8 replies to this topic

[somstuff]

Hey! I'm new here (obviously); I'm currently in high school, and the only programming experience I have is the AP Comp Sci A exam (which is in Java and is really just about programming theory, not actual programming), which I studied on my own, and some flash game development (although I haven't actually produced anything of substance yet).

I'm planning on actually accomplishing something this summer, so I've decided to dive into computer science/programming. I'm extremely motivated and I'm stoked to start my programming career. However, I have no idea where to start. This site seems pretty sweet and full of helpful members, so I was hoping I could get some tips.

I want to become pretty much a master at programming and whatever else interests me in comp sci, however difficult that sounds, but I will work for 3 solid months to start (when I say solid, I mean like all day every day, and most of the night), so long as I have material to learn from and am following the right path.

I don't really have any classes to take, so I plan on studying everything with books, the internet, and whatever else I can use. So- what books do I read? I assume that it's probably best to learn as much possible from what other people have done before really experimenting and innovating in programming (which can be so frustrating without experience). I've already read most of Head First Java, as well as some AP Computer Science prep book. I don't care whatever else I have to learn-- but what should I learn? I want to make websites, games, maybe start a small online business where I program websites or anything anybody wants (or is this a bad idea)-- honestly I'll do anything in programming, I just wanna be good.

My reasons for wanting to master computer science/programming are (a) Because honestly, the idea of OOP gives me that warm, fuzzy feeling inside, and it feels good to run a successful program, (b) I want to have something really outstanding and unique on my college application, and comp sci provides me with tremendous opportunity to do so. I believe that once I'm proficient in comp sci, my interest will grow and opportunities will present themselves to me that will astound admissions officers.

So overall, I want to know where to start in the field of Computer Science/Programming, and what I might hope to accomplish. I'm perplexed by the vast amount of information out there, and don't know which of it to use. Furthermore, I have no instructor to guide me. I want a solid foundation, otherwise I'll be missing trivial pieces of knowledge later. Also, as I said before, I don't care where I go in comp sci or even what I want to be able to do with programming -- what can/should I do besides make websites n games? Most of all, I want advice on what to learn so that I can reach expertise in programming.

And so, I'm looking here, on Codecall, to see if I can get some answers.

Thank you.


P.S. Sorry if you guys discuss this stuff elsewhere, I'm new here and it's kind of a hassle to try to find answers to all of my questions when I could simply ask them.

[WingedPanther]

Welcome aboard!

Scaling back from learning everything, how about starting with a language? You can pick up the basics of one or two languages in three months, if you work hard. Java, C++, PHP, HTML, and several other languages would be fairly easy to get started with.

Another important question is: which operating system will you be learning on? .NET makes a lot of sense on Windows, but not on Linux. The reverse is true of Python. You can also try languages like Lazarus, but may find yourself having to do a lot of looking for Delphi documentation and adapting it to cover the holes.

[somstuff]

Well, I'll be using Windows, and I think I've got the basics of Java down, but I'm just not sure how I can apply it. I don't really have any clear goals. Also, what do I learn next? This is about all I've covered so far (in Java):
-OOP in general
-Basics like vars, objects, arrays, etc.
-Polymorphism and Inheritance
-Abstraction and Interfaces
-Recursion
-Sorting and Searching
-Some GUI
-Wrappers, some other misc. stuff

And another question (probably stupid) - what do most of you guys in programming around here? Make websites, games, and software? I'm interested in programming, but I'm just not sure where to apply it (in an area that interests me) and what I can do with it. What are some of the coolest things you can do with programming?

[WingedPanther]

I pull some freaky stunts with database queries :)

In all seriousness, there's generics, database access, etc. Most programs are rather non-flashy, but do useful things. SQuirreL SQL Client is written in Java, for example. It's a pretty boring interface, but a seriously useful tool.

[somstuff]

Okay. Question- Once you have the code for a program, how do you actually make it into something useful, like on a website or on a downloadable file or something?

[WingedPanther]

It depends somewhat on the language. Python programs are distributed as source and run through an interpreter. PHP files are processed by an interpreter on a web server. Java and C++ programs are compiled, though Java requires the JRE to execute them.

[atheium]

judging from your questions,responses id say starting with Html would be best for you.
W3Schools Online Web Tutorials
you've probably found this site before but it'd be a great place to start learning the basics.

[somstuff]

Okay, thanks.

Are there any good websites out there for flash game development, specifically some lesser known ones?

[CommittedC0der]

Welcome to CC! :)