Programming

**mavsman4457** · October 2nd, 2006, 01:44

I am PLANNING on learning to program. As of now I have zero programming experience. I am only a teenager so with my attention span I could get bored and give up but I intend on sticking with this because I want to make some PSP programs and maybe someday get a job from this(I'm very optimistic

). So putting aside any doubts that you might have in me, how long did it take you programmers to get started? My programming knowledge is going to come from www.cprogramming.com and I plan on starting when I install Linux on my computer, which I think is going to be tomorrow. Any advice you guys have for me? Other tutorials that you think I should look into? Also, would it be easier for me to learn if I'm good at math or does that even matter? Thanks.

**skater9269** · October 2nd, 2006, 02:02

I am in the exact same boat I have modified others source but never wrote my own

**skater9269** · October 2nd, 2006, 02:19

you dont need to install linux bloodshed is fine

**Tinnus** · October 2nd, 2006, 02:41

Yep Bloodshed Dev-C++ if you like IDEs or MingW if you like command-lines. Also maths *knowledge* won't help you learn how to program, although it will help you write programs later. For example, you can't write a program that calculates the area of a polygon if you don't know the formula

Math *thinking* however will help, and that is, learning to think procedurally--how a computer thinks. Like "do that" then "do that". Now "in the case of that result being this, do that, or else do that". That kinda stuff.

Logical thinking helps too of course.

**mavsman4457** · October 2nd, 2006, 03:27

Thanks Tinnus. And I know that you don't NEED Linux for it but I was planning on installing it anyways to experiment with it and see whats good and bad about it as opposed to Windows so I just figure that I'll program on Linux as opposed to installing extra applications on Windows.

**NoQuarter** · October 2nd, 2006, 03:30

You could always set up a dual boot with linux and windows.I've used several distro's of linux,slackware has been my favorite and I highly recommend it.

**mavsman4457** · October 2nd, 2006, 05:23

Yah I am planning on installing my new hard drive tomorrow and with that I will install Linux on it. I am not just going to get rid of Windows altogether because my whole family would not be able to make the adjustment and I'm sure I will still like to use Windows primarily. Thanks for the advice and I think I am going to install ubuntu but it wouldn't take much for someone to change my mind.

**SSaxdude** · October 2nd, 2006, 05:44

How hard is it to become good at coding LUA? I really don't have the time to learn something complex like C++.

**Mr. Shizzy** · October 2nd, 2006, 09:48

Originally Posted by SSaxdude

How hard is it to become good at coding LUA? I really don't have the time to learn something complex like C++.

My question is the same. Or better yet, is there a program that will let you slap a quick PSP game together with no coding knowledge. (Like a homebrew RPG Maker) I think that would be cool.