Alright guys, I have started to learn Visual Basic 6.0 (I bought the book " Visual Basic 6 For Dummies") and now I am kind of stumped on which is the best language for me to learn. I already know SOME C++ like;
Cout
Cin
Variables

(That is the code, just explaining what I have learned already in C++)

So after quite some time reading the vL forums I have noticed that alot of people are saying that you should learn C++ instead of VB. Maybe should I just hop over to C++ again while Im not cought in the middle of Visual Basic?

P.S
I have already bought the book "C++ For Dummies" and found that I didnt understand things because the author would be going on about how he jumped out of a plain. Give some tips on some good beginner books and advanced for when I am done the beginner ones. Thanks

Russ

Opps modified, should I learn C#?

https://davnit.net/bnet/vL/phpbbs/index.php?board=5;action=display;threadid=3609

should help ya a little :)

(edit): Some people say to learn VB first (gets the jists of it) then go into a harder language like c/c++ (if you wanted to learn c++), some say you need to learn some c before c++. I think it depends on the person. I learned c++ as my first language and am fine, as long as you know algebra, general computer knowledge, and possibly a good book (if you are one of those kind of people who can teach yourself) or a class in c++ (helped me a ton) is all you really need to start off

Alright any suggestions on books?

As a computer professional for decades, my advice based on the trends today is to learn and specialize in one or both of the two major platforms for PCs --- JVM or .NET.

90% of all business will be using one or both by the time you learn them.

Don't waste a minute on VB6. I'm a VB6 expert and can tell you there is no market for more VB6 programmers. It's flooded with so many that lots don't have jobs, and the wages are dropping.

Alright Grok, so tell me what I should learn and a good starting book and the software I will need. I am willing to buy this for Christmas because I truly do want to learn.

Ah, I always knew my hatred for VB wasn't unjustified.

JVM stands for Java Virtual Machine I presume, and .Net is Microsoft's solution to what exactly? Which route would you recommend more?

Still waiting for Grok....lol

people say C++ for dummies is good (i bought one a long time ago, has a DoS compiler hahaha) and i found it bleh...

I personally can't teach myself from a book good but i hear Deitel and Deitel books are really good (C++ How to Program [4th ed.]) and supposedly Sam's is supposed to be good although he talkes in hierogliphics sometimes. My suggestion is google for online tutorials, that seems to be the best. www.cplusplus.com / www.gametutorials.com (c/c++/networking/openGL/directx/game tutorials) / and PLENTY others

I have been on those sites since last year, they are old news to me. I need like a good starting book.

Just as long as you promise you learn whatever you're going to learn WELL, and not just read a book and move on.

If you're serious about being a programmer, you have to learn your languages and write code for a year or two (or more). Then, you'll get the hang of it, and can move to any language you choose with ease. For example, I learned QBasic when I was 9, dabbled in C, VB, C++ till I was 12, and then I just picked up random languages as I pleased, since I was familiar with core programming concepts. I learned the ASP suite of languages, PHP, Perl, Tcl, Java, Python, stupid languages like Eiffel, and learned my algorithms.

So what I'm trying to say is, learn a true, OOP language (C++, Java, C#, whatever), and really learn it. Write a full, complete, bug-free (as much as you can) app with it. A Battle.net bot is a good example, as long as you don't cheat and use CSB. BNLS *might* be okay, but CSB is just cheating. Once you can read through a few lines of a foreign language and then write a sorting algorithm, you're a programmer.

Dealing with technophobe clients is a different story, though.....

K, so I think Ill start with Java and C++, whats a good starting book to get me on track and what software will I need?

[quote author=Mitosis link=board=5;threadid=3678;start=0#msg29897 date=1069156908]
K, so I think Ill start with Java and C++, whats a good starting book to get me on track and what software will I need?
[/quote]

For Java, go to http://java.sun.com and download the Java SDK. It'll come with Netbeans, which is a fairly nice IDE.

For C++, go to http://www.bloodshed.net and download Dev-c++. I think that site still exists.

What about visual c++.net ??? What are some good starting books? Grok know any?

Alright I know about the software, but what are some good books?

uh
thinking in c++ by bruce eckel, its free www.bruceeckel.com

I got that, but how come people say its for more experienced C++ programmers, when you say its a good beginner book?

Grok? Got any Ideas?

Dude, you know you CAN put 'Grok, Got any Ideas?' in your original post, there is no need to spam...

On another note... Does Visual C++ .Net even exist? Or is it either Visual C++ and C#? Or did Mitosis create his own language again? :P

[quote author=j0k3r link=board=5;threadid=3678;start=15#msg30067 date=1069245387]
Dude, you know you CAN put 'Grok, Got any Ideas?' in your original post, there is no need to spam...

On another note... Does Visual C++ .Net even exist? Or is it either Visual C++ and C#? Or did Mitosis create his own language again? :P
[/quote]

Well I have heard of visual C++.net so I guess it is real.

Yes, there was a new version of Visual C++ that was part of the Visual Studio .NET suite. You'll more commonly see it referred to as Visual C++ 7, however.

[quote author=Mitosis link=board=5;threadid=3678;start=0#msg29853 date=1069118193]
Still waiting for Grok....lol
[/quote]

You're too young for me to evaluate your talent based on your skills. So it's hard to come up with a suggestion for you specifically. If you get confused easy, I can suggest a computer programming career that will make you rich, but won't require much ability to write new code. You will have to learn how to edit other people's code.

COBOL. (obligatory 'ewwwwww' from gallery)

90% of COBOL programmers are over 55 years old and retiring soon.

75% of all existing business code is written in COBOL.

You do the math. This is a bigger problem than Y2K was even media-inflated to be, and programmers etched out $250k/yr salaries to declare themselves Y2K specialists.

I dont want to do like editing code, I do want to be a programmer but Im not quite sure which is a good book to start off with.

[quote author=Mitosis link=board=5;threadid=3678;start=15#msg30955 date=1069624945]
I dont want to do like editing code, I do want to be a programmer but Im not quite sure which is a good book to start off with.
[/quote]

I believe what Grok is trying to suggest is, if you plan on obtaining a career in some type of programming field Cobol is a certain possibility. The fact is companies need them for all their business work, and since your so young compared to others, some of these languages your seeing now could be obsolete when your ready to go through with college. Even modifying and improving code with Cobol could make you more money then writing your own programs with VB, in the end its entirely up to you.

[Edit:]
Depending on which language you choose, there will be some type of introduction to the language, or at least some type of community to give you help with. First find something thats going to suit your tastes, then proceed to the next step.

Well Im going to start off with Visual Basic.NET and DevCpp. My mom said for Christmas she will buy me VB.NET, and two good starting books.