If you are looking to get started with programming, you will probably hear many different language suggestions as which one is the ‘best’ one to start with. While most people will probably say Java, I believe Visual Basic .Net is the better alternative. Regardless of which tool you start with, a full programming language can be intimidating because there are so many libraries and namespaces you have to be aware of. As an alternate, check out Microsoft Small Basic:

Small Basic derives its inspiration from the original BASIC programming language, and is based on the Microsoft .Net platform. It is really small with just 15 keywords and uses minimal concepts to keep the barrier to entry as low as possible.

The key here being 15 keywords. This allows you to focus on the most important aspect of programming (outside of documentation): design logic. You may think what is the point with starting here, but a simple ‘guess the number’ where you type in a number and see a response of higher or lower is key to learning the fundamentals.

While Small Basic will not be for everyone, it is based on .Net so it provides a gateway into a full programming environment where you can do just about anything.