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Subject: 
Re: NQC programming guide
Newsgroups: 
lugnet.robotics
Date: 
Tue, 7 Nov 2006 07:07:57 GMT
Original-From: 
steve <sjbaker1@airmail.STOPSPAMMERSnet>
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linmix wrote:

As for which programming language to learn, I'm sure C (or C related) is
a perfect choice. For one, as you say NQC is C based. Secondly, learning
C should give me a better insight in some of  the things that happen in
my Linux machine. Java sounds interesting because it is used for quite a
few cross platform applications and because of lejos, but let's take
this a step at a time. Once I know my way around NQC I can always decide
to learn something else.

Yep - that's definitely the case.

Once you have learned one C-like language (and I'd describe JAVA, NQC,
C++, Python, Pascal, JavaScript, PHP as 'sufficiently C-like') - it's
quite easy to learn another.  I needed to learn PHP for a project I
had planned - I bought the "Sam's PHP in 24 hours" book and picked
up enough PHP in an hour to write a 3,000 line web-based application
without needing to refer back to the book even once!

The 'class' concept in Java and C++ takes a bit more getting used to -
but the hardest thing for me in picking up Java (since I was familiar
with C++) was the fact that Java uses 'boolean' instead of 'bool' -
which catches me out every single time!  The lack of '{}' in Python
fools me a lot too - but these are superficial annoyances rather
than deep conceptual gulfs.  Once you are familiar with one of this
large "family" of programming languages, it's fairly easy to adapt
to one of the others - and every new one you learn makes the next
one that bit easier to assimilate.

The most important thing about learning to program is that you have
to write LOTS AND LOTS AND LOTS of programs!  It doesn't matter what
they do - drive robots, balance your checkbook, play Tetris...just
so long as you write lots and lots of code in whatever language you
choose.  There is absolutely no substitute for practice.

I've been programming since the mid 1970's - and still, when I look
back on a program I wrote a couple of years ago, I say to myself "Wow!
I was really that bad back then!  I can do SO much better now!".



Message has 1 Reply:
  Re: NQC programming guide
 
(...) This is probably the best advice I have *ever* seen given to someone who is just starting out trying to learn how to program. Spotlighted!! (18 years ago, 7-Dec-06, to lugnet.robotics)

Message is in Reply To:
  Re: NQC programming guide
 
Thanks for the link. As for which programming language to learn, I'm sure C (or C related) is a perfect choice. For one, as you say NQC is C based. Secondly, learning C should give me a better insight in some of the things that happen in my Linux (...) (18 years ago, 6-Dec-06, to lugnet.robotics)

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