Best way to go...

[kstatefan40]

I was just wondering what programming language i should start at. I already have mastered HTML and CSS. I was wondering if learning a high level language (C) first, and then branching off into the Object Oriented programming after that? I am only 13. I was wanting to program a Algebra program to sovle Algebra/Pre-Algebra problems. I want to be able to run this from an executable file, so i was looking at either C or C++. Does VB compile to an exe? Would any of these languages be suitable to post on the web? I know Java is, but would it be really slow if i used it? I was wanting to present it to my teacher, but my district has placed restrictions on us so we can not download anything. After that project, i would like to start game developement.
What is the best way to go??

[doctorgonzo]

If you want to have the most versatility, meaning you can branch off in pretty much any direction you want to go in, you can't really go wrong with learning C++. There are many books and tutorials out there, there are free IDEs also available (like Dev-C++), and it is a very powerful language.

Visual Basic can compile to executables, and it is quite easy to learn. VB has gotten a bad rap from many "serious" programmers because it lacks some of the features of languages like C++. One of the biggest problems with earlier versions of VB was that it wasn't truly object oriented: you could create objects, but you didn't have inheritance, polymorphism, and so on. However, there is more Windows development done in VB than any other language by many measures, so when there is a such a huge base of users something must be right. VB.NET makes many changes to the language to make it more powerful, as well as a true object oriented language. That will make future developments more interesting.

Java is great for the web, and it is very similar to C++ (I have read that Java could be called (C++)--).

In the end, though, it is not the language you choose that matters. It is the ability to write good, logical code that will make a difference. Learn how to do that, and you will be able to use any language.