I want to learn coding language, But what one?

[WolfPac_Ite]

Hello guys, I want to start learning some type of coding language, But there are so many different things out there that I don't even know what they are for.

So my question is what should I start out with? should I start with something easier like Visual Basic or Delphi, Or go straight for C++ or C whatever?

[Metaphorically]

What's your background? What's your goal? This is kind of like walking into a hardware store and buying a tool at random... You'll have to have some kind of project to try this language out on. How about this, what made you decide you wanted to learn one? Given that kind of information, it's easier to help you decide what to learn.

[WolfPac_Ite]

Well, I wanted to learn coding after seeing other people make apps(external utilities) for games and I thought I would like to do that, And also I would like to make games.

[Markoman01027]

Coding involves great knowledge of Math...especially Algebra because you deal with variables in C++

[Metaphorically]

It depends on the game and depends on the utility, I suppose. You can do pretty much anything in C++, but there's a whole lot of basic stuff to learn in C++ before you'd get to do anything really useful. For quick results, start with VB (I haven't done Delphi, so I can't say anything about it). You can do DirectX in VB, and it might be good for game utilities (vewing models & maps & so forth). A whole game utilizing DirectX would best be done in C++ however. You can also get a lot of mileage out of Javascript or VBScript these days. One final note, many games today are built without much programming in the usual languages, but just by scripting for a game engine. Check out Gamedev.net (http://www.gamedev.net) if you haven't already.

[WolfPac_Ite]

Thanks for the replies guys, I also know assembly would be a better choice for making games and utilities, But maybe I should start with something easier?

PS: I'm good in math so I don't think that would be a problem.

[Metaphorically]

Assembly would be a huge waste of time for games and utilities on Windows. I've only ever needed ~30 lines of assembly on Windows. For very high performance requirements, you might do a little inline assembly in games, but this is the last step optimization before you are ready to sell the game. Write mainatinable code.

Pick a project that you can't resist working on, then start on it in Javascript (this is my favourite language for the day, maybe tomorrow I would say VB). If that doesn't meet your needs, then start over with something else. Coders code. Just get started with something then don't abandon it unless you have a good reason to.

A good example of a beginner project would be to read some user input and make a file from it. For example, when Quake starts up, I think there's a cfg file it reads. Let the user pick some options then write that stuff to the cfg. I'm sure it's been done to death, but there are plenty of other similar ideas you could start with.

The key is to start writing some code so that you get an idea if you like the language or not. Javascript and VBScript are already available to you if you have Windows.

[WolfPac_Ite]

OK Thanks, I will try out doing what you said.

[ghost2003]

C++ is good, you can learn it at www.cprogramming.com

[colecifer]

Visual basic is really easy to pick up. Its a good one to start out on just because it introduces you to coding and can help you decide if you like it. If you can do visual basic easy enough and like it move onto to something harder. Don't do to much visual basic becuase it is kinda worthless. It is good for learning though.

[rfleming]

um what kind of language would i need to make a game like kingsofchaos. http://www.kingsofchaos.com

[ZeratulsAvenger]

I looked around the "Code Poets" section of thebroken forums(the only good portion of the forums these days...) since I am also in seek of something to learn(what with summer coming up). I have decided on Python. I have heard it was farely easy to pick up, less of a challenge then C/C++, and it just seemed like something I could try.

Happy to see the screen pop up asking for how long the side of the equilateral triangle was I needed the area for(who wants to punch all those numbers in a calculator anyways ;))... sure it's of no real use, but I feel acomplished all the same :p

I would say pick one and try it, should you get discouraged to the point of wanting to quit ya may want to lighten the difficulty some and try a different language.

[galad]

Hi :) I'm new and decided to make my first post in this thread

my opinion: try java. why? there's several reasons...
1/ its free. get everything you need from http://www.java.com

2/ it is very similair to C++ and its a good way to ease yourself into the language

3/ like VB, it can play with DirectX (and has the added bonus that you don't need to feel silly when you tell people what language you code ;))

[SupraMan84]

Learn C++...simple reason why java doesnt teach you memory management...very important in programming trust me...plus there are many good C++ compilers...and lastly once you know C++ you can learn any C based language like java or perl in just weeks...

[Jaggannath]

I'd like to actually say the exact opposite of SupraMan... learning Java first and then C is much easier. Java is not only free, but teaches you the basics of learning a computer language, without having to worry about pointers and memory management. Then, once you're proficient in Java, just start learning C++, you basically know all the reserved words and can debug your programs effectively.
That's the way I was taught by my university, and I'd have to say it's definitely the better way

[Sunday Silence]

How about VB.Net. I'm told it's radically different from VB and it should be hot for the next 5 to 8 years. Many free resources on the web and I'm thinking of going back to my text books and learning the C# that comes with them side by side.

[darkside]

im using vb6 atm, i cant say ive tryed anything else but vb6 is simple. i cant imagin you could may something spectacular in VB though, its not that powerful.

also, as im sure you will already know, dont go straight into a big project, start small with tiny apps that demo bits of code you have found on the net then mod it to see what happens, thats how im learning.

[Sanguimancer]

I would say learn C++ or Java first, not Javascript. If you're looking to make games like the ones you find online (applets), learn Java. There are several graphics packages for C++ that you could use also, but most aren't very good. If you really know nothing about coding though and want quick results you could buy a copy of Visual Basic, but it really won't teach you as much as C++ or Java.