SECTION 3: PROGRAMMING QUESTIONS

Notice: This section is not intended to teach how-to program, it designed to help get beginning programmers started, and determine what language they should learn, as well as provide online resources

Q. - How do I get started in Programming?

A - The first step in learning to program is deciding which programming language you want to learn. There are many available; some of the more common languages are C++, C, Visual Basic, Java, Python, Pascal, and Assembly. If you’re not sure what programming language to learn, refer to the next section “What Programming Language should I learn?” it may offer some insight in helping you to decide.

The next step in learning to program, is doing research on the language, you should determine what tools (compilers, interpreters, text editors, etc) you will need. Most languages simply require some kind of text editor (Notepad, Vi, Emacs, etc) and a compiler or interpreter. Languages such as C++, C, Java, and Assembly are “compiled” languages and require a program called a “compiler”; other languages such as Perl are “interpreted” and require an “interpreter”. It is important to know what programming tools you will need to create programs.

After acquiring the necessary tools, it is important that you read the accompanying documentation and familiarize yourself with how to create the source files, and interpret/compile them into programs. Once you are comfortable with using your development tools, you should locate tutorials and books that will help you in learning the language.

Refer to section three for a list of available online resources.

Q. - What Programming Language should I learn?

A. - There are a dozen programming languages to learn, each with their pros & con’s. Each offer different syntax, flexibility, and power. However, most of the members agree that C++ & C are the languages an aspiring programmer should learn. C++ can roughly be defined as an Object Oriented version of C (Please note my use of the term “roughly”), therefore if you learn C++, you will be very familiar with the structure of C. C++/C offers great flexibility and power, as well as portability, which is why it is used in many commercial applications. There are many FREE online resources available for aspiring programmers that offer compressive tutorials, sample source code, and tools. C/C++ like many other programming languages, is a compiled language; meaning the source code is “translated / converted” (by means of a “compiler”) into “machine code” (which the computer can understand). After compiling, the resulting machine code is “linked” into an executable file, which can be run on your computer.

Listed in section three is a list of online sources where you can find programming tutorials, source code, and tools for C++ and a variety of other languages.

Q. - Where can I find online resources for Programming?

A - Here is a list of sites that have been contributed by AO members:

(Several) www.programmersheaven.com

(Several) www.codecranker.com

(Several) www.programmingtutorials.com

(Several) http://www.planet-source-code.com

(ASM) www.bitafterbit.com/english/assembly/basic02/asm.html

(ASM) http://webster.cs.ucr.edu/indexIE.html

(ASM) www.faqs.org/faqs/assembly-language/x86/general/part1/

(ASM) http://www.easystreet.com/~jkirwan/pctools.html

(C++) http://www.borland.com/bcppbuilder/freecompiler/cppc55steps.html

(C++) http://www.borland.com/bcppbuilder/turbodebugger/turbodebug55steps.html