backonamission-deactivated20130 asked:
For new programmers, I'd recommend Python, C is kind of hard because of pointers, so it'll just discourage absolute beginners, PHP encourages bad programming practices, and Java is too verbose like you just said.

That’s really good to know, thanks for telling us this! I’ve heard the same thing from other compsci bros in my classes.

Anon, go for Python first! :D

Anonymous asked:
How old were you when you started programming? Is 17 to late to start

Hm, it depends on how you define it.

I started teaching myself simple HTML/CSS code and basic Java when I was around 11 or 12 years old, since I was a huge Neopets fan. XD;

I honestly didn’t learn how to code anything higher than the basic level in Java or C until I was 18 when I took compsci classes at my university.

17 is definitely the right age to start, since you have plenty of time to play around with code! It’s never too late to start something. I’ve read a quote somewhere that it takes exactly 10 years for anyone to become novice at something. The best programmers I know started when they were like, 8-12 years old, but you still have plenty of time to learn!

I highly recommend that you start off with Python, C and PHP, then C++, then Java in order of what languages are the most common and simple to learn (and their concepts), but different things work for different people.

To learn, I really love watching lectures on youtube. They’re free and the professor teaching the course is a lot more clear about it than some of my own: http://cslibrary.stanford.edu/

Hope this helps! Good luck! :D

“We’re switching to Waterfall next week…”

“Time to upgrade Eclipse!”

“3+ years of experience with Visual Basic, 3+ years of…”

“public static void ….”

“On the whiteboard, show me how you’d do [unlikely problem] in [unfamiliar language]”

“We’re gonna need you guys to work on some in-house software.”

“Can’t you use Java?”

Stack Overflow

Q: Can anyone help me with this problem? 

A: nvm, I figured it out.

A Programmer’s Day

1. Wake up with an idea. Mull over it during breakfast brunch.

2. By 1 P.M., you’ve decided it’ll be a great way to get into that new language you’ve been wanting to try.

3. Hack out a few basic components. Get excited when they work beautifully.

5. Time for actual lunch. Come up with an extension to your idea that’s even more exciting than the original idea.

6. Get started on the extension, which spawns three more amazing ideas.

7. It’s 2 P.M., and the extension has become its own project.

8. It’s 4 P.M. and the components you hacked out before won’t play nice together. Ask Stack Overflow.

9. Incorrectly copy/paste your code into SO such that you’re missing a brace and the community thinks that’s your problem. It’s 6 o’clock. Tumblr break.

10. Read all the articles linked from the #programming tags. Read the articles they link to.

11. It’s 8:30 P.M., and you’ve got 11 tabs open. Not including Reddit and Tumblr.

12. Finish arguing over IRC about how Scala is the next big thing and oh maybe I should get back to that project.

13. 10 P.M., dinner ramen should be sufficient.

14. Open up vim and get back to that project.

15. *multiple “what the fuck” moments while reacquainting yourself with your 4-hour-old code*

16. “This is idea isn’t really that great anyway. I’m sure tons of people have tried and failed.”

17. Read xkcd/Cracked articles/TV Tropes.

18. “I’ll just get back to that project in the morning.”

19. It’s 3 A.M. and maybe sleep or something I guess but ycombinator and

20. goto 1

That awkward moment when

You’ve spent hours coding, you code doesn’t run, you spend hours agonizing and trying to figure out what’s wrong and…

you forgot to add a semi-colon at the end of line 78.

Submitted by: ghanaiangeek