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Geek Culture / How did you learn DBP?

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BMacZero
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Posted: 22nd Dec 2007 05:41
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Was it from the help files? Tutorials? Other people's code? Another place?

Also, how helpful would you say this source was, compared to others you have seen?

I'm hoping that we can learn from this where the best places are to point newcomers to, and maybe those of us who are more experienced can learn a thing or two in the process.



As for me, I found that the manual that came with my copy of DarkBASIC explained the basics of variables, loops, types, and the like pretty well.


"Ok, so that wasn't funny. I don' have any good Christmas jokes."
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bitJericho
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Posted: 22nd Dec 2007 05:45 Edited at: 22nd Dec 2007 05:46
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Quote: "Also, how helpful would you say this source was, compared to others you have seen?"


You want me to remember the first piece of code I looked at from DB?? I can't say I remember, it was prolly in the help pages

I came across dbc after seeing a "capture the flag" demo someone sent around in a qbasic chatroom prolly around 2001-2002ish. I was like "Is that qbasic??" and he told me it was DBC. Have no idea who that was.. I wonder if he's still around...


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BMacZero
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Posted: 22nd Dec 2007 05:48 Edited at: 22nd Dec 2007 05:49
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Quote: "You want me to remember the first piece of code I looked at from DB?? I can't say I remember, it was prolly in the help pages"


Honestly, I didn't know there was code on the help pages until about last week .

You don't need to remember what it was, only how much you were able to actually learn from it.
Edit: Ok, I wasn't thinking when I posted that. Obviously it would be nice if you remembered what it was


"Ok, so that wasn't funny. I don' have any good Christmas jokes."
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bitJericho
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Posted: 22nd Dec 2007 05:52 Edited at: 22nd Dec 2007 05:53
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lol, no idea on if the first bit of code I saw was at all helpful. I was already a newb to qb so I understood a bit of it.

As for the first bit of code I ever saw, was on a coco2, typing out of one of those programming books where you type the program in the book into the computer and run it

It was really fun, and prolly what made me like programming. Perhaps we should write up a wiki newb guide that all it is is mini programming exercises


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Dr Schnitzengruber
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Posted: 22nd Dec 2007 06:11
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Quote: "How did you learn DBP?"


Just like I do every other language, I take the biggest mess of code I could find on the internet/help examples and then I mess with it to try to make it do other things.

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Inspire
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Posted: 22nd Dec 2007 06:33
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It took me millions of dollars and countless lives.

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Xenocythe
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Posted: 22nd Dec 2007 07:24
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Inspire, you dog


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Digital Awakening
AGK Developer
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Posted: 22nd Dec 2007 09:15 Edited at: 22nd Dec 2007 09:17
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I learned DBC from the manual and DBP i just used the help files for reference. I know what I want so I just look around for the command I need, that's how I've learned Lingo (Director, a long long time ago) and PHP as well. I usually don't look at code, that's just more work.

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DB PROgrammer
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Posted: 22nd Dec 2007 09:15
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I learned DBC first just by messing with the examples then I got DBPro and joined the forums which really helped

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Fallout
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Posted: 22nd Dec 2007 10:34
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I think I just learned from the reference commands. Mind you, there weren't really any tutorials back when I started. Lee still had bum fluff on his chin and a squeaky voice and everyone was oblivious to the fact the IDE could kill you at any moment.

It just takes years and years of using it, and eventually you realise you know the majority of the commands and arguments and you're no longer having difficulty with the commands, just your program logic.


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Insert Name Here
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Posted: 22nd Dec 2007 12:06
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I looked at other peoples code and learn't form it, experimenting and the like.


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Oolite
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Posted: 22nd Dec 2007 19:38
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Pretty much the same as everyone else, did a few basic tutorials and then started dissecting other peoples code.

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n008
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Posted: 22nd Dec 2007 19:44
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I went on a crazy DXM trip, got my brain blasted RIGHT intoi the computer terminal, then had the code mingle with my brain until I was the DB masta'

[/sarcasm]

I learned it like I do every other language:

Practice re-writing and improving other people's code until I can write my own programs with it.

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BMacZero
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Posted: 22nd Dec 2007 19:57
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Manual: 2
Other's Code: 7
Help Files: 1

Seems like fiddling with other people's code is the way to go, so far.


"Ok, so that wasn't funny. I don' have any good Christmas jokes."
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Oolite
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Posted: 22nd Dec 2007 20:22
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Not really, do what helps you best, not just what everyone else does.

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Digital Awakening
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Posted: 22nd Dec 2007 21:15 Edited at: 22nd Dec 2007 21:17
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There are 4 or 5 ways (can't remember which) to solve problems and people prefer different methods. So far we have the thinking (manual/help files) and the practical (source) ways. One could also do it the social way and be talking to others but I don't think that's a useful way for a programmer as you need to be able to work alone, you could of course take a class (if you can found one for DBP) but you need to do it yourself sooner or later. I don't think any other way works for the actual learning.

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Matt Rock
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Posted: 22nd Dec 2007 22:26
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I started already having a foundation from BASIC and BASICA (the olden times lol, back in the 1980's on an IBM PCjr ).

You should point people to The Beginner's Guide to DarkBASIC. It teaches DBC programming in a very simple, user-friendly way. It's designed for people with no background in programming whatsoever, and can give someone the foundation they need to start learning. It's important to note however that the book is designed for Beginners. Over the years I've heard people say "the book sucks, it doesn't teach you 3D." Well, it isn't designed to teach you that stuff... it's designed for Beginners, hence that word actually being in the bloody title of the book . Besides that, with a bit of common sense and a practical understanding of how to take notes, the book walks you through the full process of learning what various commands mean and all that.

Once they've learned their way through the basics, they can step up to more advanced books. There's tons of books on Amazon regarding DarkBASIC and DarkBASIC Professional (and just about every other programming language you can think of), but I recommend they check out Hands on DarkBASIC volumes one and two, available for sale right here on good ole' TGC. There's also a zillion tutorials and examples around as well. Anyway, if the person is an absolute beginner, that's what I'd suggest. Then again I'm a terrible programmer so maybe it's best to just ignore me lol.


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Uncle Sam
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Posted: 22nd Dec 2007 22:38 Edited at: 22nd Dec 2007 22:39
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I'm rather proud of the way I learned. I opened up the DBC timed trial and in two weeks, made a full 3D platform game, with elevators, collision (as bad abd buggy as it was), falling platforms, running, walking and jumping (with a cube), a poll you could climb, and a block you could push and make it fall onto a man standing on a lower platform. I did it all with only the DBC help files.

If I can find the EXE I'll post it up.

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AlanC
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Posted: 23rd Dec 2007 00:21
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I have had DBP for almost a year, and I havn't learned how to do anything.

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BMacZero
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Posted: 23rd Dec 2007 00:31
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Well, you now know about several good resources for beginners. Get coding!!


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Phaelax
DBPro Master
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Posted: 23rd Dec 2007 00:55
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I stareted with DBC, around version 1.08 I believe. At the time, the online community and resources was quite scarce. So must of it was left up to the handful of us to figure out on our own. I'd say more of the earlier people like myself had prior experience with programming, so that gave us a running start.


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gbark
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Posted: 23rd Dec 2007 01:07 Edited at: 23rd Dec 2007 01:07
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The help files are the single best place to learn, cause to get any examples to work you gotta really learn to debug through experience!


Nah, I'm just kidding -- I started with the trial version of DBC actually. I already had some experience with other programming languages, so it was just a matter of learning DB's specific commands and syntax. Then I bought DBPro and it was pretty much the same, just some new commands. The little manual that comes with it (I guess it still does, I got the boxed version a few years ago...) was pretty helpful as it lists all the commands and has a few sample tutorials.

Mostly I just took other people's code and/or example code and modified it until I felt safe to try some things from scratch.
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Satchmo
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Posted: 23rd Dec 2007 04:20
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First piece of code I ever looked at was the cave runner demo example in dbc. From there, the basis of everything I know come from Tdk man's tutorials.

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Aaron Miller
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Posted: 23rd Dec 2007 06:01
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The help files and forums.

Cheers,

-naota

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