What programming language should I teach myself?

Question

I have only VERY basic skills - a bit of Fortran I've forgotten and some Basic on a commodore 64 (I made it up to sprite collisions!)
My goal is to write freeware games like Bridge Construction or a entrepreneur sim.
I need: Easy to learn, Free or Cheap, Easy to learn. ;)

Answer 1

well, you don't need programming knowledge to write freeware games. Go check out ScummVM at SourceForge (see source)

If you do want to learn a language, start with C. Plenty of free compilers out there and it's not as hard as most would have you believe.

Java is NOT a good suggestion. It's hardly a revolution considering its age. Furthermore, the only games I've ever seen written in Java are web-based.

Answer 2

Basic on a Commodore 64--what fun those days were! My advice for an easy-to-learn, easy-to-use language: JavaScript (ECMA script). In IE, it is known as JScript. All you need is a web browser and a text editor (so you can simply use IE or Firefox and something like Notepad or vi) to code and run scripts. Once you are familiar with JavaScript on the client (browser) side, you might want to try applying it to the server side via ASP.NET or the older version of ASP. Also, there are other non-Microsoft application servers that will allow you to implement apps in JavaScript. Other fun uses of JavaScript include AJAX applications and SVG applications. SVG would be a very good choice for the bridge construction sim.

Answer 3

in case you recognize any classes that have macro languages -- no count number if a activity or excel -- and you need to use the language in any respect you already recognize slightly approximately programming when you consider which you're already doing some. There are 2 varieties of languages: interpreted and compiled. Interpreted languages are evaluated at run time. in many circumstances the interpreters will execute instructions typed in line by line, that's a brilliant thank you to learn them. previous hassle-free interpreters, like Microsoft's GWBasic, python and perl and those macro languages are examples. A command shell -- like Window's CMD.EXE or Unix/Linux/Mac OS X's bash shell, is an interpreter. Bat data and shell scripts are classes and might have conditional execution, loops and variables, only like classes written for the different interpreters. Compiled classes are oftentimes evaluated and translated into device code as quickly as, then appropriate with any helping libraries and type the inspiration of executable data. Ecxamples of languages that are compiled are C++, present day seen hassle-free (no longer as stable with the aid of fact the older GWBasic for studying programming yet a great language nonetheless) Java and Pascal/Delphi/Modula-2. the main hassle-free compiler contained in the worldwide immediately is GCC which handles C, C++, Fortran, Java, Ada, Pascal and Apple's purpose C. the clarification that's the main hassle-free is that maximum desktops are actually not desktops. It became into created on minicomputers contained in the Eighteen Eighties for the purpose of working on UNIX machines that could desire to then be mainframes or minicomputers. UNIX in a single type or anoter (and inclusive of the two Mac OS X and for this communicate Linux, a number of whose distributions have been qualified as UNIX). It began as waiting to handle diverse chip architectures. when you consider that UNIX is a modular OS it became into and is extremely scalable, as is Linux. as a consequence routers, Tivos and contact are between the instruments which run code compiled with GCC. you will possibly no longer think of of them as desktops yet whats up, the 1st very own desktops returned contained in the Nineteen Seventies ran on chips meant to run site visitors lights furniture. So I won't propose you utilize this or thant compiler or language. All i visit assert is attempt out what seems stable on your and while you're delicate stick to it. i might desire to assert greater yet i'm unsure you prefer it.

Answer 4

I would start learning C++ first then JAVA. C builds the core to most of the other langauages you will want. VB, NET, JAVA etc. Do not do both together however as you can confuse the sytext very easily.
You can spend hours de-bugging what looks correct but it is in the wrong language.

Carl

Answer 5

JAVA is a good choice, especially since Sun is releasing it into the OpenSource community. JAVA applications tend to work cross-platform (on all of the major operating systems). C++ would be the next suggestion that I have. I have worked for companies that use scripting languages like SCUMM and have found them too limiting.

Answer 6

Doesn't really matter, once you learn one, the logical is similar, all you'll need is the syntax.

www.cprogramming.com, www.programmingtutorials.com, www.gamedev.net, www.programmersheaven.com

for free resources, lib, compilers...etc www.thefreecountry.com

This should give you a good start,
if you start c++ I'd recommend bloodshed dev-c++
if java, netbeans, http://java.sun.com/

Answer 7

java....its the new revulation of programming and its fairly easy for an object orientated language

Answer 8

Go for visual basic or java or flash with action script...