Posts Tagged ‘simple programming langauges for newbies’
May 2nd, 2009 | 
Author: I’m still new enough to programming to understand how challenging it might be to decide what programming language you want to learn first. Below is a list of languages someone new to programming might want to consider learning. Keep in mind that there is no such thing as an “easy” programming language but if you choose a language and stick with it long enough you will start to find that most programming languages are similar in some way. This list will be updated as people recommend more languages.
In no real order here is a list of easy programming languages you might want to consider learning if your new to programming. The example included with each language shows you the code required to output the words “Hello World”. There is also a short list of tutorials included with each language but remember that Google is your friend and the internet has thousands of free tutorials for each language.
* HTML (HyperText Markup Language): This is where you should start if you want to do any web site development. A basic knowledge of HTML is required for almost any other web language.
o Example:
o <HTML>
o <BODY>
o <p>Hello World</p>
o </BODY>
o </HTML>
+ Tutorials:
+ w3schools HTML tutorial – One of the best interactive HTML tutorials – Recommend
+ HTML Dog Beginner Tutorial – A good introduction to HTML
* BASIC (Beginner’s All-purpose Symbolic Instruction Code): BASIC is a good way to understand the very basics of almost any language. It will teach you how to use common practices like loops which will be used in other languages as you progress. BASIC is outdated but it’s a good starting point due to its simplicity. I started out using QBaisc but there are all sorts of BASIC type languages you can choose from. With BASIC you will be writing console applications.
o Example:
o CLS
o PRINT “Hello World”
+ Tutorials:
+ PIMA QBasic Tutorial – A tutorial developed by PIMA community college
+ TechiWarehouse QBasic Tutorial – A short tutorial that gets straight to the point
* Python: Python is a scripting language that is known for its code readability. Python is growing in popularity and jobs requiring Python are increasing. With Python you can do many things from web site work to graphical applications. It is fairly simple to learn and is very powerful. If you want to try to learn something that is current and in demand than Python might be than language for you.
o Example:
o print “Hello World”
+ Tutorials:
+ A Byte of Python – Great tutorial for anyone beginning Python – Recommend (2.X version)
+ Sthurlow Beginners Python Tutorial – A detailed tutorial for Python beginners
The purpose of this list is to outline programming languages that are easy to understand. If you don’t care about how easy it is to understand the language than you might want to first decide what you plan to develop (web site, software, video game). After you know what you would like to develop than you can use Google to find what languages would be a good fit to program your desired application.
If you would like to add a language to the list or have some feedback than please leave a comment below and I will be sure to get back to you.
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