Thread: New To Programming

Hey,
I'm sorry if this is the wrong place to post this thread but i am looking to learn to program and was told by my tutor at college that i should start with C as i have the mentally and intellect to grasp C straight off. Sorry if im being a big head.
So first off, i would like to know what knowledge does a programmer need to have? I would say i have basic computer knowledge but thats about it.
I am very motivated to learn to program, however im having to learn by myself, so if anyone can help me start with C language, it would be very much appreciated.

p0l4rb34r

I think starting with C is a great idea. If you haven't got a hold of a good book try to get one. There are plenty of books on the net for free and tutorials. You can read a lot of good tutorials here on cprogramming or on other sites as well. Use every resource you can get your hands on.

It's a good idea to get yourself set up with a text editor and compiler-- I actually just blogged about setting up mingw and gcc on Windows and choosing a text editor. You could go with an IDE, but I believe a compiler and text editor is better for learners. But, it's up to you.

- Get resources, books
- Get a text editor/IDE/compiler
- Get set up to program
- Read and start practicing, following tutorials and ASK as many questions as you can.

Don't be afraid to ask something if you don't know how to do something. We've all been there.

Check the tutorials we have here. Read through them, work some of the examples and take the quizzes. People here will be happy to help you along the way.

I'm sure your basic computer knowledge is sufficient for starting to program. You can type stuff in a text editor and run applications, which is really all you need to know how to do. It helps to have a strong foundation in logic and problem solving, but you will continue to build those over time.

If you don't have one yet, you will need a compiler. If you're running Linux or the like, you probably have gcc installed. For Windows, many here use Code::Blocks, MinGW or Borland Turbo C. A list of some compilers and IDEs can be found here.

C may not be the easiest language for learning programming, but I think it's a great tool and worth learning. Good luck!

I would also steer clear of MS Visual Studio or any large IDE. It may confuse and scare you more than anything else. For a learner it's a good idea to begin with a plain text editor and a compiler. It's a little trickier to set up but you will be in control of everything. The learning experience will also go a lot smoother.

Aside form basic computer knowledge you may want to start reading a book about operating systems such as, "Operating System Concepts" by SGG, or a similar book. Understanding operating systems will help in the long run.

Take your time and learn at a pace that suits you.

Wow thanks guys
Actually i bought two books from Amazon. One of them is an O'Riley or a Riley one, i was told that was a really good series for programming.
I'll have a look around the forum for the tutorials. Thanks again.
I have Dev C++ on my computer and my externl hard drive, which ive been told is a good compiler.

And at college we have one unit on programming, which has kinda swayed me to the concept and we use MS Visual Studios which i kinda get the hang of, we have covered While Loops and If statements but thats all. Ive asked to do more but we cant as its a System Support course..

But thanks again guys for the help

Originally Posted by p0l4rb34r

Wow thanks guys
Actually i bought two books from Amazon. One of them is an O'Riley or a Riley one, i was told that was a really good series for programming.
I'll have a look around the forum for the tutorials. Thanks again.
I have Dev C++ on my computer and my externl hard drive, which ive been told is a good compiler.

And at college we have one unit on programming, which has kinda swayed me to the concept and we use MS Visual Studios which i kinda get the hang of, we have covered While Loops and If statements but thats all. Ive asked to do more but we cant as its a System Support course..

But thanks again guys for the help

Dev-C++ is from what I remember unmaintained and has been for quite some time, you'd be much better off using a more modern IDE like Code::Blocks or just anything with an up-to-date compiler built-in.

Edit: Might try Pelles C if for some reason you don't like Code::Blocks, it's also actively maintained and targeted towards Windows

ahh, okay. Well its just when i went on youtube to see some tutorials and they said to use that one.
But oh well, i'll download that one thank you again

I also think Dev-C++ is a bit out dated. Not as bad as Turbo C though.

Haha is there any sites that kinda keep you up to date with this stuff?
I mean forums aye, but like, my friends sign up to like Micro Mart and stuff :P

Check out forums often, read comp.lang.c's FAQ and other FAQs. Sign up to mailing lists if you really want to go all out. You will get the hang of what's common and what isn't after spending some time programming and reading a lot.

Thanks and yeah i've signed up to a few mailing lists :P
Thanks again everybody.