Learn Code

#1 Which programming language?

#2 If you're looking at learning C++, Ivor Horton's Beginning ANSI C++ book is a great educational text. Once you've gone through it, Strousup's C++ book will be digestable.

I've always had good luck with O'Reilly books as well. They're usually not oriented towards beginners, though.

#3 Not really sure of all the languages...whatever is the easiest and most versitile for beginners.

#4 Python is an excellent learning language, though Ruby is structured better. There are also some excellent tutorials for learning Python out there.

#5 Nick I would suggest very strongly that you learn JavaScript. Scripting languages are normally the easiest to learn. And if its game making you're into then you have TorqueScript for Torque, ActionScript for Flash and Lingo for Director - all scripting languages. But I would say JavaScript is posisbly the cheapest and and most accessible to get into to learn programming concepts. Then if you get good you can move into more complex languages (that have pointers) like C and C++.

#6 My personal suggestion is Java. It's more complicated than alot of languages, but has several advantages:

1. You can use it for almost anything, including making games.
2. The compiler and tutorial are freely available from www.java.com, which means that you can start without paying a penny.
3. Java comes with a huge library of classes that you can use.
4. Java can be used for: full-screen and windowed applications, applets, servlets, and probably alot of other stuff
5. Java has great networking support
6. Java is cross-platform
7. Java eliminates the need for messing around with alot of junk like deallocating memory

With Java, you need to download the JDK (the newest version is 5.0). The other thing you really need to look for is the Java Tutorial. Both are on the Java website, but they can be disturbingly hard to find. You may find it easier to go to www.java.sun.com. Sun made it way too hard to find the stuff you need.

I suggest buying a book about Java. Just go to Amazon.com, search for "Java", and read the reviews to decide which book is best for you.

Warning: For some reason, you need to download the JRE to use the Java Plugin in Internet Explorer and Netscape Navigator. This only matters if you want to run applets that use newer Java features in one of those browsers (which you probably will).

Java and C/C++ are in the same genre of language. One of Sun's main goals when creating Java was fixing the problems in C/C++. Hence, Java is better (at least by my standards).

The only significant advantage of C/C++ (that I can think of) is that Torque uses it. So far as I know, the only similar engines that are made to be used with Java are much more expensive than Torque.

For web development, you should learn html, javascript, and php. It's good to learn these things first because they're the easiest things that you will definetly need to know at some point. After that, you can learn Python if you want - it makes a good stepping stone to other languages (or so I hear). But then move on to Java and/or C/C++.

Learning additional languages will generally make you a better programmer, but those listed above are the ones you're likely to actually use.

#7 Java is great for learning OOP. Especially cause its free. However, I would recommend learning C++ instead, because it is more practical in the long-run. Java won't really get you anywhere besides network applications and small 2D games.

#8 I tried to learn C++ in high school and had a hard time. More or less because it bored me to death.
When I went to college I was first taught basics of C then VB. VB was easy to learn and gave me the basics I needed to move onto C++. That's what Basic was designed for and it worked for me.

#9 Java was my first language. From there it was fairly simple to pick up c / c++.

#10 Java wasn't my first language, but it's certainly the language I find development easiest in. Check out Bindenlicht if you want working examples with source of Java doing more than network applications and small 2D games.

#11 Although there was a time when Java was impractical, that it is no longer the case.

Java 1.4 added support for full-screen applications, which was one of the last major problems with missing features.

Java used to be slower than C/C++, but the Hotspot compiler changed that. Now, which is faster just depends mostly upon how well you write your code in each language.

Java has some advanced language features that C/C++ lacks and modifies many of the features C/C++ has to make them safer to use. Moreover, Java is evolving faster. Java 5.0 (which is equivalent to 1.5 - Sun's website dropped the superfluous 1 in alot of its doumentation) has generics, which are Java's version of templates.

#12 I recommend www.cprogramming.com for information and easy to understand beginner tutorials on C/C++. Best of all, its free. Plus if Torque is what your aiming to develope under it you would be better off focusing on C/C++ since thats what Torque's source is written in. Torque's scripting language is also modeled after C/C++.

You can also find easy to understand tutorials on OpenGL and DirectX all over the internet for just about any language, Java, C/C++, or VisualBasic. www.gametutorials.com/Tutorials/opengl/OpenGL_Pg1.htm, www.cg.cs.tu-bs.de/people/schuberth/opengl/oglut, www.lighthouse3d.com/opengl/glut/index.php3?2 - for a few example sites.

-Jase

#13 Though there's lots of good tutorials for programming in Java, I'm forced to admit that tutorials for programming GAMES in Java are usually pathetic. I'm trying to write a better one, but it's going to be a while before it's done (I'm working on some other projects too).

Anyways, my point is that you'll have to buy a game programming book to learn how to program games in Java. But you'll probably want to do this no matter what language you work with anyways.

I doubt that it's possible to learn how to program completely from Internet tutorials. Once you learn how to program though, you can pick up alot of good information on the Internet.