Viewing Thread:
"Programming@SR"

This suggestion may belong in more than one thread, and I will change accordingly. It even goes back to the axtra advertising Gameaday.

I recently learnt HTML through a great online tutorial. I soon mastered that, abnd decided that my brain could do with more of a challenge. So I decided to learn either PHP, c++ or Java. During my search for a tutorial I met a LOT of people who wanted to learn too. This is a great oppurtunity for SR to jump in. There is more than one thing you could do, as well:

1)When I was searching for tutorials, a lot of the sites were just small sites, with a list of useful programming links. I noticed that there were a lot of adverts on these sites, and that they had a lot of hits. I also found that the advertised sites were generating a lot of hits too. Perhaps Special reserve could advertise on here!

2)I also noticed that there were a lot of programming books available to buy. But a lot were from small companies I'd never heard of! And I wasn't going to risk buying from them. So, perhaps Special Reserve could sell some programming guides. This could be a new publicity sector 'bringing up the population into the digital age' or something. Remember it!

3)I also noticed in my search that a lot of the online 'tutorials' told you how to do one basic thing, and did not even explain how it worked. Special Reserve, with so many programmers in their midst, could put up their own tutorials. The, you could be linked from all these programming sites, as an actual useful link, not an unrelated advert. This could generate awareness from lots of people. You are well-known, so will be trusted, and if people see:
'Learn to program on www.Jimshomeprogramming.com'
or 'Learn from the Pros at Special reserve' Guess which one they'll chose! See what I mean?

SUMMARY: The best action for Special Reserve to take is to begin to make http://ukprogramming.com.
First put on a few tutorials to get started. Link to afew sites
Start to sell tutorials, more in depth ones. Link to more sites.
You become a comprehensive programming site, with tips, tutorials, maybe a special forum, and programming tool kits. You could even sell, or link to editors, and compilers!

Oh, and
4) A specific forum for programmers, where you can get help from each other. Webmaster could be putting in appearences, giving tips, as well as all those programming regulars!

This will generate a lot of traffic, and could make SR some more money too!

I think this is a great, original idea, and I think, there being a LOT of people who want to program, it will generate HUGE traffic, and if these people are really serious, it wont just be riff-raff, they'll be a useful addition to the SR community. Thanks, Darkness.

I would recommend skiping JavaScript, as it is really weird. Learn PHP or Perl, as they both are very similar to C++ in construct. Then learn C, then C++.

I am thinking of learning C or C++ at the moment. Would my local library be a good place to start?

VenomByte wrote:
> I'm well aware that Java is vastly different to Javascript, but that
> doesn't make it any less a good introduction to object orientated
> techniques.

Well... yes it does... its got a completly different structure???

I wish I'd done things the other way
> round, because javascript would've been a great introduction to
> object orientated methodology, without the worry of all the various
> other complications thrown at you when you start to learn a proper
> programming language.

But if your learning OO surly learning a more 'BASIC' language wold be preferable?

As for the portability issue, I'm not too
> familiar with the portability of ANSI C++, but I was under the
> impression that java's good portability was due to it's plaform
> independance resulting from widespread use of the java virtual
> machine - variants of which are even found on mobile phones, etc.
> I'll have to look into C++ in a little more detail before I say
> anything else, I think.

C/C++ code is platform independant... ANSI beiung the standard for all systems. However C/C+++ needs compilation to work... and although Java can be compiled it it most likely run using the interpriter (Java is really a rehased 'C')

Also, in my experience, most java
> programs are compiled, rather than interpreted (eg, web based
> applets for whatever purpose).

Then they wont be platform independant...

I'm well aware that Java is vastly different to Javascript, but that doesn't make it any less a good introduction to object orientated techniques.

Personally, I leant java first. It was the first high level programming language I learnt, and it took a fair while for me to get to grips with it. Upon looking at javascript some time later, I picked it up pretty quick.

I wish I'd done things the other way round, because javascript would've been a great introduction to object orientated methodology, without the worry of all the various other complications thrown at you when you start to learn a proper programming language.

As for the portability issue, I'm not too familiar with the portability of ANSI C++, but I was under the impression that java's good portability was due to it's plaform independance resulting from widespread use of the java virtual machine - variants of which are even found on mobile phones, etc. I'll have to look into C++ in a little more detail before I say anything else, I think.

Also, in my experience, most java programs are compiled, rather than interpreted (eg, web based applets for whatever purpose).

Also...

(sorry about this...)

>javascript. It's a
> gentle introduction to object orientated programming.

Java script it a scripting language not a programming language... Its very different to Java norm

> what you should do depends on what your aims are. Java is primarily
> used on the web due to it's portability, whereas C++ is more
> commonly used for applications.

Ahhh... now... this isnt because of its portability... since ANSI C++ (Whats that stand for? ... American National Standards Institute or something???) is equally, if not more portable, than Java (whos portability, especially graphically is highly dubious) ... Its because C++ code needs to be compiled before it can be run... whereas Java (although also able to be compiled) is mainly an interprated...

Database languages are useful for the
> web, too. Try SQL or PHP. For other cgi scripts you could learn some
> visual basic or perl.

Things get a little messy here...

So, learn PHP first, from a book.
Then go onto Javascript
Then try for C/C++
The go on to Java, then more complicated stuff, and I have a good CV right?

VenomByte wrote:
>. I wouldn't bother with C as it's
> outdated and not object orientated - you'd only pick up bad
> programming habits from it.

I'd be careful with that viewpoint in job interviews man... most programming positions require you to know 'C' ...

Especially for games programming... Companies like Codemaster, Frontier, Rare, etc... all ask for skills in 'C' programming

Once you've learnt HTML, I recommend you do javascript. It's a gentle introduction to object orientated programming. After that, what you should do depends on what your aims are. Java is primarily used on the web due to it's portability, whereas C++ is more commonly used for applications. I wouldn't bother with C as it's outdated and not object orientated - you'd only pick up bad programming habits from it.

Database languages are useful for the web, too. Try SQL or PHP. For other cgi scripts you could learn some visual basic or perl.

After that well... you'd be in a better position to decide what to do next than I am to tell you.

Darkness_2K wrote:
> Cool, so everyone thinks its a good idea?

Anyway, I learnt most
> of what I know at Webmonkey, but as soon as there is something new I
> want to do, I search and learn it!

Is PHP worth learning if I
> want to be a webmaster/designer/progrmmaer of sorts?

And what
> else? C++, Java, Javascript?

Please tell me, and SR,
> UKPROGRAMMING.COM!!!!!!!!!

It depends what you want to do...

PHP is a scripting language... and will allow you to design more ambitious projects...

Learning it will be helpful if you decide to move onto Programming Languages...

In which case I'd learn C first then either Java and C++ or C++ and Java...

Since although both C++ and Java are both OO languages...

(Java uses the basic C constructs)

Java is much more like C than C++

Although be prepared... HTML is a LOT easier than PHP... so it will take you a little longer to get to grips with...

Cool, so everyone thinks its a good idea?

Anyway, I learnt most of what I know at Webmonkey, but as soon as there is something new I want to do, I search and learn it!

Is PHP worth learning if I want to be a webmaster/designer/progrmmaer of sorts?

And what else? C++, Java, Javascript?

Please tell me, and SR, UKPROGRAMMING.COM!!!!!!!!!

Thats my idea too, have a look at Abertay in dundee, I'm about to start a Bsc in Computer Games Technology there.

www.abertay.ac.uk