need to start from the very beginning

[AndyB404]

After being lazy about this, I finally want to learn programming. I keep hearing that c++ is the place to start. My question is how bout if i want to start from the very beginning and learn BASIC? I would like to get the fundementals down first before i try c++ and start learning. I tried reading some tutorials on c++ and got lost right away. So I figured I should start form the very beginning. Where would I find stuff on BASIC?

[doctorgonzo]

You don't want to start with BASIC. First, BASIC is not an object-oriented language, while C++ is. Second, BASIC has a lot of ugly control routines (like GOTOs and GOSUBs) that tend to lead to messy "spaghetti" code. There's a reason that BASIC has pretty much disappeared.

It's not all that hard to learn C++. If the tutorials you were using were too difficult to understand, find other tutorials. Or you can learn Java, which is quite similar to C++ and is also object-oriented, but can be easier to learn because it is completely OO, unlike C++.

[AndyB404]

So what would I need in order to program Java? I take it that once I get the hang of Java, C++ will come to me easier? Thanks for the response.

[doctorgonzo]

To program Java, all you need is the java compiler and the virtual machine, which you can [url=http://java.sun.com]download/[url]. An IDE makes things nicer; I use Netbeans, which you can get at the same link. But a basic "Hello World" program can easily be written in Notepad as a text file, compiled, and then run without a fancy IDE.

What exactly is confusing about C++? Is it the syntax, or is it just general programming techniques? If it is the latter, then yes, programming in Java will help you learn, and the skills will transfer over to C++. If it is the former, then not so much, although Java does use a lot of similar syntax. Syntax, however, is by far the easiest thing to learn: it's simple to look up a command for what you want to do in the program. What is hard is learning how to design programs in the first place.

[AndyB404]

Its general programming techniques. What do you mean exactly by designing programs? Like what you want the program to do or putting the right lines of code in the right place? Sorry for all the questions. Thank you for helping me out.

[doctorgonzo]

Designing programs is really like building architecture: you have to figure out what you want to do, what interfaces the program will have, what it will do with data, etc. You will spend far more time designing the program than actually coding (at least, you should if you are designing something well instead of slapping together a utility quickly!). Once you know all of this information, the coding is relatively straightforward.

Object oriented programming is a way to make this simpler by encouraging the right questions. Java's programming tutorial has some good explanations here: http://java.sun.com/docs/books/tutorial/java/concepts/

[Jaggannath]

Yup... when we learnt Java (prior to learning C++) at university, the basic stage was taking a pad and pen and just mapping out the methods, classes etc. that we'd need, and what accesses etc. to give them. They used to make us do this in exams too. It is a good way to think about what you're doing instead of just jumping in to coding and losing focus halfway through, or having to re-write vast swathes of code.

Java is brilliant, because the only thing you need to really learn about to move onto C++ is how to use pointers, IMO