I want to learn Programming..which language should I start with?

My CS lecturer said we are going to start with C and a lot of work needs to be done by us. Which is the best recommended language for beginners?
If its C can I get online tutorials so that I can get a head start?

Reply 1

muf_mur

I should also mention I am interested in both developing apps and web design.
Currently I am doing the CS course on khan academy.

Reply 2

jeremy1988

I would say C or C++ is a good choice for beginners. So your teacher is on the right track. Too many teachers these days start people out with Java or something and don't teach them memory management or how anything actually works. Everyone I know who started out with Java ended up knowing very little about programming other than how to churn out code without thinking about it.

C was the language I started with when studying on my own, and C++ was the medium of instruction when I started taking classes. When you move to Object Oriented programming, you'll likely switch to C++, so be prepared for that.

If they teach really well, it won't matter which language you start with, though. It's just that Java encourages less stringent practices and hides a lot of important details.

Oh, and for web design, you might also want to learn PHP or ASP.NET, the former of which has similarities to C.

(edited 8 years ago)

Reply 3

muf_mur

Original post by jeremy1988

Thanks. I'll start with C then.

Original post by The_Stig

What's the difference between C and C#?

Reply 6

The_Stig

Original post by muf_mur

What's the difference between C and C#?

C is a low level programming language, it offers little functionality and is more suited to coding an OS or low level software due to the near assembly performance.

C# is an object oriented programming language which is the way to go. It offers much more functionality, readability and is just more industry standard than C is. You will be able to learn C# faster and do more with C# than you could in the same time learning C.

C++ and JavaScript

Original post by The_Stig

And learning C# won't be challenging for me?

Reply 9

The_Stig

Original post by muf_mur

And learning C# won't be challenging for me?

Well it will be challenging, learning any language is challenging - but it will be easier than C as it is closer to English than C is if you will. This makes it much easier to understand when reading it and when writing it too.

Java, Python or C#

I found this cool pic:

Reply 12

jeremy1988

Original post by muf_mur

And learning C# won't be challenging for me?

C# isn't a bad choice, but it's not quite as common in industry as C++. They're very similar at the syntax/structural level, though. It's pretty easy to learn, though, and it's very useful in a Microsoft shop. Not as much if you end up dealing with Unix variants, though.

I would stick to some variant of C, though. C, C++, or C#, simply because if you know one it's easier to learn the others... and they're all used pretty widely.

(edited 8 years ago)

Reply 13

bigboateng_

If you're going to start with C, then stick with C. Also converting from C to C++ won't be any harder ones you get the grips with C. I wouldn't recommend C# though. On the other hand if you wanna get into games programming then c# will be good (if you use unity 3D)

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