I am a beginning programmer and I need help.

I looked up Scripting language up at Wikipedia.org and came up here at this site http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scripting_language

I am so confused on what to start with and I heard you have to learn scripting language before you start programming. I am starting out with BASIC.

So can someone tell me the right scripting language I should start off with?

Thank you.

http://forums.massassi.net/vb3/forumdisplay.php?s=&daysprune=2&f=10

And start with something simple, and commonly used and known, like HTML or C++.

Scripting is not programming, and programming languages are not scripting languages.

Scripting languages are uaually limited to or at least oriented towards a specific task or type of task. They are designed to be quicker and easier to learn and use than a programming language, but the tradeoff is in functionality, speed, and flexibility.

Programming languages are intended for a much broader range of applications. They require more time to learn to use and more time to actually code the product but programs are optimized for speed, and it is possible to do anything.

A scripting language you might find interesting for fooling around with is [url=www.autoitscript.com]AutoIt[/url]. Originally designed to automate program installations, it is now possible to do much more things. You can even build Windows GUIs, although, following with the pattern set above, it's not the easiest thing to do unless you have previous programmnig experience. But there are other things to explore too, so you can just code a few lines, see what they do, change it around to make it different, etc. Everything is well documented as well.

If you were looking for more of a programming language I recommend Visual Basic .NET 2005. You can create Windows GUIs via a drag and drop interface, and everything is object oriented, meaning functions are grouped based on the objects they are designed to interact with. Also it is the best variant of BASIC to use, if you are going to use BASIC at all, imo.

If you are already familiar with QBASIC or QuickBASIC, and you cannot find a command in those languages in Visual Basic, try prefixing it with Microsoft.VisualBasic. ... however you should considering learning the equivilent VB.NET function.

So, I guess I want to start off with BASIC. What should I start off with? I am a starter and I do not know what is going on.

With Visual Basic .NET you can create GUIs with a drag and drop interface. Then you can use whjat are called Events to generate a framework for your code to go into to power the behind-the-scenes stuff.

Go Google up some tutorials, they'd be better than me.

USE mIRC SCRIPT!!!!! It's fun.

Mega, I hate to burst your bubble, but here it comes.

Generally, scripting languages differ from "regular" programming languages only in that they are compiled at run time and don't require a separate compiling step.

Many popular "programming" languages are actually scripting languages.

perl and php to name two

perl especially is certainly a general purpose language. It has everything from shell processing to gui processing, bioperl, graphics routines, etc. Practically any c library in existence has a perl interface to it.

From the point of view of learning to program, you shouldn't concern yourself much with whether it's a scripting language or a compiled language.

I would recommend starting out with something simple as well. I think BASIC would be fine, but you're very limited at that point. If you pick up something that's in wide use today, you will be better off.

Pick php, or python, or ruby, or any of the other languages that run on multiple operating systems. Don't limit yourself to vb or c# which only really run on windows.

To clarify, scripting languages are interpreted at runtime, not compiled.

I would probably start with Ada95. You will either learn excellent programming style or learn to hate computers.

My RTC and the CLR JIT compiler disagree with you.

python

I think MAZZ was referring to scripting languages that are not turing complete?

I wouldn't recommend learning VB at all. It's a terrible language. Sure, today it's a CLR language and is compiled to the same thing as C#, but it's excessively verbose and very hard to read. It's much easier to just learn C#.

So, yes, learn C#. Visual Studio 2005 Express is free and quite powerful. C# has tons of documentation and tutorials, and will probably be a lot more fun than learning Perl or some crap.

I don't really know ruby, but I've looked at it and I don't think I would recommend learning it first. It seemed to be very different from other current languages, and you want to learn something that will help you branch out.

I'd say C++ or perl/php/python are a good go.

Hmm... I used to program in VB 6.0 years ago before I started my mapping "career". Just this week I decided to get those free express editions before the offer ends next month. I installed VB.net, but it wouldn't anymore really run my old vb 6.0 programs, and I've already forgotten quite a lot of my vb knowledge, anyway.

So, you say it would be better and not much harder to just pick C#? You aren't just saying this, are you? My previous C experiences consist only of one university course of the very C basics, and then some few random instances of looking at some pieces of code here and there.

But it's good to know there are "tons of documentation and tutorials". That's essential, of course. Well, perhaps it's time to abandon basic and learn to survive without the sweetness of global variables...

C# is basically the best of C++ and Java. From what I can gather, if you know either of them it's very easy to get up to speed in C#

Perhaps I shouldn't have been so absolute. I can qualify that with a "most" if you would like?

So basically i should start off with j# or java?

Uh

No.

Nowhere in this thread did anybody recommend that you start with Java.

Learn in the following order

C/C++ -> C# -> Java -> J#

Edit: Don't listen to the mouthbreathers that say that learning C# or VB means certain death upon you. They would do well to learn that the Mono Project is coming along nicely.

Try Python. Not only is its syntax a joy to work with, but it comes with an interactive interpreter that lets you run the program as you type it. It's great for learning.

VB.NET is not an upgrade to VB6. It is an implementation of Visual BASIC in .NET. There was a wizard to convert programs from VB6 to VB.NET included in Visual Studio 2003, I'm not sure about 2005. Anyways there are probably open source programs made for this too.

At any rate, you can manually convert programs fairly easily if you understand that the Microsoft.VisualBasic namespace contains many built-in VB6 functions. Adding "imports Microsoft.VisualBasic" to the top of the VB6 file will likely get rid of the majority of the syntax errors. But this namespace is only intended to ease the transition of legacy programs... I would encourage you to migrate AWAY from it.

Brian: The ability to compile is a distinction, but AutoIt can "compile" it's scripts by tacking them onto an AutoIt interpreter EXE. So not necessarily. Anyways you bring up some good points... but I have used a few language and I still classify them as programming or scripting based on their scope and their intended implementation. Programming languages are intended for use in programming programs. Scripting languages are intended for quickie jobs or specific tasks.

However, the line is largely blurred between the two classifications, and there's really no point in arguing.

[QUOTE=The Mega-ZZTer]VB.NET is not an upgrade to VB6. It is an implementation of Visual BASIC in .NET. There was a wizard to convert programs from VB6 to VB.NET included in Visual Studio 2003, I'm not sure about 2005. Anyways there are probably open source programs made for this too.[/QUOTE]

Oh, when I opened the old 6.0 project in the new 2005 vb, it converted it to follow the new specs. Mostly. But the code was riddled with commands that weren't automatically updated or were just marked as being suspicious and likely to terminate the program. That why I said the old programs wouldn't really run in it.

So, I would have needed to retype a lot of code in order to get the old stuff to follow the new syntax and different commands. Might rather pay off better to have a look at C# if I one day try programming again.

I used VB 6.0 for 3 years, taught for one. We then switched over to VS2005 and started teaching VB.NET this semester.

Trust me; it's not hard to make the change. You'd be best off re-writing your programs in VB.NET, yes, but then if they completely rewrote an iteration of C from the ground up, you'd probably have to rewrite some C code, too.

Exactly. Warlockmish, what you need to concern yourself with learning is logic. No matter if it's scripting or programming, logic always applies. This is how a programmer is able to move from one language to another quickly.

As for what language to start with, some might disagree but I think C is a great starting point. I started with BASIC, but I really don't see any harm in going straight to C. You can still do the simple programs you could in BASIC, only you'll learn a language that you might actually be able to use, and there's a lot more room to grow. Not to mention that C is commonly used to describe ideas and concepts.

Ok I guess I will start off with C. Now, where can I get a C compiler or software to use C and a good self-tutorial tool(book, site)?

THanks

install opensolaris, I hear it has a free C compiler built into it.

Right here

That was so wrong. (I loved it)

I agree with your second statement, but I couldn't disagree with your first more. This idea that C# is the 'next' C annoys me to no end. Microsoft just named it that as a marketing ploy. It's closer to Java than C++. And taking the best of Java is like trying to pick corn out of a turd.

Learn whatever language you want. But if you really want to know what you're doing, learn Lisp.

Java is an amazing language. It's biggest downside is lack of a good native compiler. JVMs tend to be a pain in the ***.

And Detty never said that C# was the "next" C. He said it was the best of C++ and Java, which, despite being closer to Java than C++, is still fairly true.

It's not the best of C++. At best, it's the second-best of C++. They left out templates!

Sorry GBK... but for a novice user, a good tool to use is Dev-C++. It's a good C and C++ Integrated Development Environment, and it's free.

Get it from here. (get the 5.0 beta with MinGW included).

Ok Now WHERE CAN I FIND I GOOD TUTORIAL!!!

http://search.barnesandnoble.com/booksearch/isbnInquiry.asp?z=y&EAN=9780764568527&itm=1

I have that book, but everyone is saying LEARN C ZOMG LEARN C!!!!

I am dazed.

In simple, english, non-techy words, what is the HUGE different between C and C++

Thanks.

C# Generics would like to have a word with you.

http://www.cs.cf.ac.uk/Dave/C/CE.html
http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/C_Programming

C++ is a superset of C. Very basically, it's C extended with a bunch of object oriented features, like classes. Learn C first.

[Edit]Actually, I take that back. These are some of the absolutely best languages to start out with:

Piet
Whitespace
Brain**** (Replace the stars in the url with the f word)
Argh! (you may need a translator for this one)

1.)
2.) C# 2.0 added generics.
3.) Templates are redundant.
4.) In a true OOP language, templates would serve no purpose. The fact that C++ requires them for some design patterns is a demonstration of how broken C++ is.
5.) Templates are compile-time rather than run-time.
6.) There's a reason most modern languages don't have a preprocessor.
7.) I have seen your idea of templated butchery and I can safely say that the world would be better without it and without you.

Besides that, I fail to see how a complete newbie would be able to utilize template metaprogramming, nor understand its significance and use that particular misfeature as a reason to choose C++ as his first language. In short: please stay the hell out of programming threads.

:downs: :downs: :downs:

C++ isn't, and never claimed to be, an OOP language.

Not my fault you can't grok generic and meta programming!

It stands to reason, then, that it would be a poor choice for a beginner programmer who is attempting to learn OOP programming?

C++ isn't an OOP language. It isn't a procedural language. It's unlike everything else and that makes it a very poor first language, because very few of the techniques he learns on C++ can be used in any other language (and vice-versa).

And it certainly doesn't help that he has neckbearded mouthbreathers like you telling him he should use a programming language, when you - yourself - treat the damn thing like an obfuscation project. Here's a hint: Messy code is not "better". People like you should stick to Perl where you can't do as much damage.

I understand both generics and metaprogramming.

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