free programming language

[Ron Marriage]

Having taught programming languages for over 30 years, I
figure to weigh in with my own 2 cents.

First off, if you don't know a programming language now,
forget about the compilers, IDEs, etc.
You don't want to learn an IDE you want to know how to
program.  The skills that you learn will transfer to most
other languages.

Basic is available in many flavors, pick one, so it's
interpreted, why should you care.  Believe it or not you
won't develope the newest MS office suite with it or with
any language you start out with.

What you can learn though even with an interpreted language
is logic, methodology, and a background that will carry over
to more advanced languages, where you will have the chance
of doing something worthwhile.

Tie yourself to an IDE now and you won't learn programming
ever.  You also won't develope anything more than what you
can do by pushing buttons.  An IDE is good only after you
learn how to program.

Get basic, play with it a while, then try C or some other
higher language.

Lots of languages out there and most work great for specific
things. Not eveything is done in C.

After you have some basic skills, decide what it is that you
want to do.  You might realize then that the language you
want is much easier to decide upon.

Ron



Alex Snow wrote:
> 
> I would use, and want to learn, basic, if there was a free Compiler and/or
> IDE for basic under winblows.
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Gregory Nowak" <gnowak1 at uic.edu>
> To: <speakup at braille.uwo.ca>
> Sent: Sunday, March 10, 2002 2:56 PM
> Subject: Re: free programming language
> 
> > How about BASIC?
> > Greg

-- 
===
Ron Marriage
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