced ones first. So what do you guys think is a good starter if you kno a different or better one please tell me, im open to any ideas. Also if you have any sites to go with it, that would help alot to. Thanks.

[50% Packetloss]

Mervbot is made with C++
Powerbot is made with C
TW-Core is made with Java (not java-script)

Those are the 3 main bots that are in use, so if you plan on programming for subspace then you might want to learn one of those languages. Personally I recommend starting off with C++. Then you wont have much trouble learning C, they are very similar. Java might be nice if you want to program crap, so if you are thinking about getting into programming you might need to learn it sooner or later. But your goal should be lower-level languages. These are languages that are the closest to speaking like a computer does. Ultimatly a programmer's goal should be ASM but it depends on what you want to be doing. You dont program PC programs in ASM usually, I personally use it for microcontrollers. Im told python is nice to start off with, you can use it to program ASSS modules too.

HTML is not a programming language, it is a scripting language. Programs read HTML for websites and such, you can not write a program with it.

There are endless amounts of C++ websites but I recommend that you purchase a book, the C++ for Dummies book is nice (as are most of the Dummies books). Many people do not like programming, so hopefully you can figure out if this is your cup of tea. Of my class of 30 or so people, only 2 people understood and enjoyed programming. If you want to start programming because you think you can design video games or something along those lines, you probably have 10 years of programming before you reach that point. There is a lot to know, books will teach you the basics but beyond that takes practice and lots of examples. Hopefully that helps you out.

[Mr Ekted]

I recommend that you do not learn a new language from any source that begins chapter 1 with dogma. Find something that teaches from the ground up, so you have a basis to understand the building blocks you are learning. For example, any C++ book (or class) that has anything to do with cin/cout on day 1 is total garbage. Alas, I have no specific recommendations.
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4,691 irradiated haggis!

[SuSE]

[Assassin2684]

Well i will look foat stuff you guys said, i will also look for the C++ for dummies book. I think i could make this a hobby for me, i really want to do somthing interesting and fun and mabey i can make somthing out of it So i will look for that stuff, if you guys have any websites for like tutorials on C++ that would help me out. Thanks.

[Dr Brain]

Learn Java, then Learn C++, then learn C.

Anyone who disagrees with this can go suck an egg.
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Hyperspace Owner

Smong> so long as 99% deaths feel lame it will always be hyperspace to me

[CypherJF]

I agree with Brain there, if you don't understand Java, then you ain't going to understand C/C++...
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Performance is often the art of cheating carefully. - James Gosling

[50% Packetloss]

Java might be more useful to you, especially if you want to do graphics stuff. I learned C++ first but personally I like C better. I havent tried java, going to see if I can get in the class next semester. Might as well get some credits if Im going to learn it. You should find a book that doesnt dick around, the Dummies books are a little more entertaining than the rest, so you might run into some crappy coding in the book. Read sections then look up more info on the subject on the internet, most importantly is to write a program with the knowledge you obtain from a section in the book. Something small for each section and it will help you out a lot. Youll need a compiler, Visual C++ is my favorite IDE but any of the free ones will work.

[Mr Ekted]

It also helps to pick a project that is challenging and fun for you as a goal. Nothing helps learning more than a real world example. What's your interest? Graphics? User interface? Networking? Databases? You should try to pick something that could be reasonably completed in, say, a month. If you've never programmed before, it probably needs to be something fairly simple. Once you decide what language and what interest(s) you have, we can probably direct you further.

[SuSE]

You should always make an entire operating system for your first project. Even if you're starting with Java or Perl. It should be better than GNU/Linux, at least.

Get to it.

[Onlyone]

My C class gave me this piece of shit book that i spent like 80 dollars on. This C programming in Easy Steps that i bought at Barnes and Noble for like 10 dollars is actually better than the crap they gave me for this class ... and its in color If you walk over to the computer section at Barnes & Noble they got a shit load of these programming books all for 10 dollars. Just a good place to start.

[Solo Ace]

[Dr Brain]

You made windows? And in VB?

Explains a great deal, my friend, a great deal.

[Solo Ace]

[Assassin2684]

Ok i will look into barns and noble. Also i will prolly be looking into like graphics and maby databases and networking, or somthing on the lines of that. I will see if i can go get a book this weekend or mabey this week some time. So thanks guys for your help and i will tell you when i have the book or somthing liek that and see where to go form there Thanks.

[CypherJF]

You can make OS shells w/ VB; but can't make an OS in VB.. LOL

[Cyan~Fire]

C++ Tutorial

That's what I started with. That's what I'm happy with. Now I know Ekted's going to get mad at me for my preaching "dogma", but printf() and all that is just as dogmatic. And it's harder for a newbie.

Buying a programming book is a waste of time, in my opinion, since you'll only use it once.
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Wise men STILL seek Him.

[Mr Ekted]

You are right. I wouldn't teach printf either.

[CypherJF]

Never learned about printf or sprintf in my classes; looked it up on my own. So they must have been doing something right. haha.

[Mine GO BOOM]

Format Specification Fields: printf and wprintf Functions
Contains everything you need to know about printf and %'s. But be warned, as I believe Ekted is hinting at, loose printf usage can easily cause problems. If a string isn't null terminated, a sprintf with a %s on that varible will easily cause overflows.

[Mr Ekted]

That's not really my point. It's just overwhelming for a new programmer to deal with serious I/O in "chapter 1".

[Mine GO BOOM]

I got along fine. Just remember that gets() is input, and printf("%s", string) is for characters, while printf("%d", digits) is for numbers, and adding a \n in any output is a new line.

Trying to get them to do scanf or other things is what boggles people's mind. Hell, for simple programs, I still do gets() -> atoi().

[Dr Brain]

Cout isn't that bad to deal with for a newbie. They won't understand how the stream operators work, of course, but they always get the idea. Printf is probably slightly more mystifying to the inexperinced.

[Mr Ekted]

I never use scanf() in any program. And if you are going to use iostream, you might as well prgram in VB.

[Onlyone]

Out of curiosity ... whats wrong with iostream?