which language to start with

Nish Nishant

PaulC1972 wrote:

waste time with PE

Why not? Even .NET executables are generated as PE basically, right?

Regards, Nish

Nish’s thoughts on MFC, C++/CLI and .NET (my blog)
Currently working on C++/CLI in Action for Manning Publications. (*Sample chapter available online*)

Paul Conrad

Nishant Sivakumar wrote:

Why not? Even .NET executables are generated as PE basically, right?

Yes, but I was meaning "Plain English" :rolleyes:

If you try to write that in English, I might be able to understand more than a fraction of it. - Guffa

Matt Gerrans

I think by PE he meant "Plain English," in anticipation of a certain evangelist who will likely chime in with a long rant about how his dad should join a cult and refuse to program in anything but his native tongue. By the way, .NET compiles to IL, which isn't the same as PE.

Matt Gerrans

Amar Chaudhary

i think he knew that :)

it is good to be important but it is more important to be good

realJSOP

Pascal - it will teach him procedural programming in a strongly typed language. It's a good basis from which to learn C++ and then C#.

"Why don't you tie a kerosene-soaked rag around your ankles so the ants won't climb up and eat your candy ass..." - Dale Earnhardt, 1997
-----
"...the staggering layers of obscenity in your statement make it a work of art on so many levels." - Jason Jystad, 10/26/2001

Paul Conrad

Matt Gerrans wrote:

I think by PE he meant "Plain English," in anticipation of a certain evangelist who will likely chime in with a long rant about how his dad should join a cult and refuse to program in anything but his native tongue.

Yes :-D I am hoping my post will summon The Grand Troll for some entertainment :laugh:

If you try to write that in English, I might be able to understand more than a fraction of it. - Guffa

PIEBALDconsult

C#, no question.

Amar Chaudhary

PaulC1972 wrote:

The Grand Troll

LOL

it is good to be important but it is more important to be good

Rajesh R Subramanian

Amar Chaudhary wrote:

i think he knew that

Nish was talking about PE (Portable Executable) format I think.

Nobody can give you wiser advice than yourself. - Cicero

Shog9 0

Javascript. Or Forth. If you can manage to dig up a Forth environment and a copy of Leo Brodie's "Starting Forth". Brilliant beginner's book. :cool:

---- I just want you to be happy; That's my only little wish...

Amar Chaudhary

AFAIK he knew both terms and mingled them to produce some humor :)

it is good to be important but it is more important to be good

Amar Chaudhary

are you talking about this[^]

it is good to be important but it is more important to be good

Ashish Derhgawen

C# or Visual Basic. Both are good. Visual Basic is more close to normal English..but learning C# will probably make C++ and Java easier to learn. :)

Time flies like an arrow; Fruit flies like a banana. Ashish Derhgawen - http://ashishrd.blogspot.com[^]

Paul Conrad

Amar Chaudhary wrote:

AFAIK he knew both terms and mingled them to produce some humor

I think so. It goes to show PE is ambiguous and how could the "PE" compiler compile it. It wouldn't know if we were talking about Portable Executable or Plain English. This leads to non-deterministic compiling and headache :)

If you try to write that in English, I might be able to understand more than a fraction of it. - Guffa

Amar Chaudhary

personally saying i don't like vb but i am getting nice suggestions and will need to work out further:)

it is good to be important but it is more important to be good

Paul Conrad

Amar Chaudhary wrote:

are you talking about this[^]

Sounds like it. Nice quick reading :)

If you try to write that in English, I might be able to understand more than a fraction of it. - Guffa

Marc Clifton

I'd start with basic problem solving and flow chart diagramming. Then I'd move on to the idea of using objects for data/function representation, still using good ol' paper and pencil. Then I'd introduce object inheritance and the reason for it, again not touching a computer yet. Optionally, you might also want to introduce some simple UML diagramming, like sequence and state diagrams. Basically, most of programming is learning how to express the problem domain with a balance of concrete and abstract concepts and to come up with the right algorithms that actually meet the requirements. Before even coding, again on paper and pencil, I'd do a few lessons with "ok, now how would you test that algorithm/object model?" Once he's got that down, then show him a few different languages and how the syntax is different to do the same thing, but emphasizing overall syntax with only function stubs. Have him get in the practice of commenting what he plans each class and method and field/property to do, rather than doing it. You may think this takes all the fun out of programming, and depending on your dad's personality, that might be or not. However, I would go for giving your a dad the full flavor of what programming means (design, testing, documentation, etc) so he has the foundational stuff. Marc

Thyme In The Country

People are just notoriously impossible. --DavidCrow
There's NO excuse for not commenting your code. -- John Simmons / outlaw programmer
People who say that they will refactor their code later to make it "good" don't understand refactoring, nor the art and craft of programming. -- Josh Smith

Amar Chaudhary

yes the next topic i am going to introduce him is flow charting :)

it is good to be important but it is more important to be good

Raj Lal

HTML

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Paul Conrad

Amar Chaudhary wrote:

next topic i am going to introduce him is flow charting

Don't mean to overwhelm your dad, but you may want to show him UML once flow charting is mastered :)

If you try to write that in English, I might be able to understand more than a fraction of it. - Guffa