Where to start as a programmer

[stooly]

So I have recently decided I have really had enough of my mundane job and want to try to pursue something I enjoy. I have always wanted to program, I did attempt to try to teach myself a few years back & it went well, it's just hard to juggle a full time job and a family at the same time.

But I'm definitely going to try again.

My question is this, where is a good place to start? I would assume C. I have a fantastic C for Dummies book which is very user friendly and I had intended to start with. But is C a good starting point?

I can't really answer what I want out of this long term... I'm a geek, I spend all my free time on my PC, I have a good knowledge of hardware, networking, web design, databases, etc. But more than anything, I've always wanted to be able to code. Proper code, not just copying bits of html or vb to make something work. Ideally I'd like to know every single language out there, but any suggestions on where to start would be welcomed!

 

[ranman256]

No, you start with BASIC. Hence the name, you learn the basics.
then work on C.

vba is in every Microsoft product.

 

[stooly]

That's really helpful ranman256, thanks so much! I did forget about BASIC... Some one mentioned that to me once, many years ago, but it completely slipped my mind. I've found some guides which I intend to start on tonight.

 

[Eric W]

BASIC's not bad just to learn basic programming concepts, but be aware that it's really not used much in professional arenas. Putting it on your resume won't get you far. After you get comfortable writing some programs, you might want to figure out what kind of programming you want to do. If you want to stick with PC/server programming, learn Java and Python. C is still used in places, but it's more of a niche area, you might find a job with it, but probably only if you have other skills too. C++ and C# are both offshoots of C, and are used more, but still not a lot.

If you want to learn mainframe programming, learn COBOL. Some people will say that's it's a dinosaur, and you should move on to something newer, but there will be jobs in it for years to come. And with programmers flocking to other, sexier languages, demand for mainframe programmers is high. You do the math.

I haven't looked for jobs for a while, but if you want to program professionally, look at some job listings. See what skills they are asking for, and that should give you an idea of what you should learn.

Good luck!

 

[punchnumbers]

If you want to stick with PC/server programming, learn Java and Python. C is still used in places, but it's more of a niche area, you might find a job with it, but probably only if you have other skills too. C++ and C# are both offshoots of C, and are used more, but still not a lot.

Eric you seem to know your stuff. I want to just create simple scripts for simple calculation that other people can use on my site. For example: A web based script that helps people remove duplicate lines. There are a few of these but I'm not sure what kind of coding language do I need to learn to create one?

I just started a part-time consulting business so learning this skill would really help me in lots of ways.

Including saying goodbye to being an Electrician. Thank you.

 

[Eric W]

Web development is one area that I have very little experience in. The languages I mentioned are definitely used in web development, but when you get to specific needs, I can't be a lot of help. Try opening another thread and asking again and someone else might be able to help better. Good luck!

 

[stooly]

BASIC's not bad just to learn basic programming concepts, but be aware that it's really not used much in professional arenas. Putting it on your resume won't get you far. After you get comfortable writing some programs, you might want to figure out what kind of programming you want to do. If you want to stick with PC/server programming, learn Java and Python. C is still used in places, but it's more of a niche area, you might find a job with it, but probably only if you have other skills too. C++ and C# are both offshoots of C, and are used more, but still not a lot.

If you want to learn mainframe programming, learn COBOL. Some people will say that's it's a dinosaur, and you should move on to something newer, but there will be jobs in it for years to come. And with programmers flocking to other, sexier languages, demand for mainframe programmers is high. You do the math.

I haven't looked for jobs for a while, but if you want to program professionally, look at some job listings. See what skills they are asking for, and that should give you an idea of what you should learn.

Good luck!

That is some of the best advice I've ever received, thank you!