Categories
Overview
Learning a programming language.
Ask yourself:
- Do you really need to learn it?
- Do you really want to learn it?
- What do I expect to gain from learning it?
- How much effort am I prepared to invest?
- Time
- Full-time.
- A day a week
- A few hours a week
- An hour a day
- Money - how much is my time worth?
- Almost nothing. Tough option.
Use the internet and computer magazines for resources.
Use the online help for the tools that you use.
Save money by using your local library (you may need to make a reservation or request an inter-library loan).
Or try a local university. They might have a second hand book section.
- Thrifty. Enough to buy one book a year. Start with a proper book for beginners.
Don't automatically go for an all-in-one tutorial/reference. Use the online help for the moment and buy a reference book later.
You'll have a better idea about which reference book(s) you'll want later. Go to the book's web site and print a copy of its errata.
- Enough. Enough to buy books as and when they are needed.
- Generous. Enough to buy more books than you can read thoroughly.
Enough to broaden your horizons.
- Lavish. Enough to pay for commercial training courses, attending conferences, paying for support contracts and/or consultants.
Do some preparation:
- Are there any local experts that can help?
- What are the resources available to me?
- Books. Search ACCU book reviews. Ask for opinions.
- Reference books. Everyone makes mistakes.
Your best bet is a decent reference book that has its errors made public on its website.
- Recommendations:
- Beware of experts. They may have learnt the language years ago and recommend books that
were good at the time but are now obsolete or out of print.
- Beware of beginners. They may recommend books that are easy to read but are full of errors.
- UseNet comp.lang. newgroups and their FAQs.
- Magazines
- Internet discussion
- Mailing lists. ACCU has some.
- Web site forums.
- User groups such as ACCU.
- Also : Tools, Training courses.
Seek advice:
- Look for appropriate mailing lists or usenet newsgroups.
- If the newsgroup has a FAQ, read that before posting your question.
- Be polite.
- Be appropriate. If you're not sure you're in the right place, ask to be directed to a more suitable mailing list or newsgroup.
- Offer to give more details about your problem. At best you'll deal with experts, most of which aren't psychic and don't know your current circumstances.
Questions, answers.
- Which programming language do I learn?
- It depends on what you want to achieve.
- Its best to start off with a language that isn't too demanding and can be used to do things that you will find personally useful.
- What is the BEST programming language?
- To my knowledge there is no programming language called BEST.
- What kinds of programming language are there?
- Help! I can write simple programs... but whenever I do something tricky or complex, everything goes horribly wrong!
- Are you trying to do something that is too difficult? Try solving a simpler problem.
- Take a look at your design. Maybe that needs improving.
Explain your design to someone else.
They might suggest alternative approaches.
- Maybe you need to improve your programming technique.
Keep a note of your difficulties and how you fixed them.
Is there a common theme?
- Maybe you need to improve your design skills. Read, think and write about design.
What next?
- Print this article and write your answers on it.
- Take a look at the links on this website. You should find something useful.
- You'll need a tool (compiler, interpreter it depends on which language you've chosen).
It might already be installed on your system (if you're using Linux).
You might need to buy the tool or it might be available for free download.
- If you're learning...
- C. Print our C page.
Most C++ compilers have a C option.
I suggest you use whatever your local experts suggest (or GNU C).
Read "The C programming language" by Kernighan & Ritchie and consider other books.
And read the comp.lang.c FAQ. And get to know the standard libary well - see "The Standard C library" by P.J. Plauger.
- C++. Print our C++ page.
Choose a C++ compiler.
I suggest you use whatever your local experts suggest (or GNU C++, Free Borland or Open Watcom).
For more involved work, you may want to use additional tools, maybe an IDE.
I'd recommend reading a book like Accelerated C++ (Koenig & Moo), the C++ Primer (Lippman & Lajoie).
And then reading the C++ Programing Language (Stroustrup).
Then read stuff like "Effective C++", "More Effective C++" and visit Guru of the Week website.
- Java. Print our Java page. I suggest you use the Java SDK.
Read the Sun tutorials and consider books.
For more involved work, you may want to use additional tools.
- A different language. Take a look at our links for programming languages and obtain help from appropriate sources.
Copyright © The Association of C & C++ Users 2001. All rights reserved.
Mirrored from http://www.accu.org/