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DarkBASIC Discussion / I'm desperate

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Zombie 20
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Joined: 26th Nov 2006
Location: Etters, PA
Posted: 24th Mar 2008 06:52
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Alright this is it, I can slowly feel my chance to be a programmer slipping away and that is enraging me, its all I want to do, one of the only activites I really enjoy is games, other than building cool contraptions but anyway... I am out of a computer, I maybe have about 10 mins on one in two months at a time, money is low but I do have some book money that I want to use so my question is this.

Can anybody recomend some good books for me to search for through B&N to study programming and become a better coder? Any help would be appreciated, I have at least 3 or 4 books on c++ as it is but they are only starter books, still I think I'm set for c++, I just need to broaden my learning, something that will stick, not one individual language, but perhaps something universal throughout programming in general. I realise that much of programming is just practicing it but as of now that doesn't really seem to be an option and suffice to say my passiveness is beginning to cross the threshold.

Please any help would be greatly appreciated, I ask you guys because well you're really my only programming buds I have and therefore I look up to all of you on this board and since you've helped me before, maybe you could dig me out again? I know there is so much to learn, but maybe something concrete that will hold me over for a few more months until I have a cpu again. Thanks for reading and if you can't help its okay, this is an odd request I know.

Books I have

Starting C++
C++ in 24 hours
C++: Adding,Subtracting, and Practical Applications


Thanks again everyone,

Ian


Coffee coffee coffee coffee coffee coffee cappacino, JAVA!
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Sinani201
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Joined: 16th Apr 2007
Location: Aperture Science Enrichment Center
Posted: 24th Mar 2008 22:09
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Are you trying to program in C++ or DarkBASIC? Because all you have are C++ books, and at the same time you're posting this on the DarkBASIC Forum.

Seriously, how do you make the little blue text come up below your message?
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Latch
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Posted: 25th Mar 2008 05:16 Edited at: 25th Mar 2008 05:17
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Probably programming talk or geek culture would be a better place for this but my two cents worth:

Though I can't suggest any good books off the cuff I can recommend a path: I would start with Modula-2. It's a very easy programming language to learn, it forces you to code "properly" (data types, modules and what not), it will be easy to adapt to use Pascal after learning it, it will also give you a good basis to be able to tackle C++, C, and even Assembly in the future (and of course BASIC). Also, it creates faster and smaller exes than C++. The only reason I could see learning C++ is because of it's commercial availabilty. If you're just a hobbiest then that shouldn't be an issue. I believe you can even use C,C++ header files and libraries with Modula-2 depending on the compiler.

I'm sure there are others that would argue against this but that's my input.

Enjoy your day.
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pirate
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Posted: 25th Mar 2008 06:44
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i have found that going to the public library and checking out books is a lot cheaper than paying book store prices and finding out that this is not the book for you...any language you want is out there, but dbpro will be a lot easier to learn than just jumping into c++...there are a lot of free ebooks for c++..just google....i would recommend dbpro and just start small and with the basics and before you know it you will be making some good stuff...i have played with the program mentioned by latch but personally i diddn't like it...hope this helps...

thanks, pirate
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LBFN
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Posted: 25th Mar 2008 12:18
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Quote: "I am out of a computer, I maybe have about 10 mins on one in two months at a time"


Learning programming principles from a book is good, but your progress will be limited because you will not be able to interact with the computer. I know you have DBC; why not learn all you can about the fundamentals of programming with it? I definitely think it would be easier than C++ and would give you a good foundation to move to C++ later. Though I have prior programming experience, I started with DBC using the 'Programmer's Guide to DarkBASIC' and it helped me.

Might I suggest that whatever you do, that you start with the basic fundamentals and that you stick with it, recognizing that it will take time for you to develop into an uberprogrammer.

Good luck,

LBFN
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jason p sage
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Location: Ellington, CT USA
Posted: 27th Mar 2008 18:14
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Try to get a sponsor - like a free laptop for education or something - use the library as was mentioned.

You still in school... MAYBE you can ask a guidance counselor how you might be able to apply for a free laptop or something. Might have linux... but anything is better than no computer!

Also - hit the used computer store - maybe tell them your plight - I would leave out the games part - just say you are learning how to program - you love it - and I just need a cheap used computer that can run XP or something.


http://www.jasonpetersage.com/?PAGE=ironinfantry&SECTION=ironinfantry
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Zombie 20
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Location: Etters, PA
Posted: 30th Mar 2008 05:39
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Thank you all of you for your responses, I appreciate it.

Latch - I will look up a modula-2, it sounds very interesting, thank you.

Pirate- Our local library is a little lax on programming but I can order books from other hubs to there, thanks for the suggestion.

LB- I do have DBC and I will pick up that book immediatly, thank you for suggesting it.

Jason - Not in school anymore but thank for the computer suggestion, I can hop to circuit city, best buy, and maybe walmart as a last result.


So yes, to all of you thank you very much for taking the time to write out your thoughts, I will do all of them and continue to study. I just want a better understanding of code before I step into a college campus.

Ian


Coffee coffee coffee coffee coffee coffee cappacino, JAVA!
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Virtual X
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Posted: 30th Mar 2008 12:52
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I know how you feel, as latch suggests, Modula-2 isn't such a bad language to learn as it's based on Pascal, although it is procedural as opposed to OOP, but I feel a language that you will actually use in college will be a better approach.

Which languages will you be taught? If it's a computing course then your probably looking at C++ and Java, maybe C#, so why not try and learn something that you will actually use in college? If money is real tight, why don't you try your local businesses and see if they want to sell you or even GIVE you an old PC as a charitable donation towards your college studies, businesses are ALWAYS disposing old PC's, thats why I have a 2.8Ghz, Pentium 4 - yep! an old pc from a company :oP

Stop being 'desperate', it is going to take TIME, so there is no point whining about it *kidding* ;o), seriously, set yourself a goal by a certain date or make a promise to yourself that this time next year your be proficient in ANSI C++ - YES, ANSI STANDARD FIRST!! you need a firm understanding in C++ concepts before anything else, so there is no point in trying to rush the situation, set yourself a goal and believe you can achieve it, no one is going to do the believing for you!

If you want it enough, then go get it!
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Libervurto
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Location: On Toast
Posted: 3rd Apr 2008 05:29
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I am also without a pc
it's annoying me but luckily i kept the free Ya Basic that with my ps2 and im slowly getting to grips with.
im finding that these limitations are actually making me a better coder!
So try and find something you can program, no matter how ancient.
get an old calculator off ebay or something.
Limiting yourself means you have to be clever and work around the limitations. if you think about it you can be quite sloppy with db and get away with it, you'd have to write a lot of code before you started pushing the boundaries, with a calculator the boundaries are much smaller.

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