What programming language would you reccomend?

[The Doctor]

Oh I don't know. It has it's advantage, being an interpreted language makes it fairly simple for the beginner. I started with QBASIC. I think QBASIC is interpreted.

[Dullstar]

I'm starting to see how C# works, so I might end up just finding advantage with it after all.  For one thing, if I recall correctly, you have to download python to use it, another thing is that it would help for if I ever take a programming class.

[The Doctor]

It's still a good solution for the crossplatform software, with simplicity in mind. Of course, if you would like a hand learning C#, I'd happily help.

[Dullstar]

Thanks.  Did you get the personal message I sent you about contacting me?

[The Doctor]

Got it. Did you get mine.

[Dullstar]

I'm basically trying to redo the calculator in C# using yours as a base, but I'm going to try adding on a GUI.

[Dullstar]

It's certainly been a while since I've came to this stuff, so I'm going to figure out what the most adaptable multiplatform programming language is without straying far from the checks...  I want it to run on as many platforms as possible, after all.   

_{Reason for editing post:  Poor word choice corrected.}

[GuyPerfect]

If that's the case, C is your friend. C can go where C++ can't.

[ccexplore]

I'll grant you that because of the comparatively simpler semantics, you will find more platforms with C compilers available as opposed to C++ (although the comparison is a little off the point, since Dullstar has been using C# so far not C++).  But that completely ignores the fact that not only the language itself needs to be multi-platform, but also any libraries you used for critical things like graphics, audio, etc, which aren't part of the language.  Keeping that in mind, and you might find that other language's support for the most "common" target platforms are quite acceptable.

In any event, your program's multiplatform support is only as good as the number of platforms it has actually been tested on.

[Dullstar]

I'm still learning to program, so the project is not yet ready to be tested.  I should be able to get it tested on the three major ones:  Linux, Mac OS X, and Windows.

[Dullstar]

Progress report!  I'm going to try this tutorial!

http://www.cprogramming.com/tutorial/
The C part, anyways.  I've been afraid of C++.  Don't ask why.

However, I must ask...  when I dip into things such as GUI's, what should I use?  It has to be cross-platform!  Linux is your friend...

Also, I've heard about OpenGL, I'd like some information about where it goes into programming.


Awesome, my favourite Linux text editor has C syntax highlighting.  Now, whether or not it can save C files, I do not know.

[GuyPerfect]

Every operating system is going to have its own GUI, and even on Linux you'll find completely different UI libraries depending on the desktop environment/window manager you've got installed, so the only surefire way to use something that will be the same on various platforms is to implement it yourself.

Even Mac OS X supports the X Window System, so you should be good to go implementing that and a window handler for Microsoft Windows. What I've done is written an API with functions that behave the same on both platforms (and therefore only require me to write my code once), but the back-end code behind those functions is different for Windows and X. It's a little extra work up-front, but I can make things easily cross-platform that way.

OpenGL is a standardized graphics library (hence the "GL") that's supported on any operating system that cares anything about supporting standards. You can learn about using it at NeHe Productions.

[Dullstar]

Thanks!  And I'm happy to report that I can nearly write a calculator in C - I have to test it out, though.

[Minim]

My first post of this thread.

I'm happy to report that I can nearly write a calculator in C - I have to test it out, though.

Have you done it yet? I can't wait to see.

I'm starting to ask this question as well. I am currently doing A Levels (which on oth subjects I'm struggling with to pass) and so I should be looking at different types of jobs, not just the one I'm sticking with: Being a building surveyor in a locally small company; and now this idea came into my head thinking that I should do some programming. It would be good for me to get some practice on this as well. Being in a forum like this gives me some good examples on how posts are presented. I've also started a Wikipedia account. Wikipedia I think takes programming one step further but isn't very difficult once you get the hang of it for the next several days.

So, I haven't finished school yet, but at the moment I'm looking at programming. Any ideas yet?

[ccexplore]

I'm not sure what you mean by "any ideas yet?" If you're talking about  "which language", you have the 3-page history of this thread as a guide, albeit probably not a very good one.  Frankly, since you're only in exploratory stages right now, any language just to get you feet wet would be fine.  A lot of programming concepts, especially the most basic ones, doesn't really care which language you use.  Technologies can change at a fast pace, so it's probably more important to learn the fundamentals, to know enough so that you can easily learn a new language whenever the time comes.

I must take my leave now since as you know, I can't be posting at a thread where GuyPerfect might also be posting to, or very bad things will happen.   I'm frankly hesitant to even post this.