Best way to self teach a programming language?

[eyehawk78]

Hi i'm currently trying to extend my knowledge of Java, but I guess this could apply to anyone planning to learn a language on there own.

 

I was wondering what is the best way to teach myself? Should I set myself a mini-project? if so what would be the best way to find such a project? Or should I read through other peoples programs and try and figure out how they work? Does anyone know of any effective methods for teaching yourself a programming language?

 

 

 

Thanks, Eye

[Somnambulism]

You'll need to do a project yourself to understand it properly, then you're forced to come up with original code as opposed to just pretending you understand someone else's work. What sort of project is hard to say, it depends on what you're interested in.

 

 

 

I'm in the middle of writing a program that performs traceroutes on user entered hosts, analyses them and highlights congested links.

[sk8nbail]

It really depends on your style of learning. I learn by watching and analyzing code and understanding what part of code does what. Once I understand "Why" code works it becomes alot easier to learn. Also depends on if this is your first language or if youve had some previous knowledge of code. I learned on BASIC and after that taught myself C then C++.

 

 

 

Hoped I helped any, Good Luck!

[ashozzy2]

With programing there is three main ways (in my opinion) that you can go around teaching yourself.

 

 

 

The first is by reading a book and trying to teach yourself using a book, I find that having a book next to you can be handy when you first learn a language as you can consult it for syntax help, and its almost guaranteed to have some information about common newbie errors.

 

 

 

The second way is by obtaining the source to an allready existing project and tinkering with the source and learning by trial and error. If you are learning your firts language this isnt really the best way of going about it.

 

 

 

The third way is by setting yourself a problem which you wish to solve. This has to be by far the best way to learn a language as you have identified a problem and you know exactly how to solve it. Whilst doing your program you can use other resources to help learn the language (internet books etc)

 

 

 

I would also strongly reccomend to any new programmer to join a forum detiacted to that language, that way your are going to meet new people and get advice from people who know the language inside out.

 

 

 

For java I would reccomend the sun website, it has some very good user friendly tutorials and the people that create them actualy respond to emails.

 

 

 

Glad if this helped :)

[Somnambulism]

The first is by reading a book and trying to teach yourself using a book, I find that having a book next to you can be handy when you first learn a language as you can consult it for syntax help, and its almost guaranteed to have some information about common newbie errors.

 

 

 

They're also good if you're just not sure how a certain thing works. I found that during the implementation of my degree project I relied a lot on my books. I would recommend the O'Reilly 'Cookbooks'.

[nomar04]

The first programming language i learned was with a compiler called True Basic, and it is a version of Basic. It's great for learning, because it is very literal, and is not hard to understand. The only downside is that you cannot write very good programs on it, because of many flaws that if you use, you will find out why. If you want to try that first, get True Basic Bronze for free, and pm me if you want some code examples.

 

 

 

From BASIC i went to Java with a compiler called J Creator, which is free. You can write some great Java stuff, and if you are writing HTML too, then it is very easy to use the two in unison. If you get J Creator, i would suggest getting the API, which gives you all of the syntax for everything.

 

 

 

Unfortunately, i cannot help you with being able to teach yourself, because i learned both of these languages in a class at my school.

[eyehawk78]

Thanks for your tips, I was already using the book technique and I guess I was kinda doing the change other people code to see what effects what. I'll try and figure out a mini project for myself to complete, try to come up with a suitable one is the hard part though. lol.

[Darrel104]

I don't know a large amount about java but I will still try and help:

 

 

 

Buy a book and if you don't understand something too well then read a online tutorial and reread the section you don't understand. Jcreator is very good since its very simple but it would help to switch to eclipse once you understand how java works more. After that you just need to stick with it and don't give up with trying to solve bugs because if you don't solve it then you will most likely get the same one again.

 

 

 

some programs that you could do since one of the challenges is thinking of a program to write.

 

-print hello world

 

-print the sum of 2 predefined variables

 

-using the Scanner class get input for a length and width of a rectangle and find the perimeter and area, then print those out.

 

-the previous one but use a getarea() and getperimeter() method in the same class.

 

-use a loop to find the exp of a inputed number

 

-input 10 nums into an array and print them

 

-make a class for the last program that will sort the nums and find the lowest/highest. The make a class variable that will hold the array and have another method that will return the array. Modify you client/previous program to test this.

 

-make a class that will edit strings using the string class such as removing spaces or inserting a a word in place of another word that are both parameters. Make a client to test it also.

 

-make a program that acts as a library with the ability to take out and return the books. The book class should have the book name and the author along with and a boolean variable reflecting if it is returned or not.

 

-input 10 nums and create a class that will sort them with selection, insetion and bubble.

 

-make a program that will print out hello world with the swing class/GUI

 

-make a swing button that will print out how many times you have clicked it along with a button to close it.

 

-swing program that you can enter C and convert to F or the other way around and print it out.

 

-runescape calculator that will calculate xp with a scrollbar and a picture with relevance to the certain skill that is selected.

 

-modify the last program to have a choice of getting the xp off the runescape highscores.

 

-modify the calculator to have a text file recording the xp at previous runs.

 

-modify the calculator to have a 2d graph of the textfile.

 

 

 

That should give you a good understanding of the java syntax,Scanner class, Swing class, 2d api, java naming and director interface.

[hohto]

Some years (ok almost a decade :P ) ago I selfstudied basic and managed to learn it pretty well. Here's some tips:

 

 

 

* Start from the basics and don't set too high goals at first. Just write some lines of the code and learn the basics really well. Remember that your first software might be worse than Jagex customer support and you most likely won't make a new Half Life during your first 2 weeks of coding.

 

* Look other softwares and lines of code for educational purposes. Don't copy them, but look for things how something could be done. Coding is 35% of remembering which things to write and 65% of logic thinking. The more ways you got to solve the problem, the better coder you are.

 

* Every time you learn something new, don't abandon the old. Remember the old things you've learnt and use them if they work. You don't need to use new things in your software just because you've just learnt it.

 

* Get people to test your doings after you've learnt something. This way you can find out bugs and give suggestions.

 

* To learn to code you gotta code. Sounds simple, but still so many people are just "theoretical coders" who sound good and can remember all the books from cover to cover, but can't really handle a big and complicated code. Code all kinds of different things you just can imagine.

[nomar04]

what compiler are you using to write Java programs?

[eyehawk78]

I was planning to use NetBeans since it pretty much tells you where your going wrong.

[eyehawk78]

Mostly I need to practice recursion, interfaces and AWT and swing graphics. There the things I struggle with mostly.

[no_way2go]

I started a few years ago by making runescape cheats: scripts written in Pascal :shock:

[Randox]

For me, I just read the manual for the program and look at any sample programs/code to figure it out. Then I start trying to make my own programs. I'll write as much coded as I can and use pre-existing code to help fill in the gaps as nessasary. Samples are good for really complex things.

[zonda]

Well I've read several books myself, and each time I never really learn a darn thing from them.

 

 

 

The easiest way I would have to say for me to learn was just trial and error.

 

 

 

I didn't make a problem to solve, or have a program with any particular purpose. I just sat down, looked through a few other peoples code and thought "hmm what does this do" or I'd flip through the book, find a random command and say okay, what can I do with this, how does it work, what variables or statements can I apply to it and just kind of wing it.

 

 

 

At times it can be frustrating because in reality you have no clue what the heck your doing, but it sure won't make you forget it.

[Melter]

Well if youre learning your first language, learning Java is got to be the most idiotic thing ive ever heard of. You should start with a less complicated language, id say Microsoft Visual C# .NET 2005, or even better, Microsoft Visual Basic .NET 2005. The Express editions are great for beginners (come with a great help system), and its FREE. Google C# or Visual Basic Express editions.

[Earpy]

Im working on learning C++ and im finding it really hard. The syntax is really hard and it's really confusing to get your head around all of it. I could do with some advice if anyone has any ideas?