which programming language?

[Caesar20]

a little help from you CS majors and others please.
which prog language would be good for me to learn? im a beginner (just about, i knew a little fortran, JS but not anymore), i tried learning sth in the past but never had the motivation to.
im a ME major, we don't need much of that (except for SDK development for 3d modellers).

i'd need sth that can do graphics (would be ok) and that is beginner-oriented (logical).
java, .net? sth else?

and sorry for my "english" i haven't used it in a while.

 

[TillTheEndOfTime]

I would suggest Java. You don't have to worry so much about memory management and it is well structured. I learned C++ first in school and then Java. I wish it was the other way around. Also, Java has a lot of practical user-end applications.

 

[Teflon_Mcgee]

I agree. I started with c/c++ an then Java. Java will hold your interest longer at the beginning because you can start creating GUIs very quickly thanks to the standard swing and awt libraries.

I would recommend you get the book "The Object of Java" by David Riley.

It takes a backward approach by starting out teaching object oriented programming and working back to actual coding.

This approach helps ALOT to get good at OOP.

 

[TillTheEndOfTime]

Nah I find Java too fiddly, C++ is the way to go. Most companies tend to use C/C++ (especially games companies so I'm a little biased) and I personally find it easier and more convenient to use. For me Java's only practical for mobile phones and online games etc.

I strongly disagree. I am actively job searching (last year of university) and a large amount of companies are looking for some form of Java. As much or more than C++. I am looking through a wide category of industries...not so much gaming companies though. So it may be true in that industry.


Oh and I should add that my brother works at a software company that does workforce management stuff. They use virtually nothing but Java.

 

[Teflon_Mcgee]

If you learn c/c++ You pretty much know java and vice versa.

After a semester of c++ I was able to code pretty complicated object-oriented programs using java with only a book for reference for some minor syntax and library differences.

I do think going from java OOP to c++ OOP might be a little more difficult.

 

[Riptastic]

int=2;
while (i != 1) {
System.out.println("Shut the hell up A$$HOLE");
}

 

[afc_2_dj]

I love C++, don't mind Java but disagree with you all.

I would recommend for a begginer C# or VB.Net [C# is a better one, though in .Net they are both OO]. Download the MS .Net 2005 Express editions for free from Microsofts website [or #Develop 2.0].

Learn the basics and make stuff that works, then move on the more nitty-gritty like C++. IMHO C#/VB.Net will get you up to speed faster than the others.

Most companies tend to use C/C++ (especially games companies so I'm a little biased)

This is true for games, given C++'s performance advantages over other languages plus the large tool base already available for the games market in this language, but not true for general purpose enterprises. There is a lot of C++ lagacy applications out there, but also a large market of Java.

Personally I find no reason to use C++ anymore, all our new stuff is .Net, and legacy applications are being ported to C# [speed of developepment/maintainability/platform consistency/etc].

 

[afc_2_dj]

Sorry, forget the URLs..

http://msdn.microsoft.com/vstudio/express/

http://www.sharpdevelop.com/OpenSource/SD/Download/#SharpDevelop21

 

[Riptastic]

Why not learn a language and only needing notepad?

 

[shaunuk]

C/C++ and/or Java are the way to go. Languages like FORTRAN have their place, I guess, but don't bother ponsing around becoming a FORTRAN or BASIC guru. C, C++ and Java are the true workhorse languages

-shaun

 

[Pimp101]

int=2;
while (i != 1) {
System.out.println("Shut the hell up A$$HOLE");
}

That won't compile


Definatly go with C#, .NET is a very good platform to work on. Theres XNA, Managed DirectX, OpenGL and SDL if you want to do graphics.

 

[Caesar20]

hm, what about python?
i've read some good stuff about it, esp. about beginner-friendliness and good oop.

any comments?

 

[TheNewGuy]

hm, what about python?
i've read some good stuff about it, esp. about beginner-friendliness and good oop.

any comments?

Good to learn how to program, but don't expect to do any big applications in it.

 

[LegendBoy]

I just started learning C++ at Uni..

 

[djtdot]

I say go for assembly language .

In uni I learnt Java and the C++. For some reason I thought C++ was easier than Java.

 

[nonchalant]

Any good programming knows several languages. I agree with C++/Java - you will be able to get a real development job with those. But they are not really fun languages. For fun, I mess around with Objective C/Cocoa, and Ruby.