I need a guide for learning BASIC

ganonbanned · Post by **ganonbanned** » Wed Aug 08, 2007 6:13 pm

does anyone have a guide for learning BASIC, then C or C++? Thanks.

soundwave · Post by **soundwave** » Wed Aug 08, 2007 6:18 pm

Why do you want to learn BASIC? Learn C++ or Java, something you can actually use.. If you think BASIC will help you edge into the programming world, it really won't, its not object-oriented, and really shares next to no similarities with bigger languages such as the aforementioned C++ and Java.
On the other hand, if you learn Java first (like I did), it makes learning other object-oriented languages (like I will do someday) a walk in the park.

I'd recommend getting an actual book (look on Amazon at customer reviews), I personally hate switching between a .pdf and the compiler (unless there are two computers involved, but still, it gets annoying).

!!!!Super Waffle Ninja!!! · Wed Aug 08, 2007 6:18 pm

BASIC? I taught myself that in 5th grade.

Here's some guides: http://www.computer-books.us/basic.php

ganonbanned · Post by **ganonbanned** » Wed Aug 08, 2007 6:25 pm

soundwave wrote:Why do you want to learn BASIC? Learn C++ or Java, something you can actually use.. If you think BASIC will help you edge into the programming world, it really won't, its not object-oriented, and really shares next to no similarities with bigger languages such as the aforementioned C++ and Java.
On the other hand, if you learn Java first (like I did), it makes learning other object-oriented languages (like I will do someday) a walk in the park.

I'd recommend getting an actual book (look on Amazon at customer reviews), I personally hate switching between a .pdf and the compiler (unless there are two computers involved, but still, it gets annoying).

well according to a friend, who knows basic and C++, he learned basic first and claims that you need to know it first to learn C++

Post by **bicostp** » Wed Aug 08, 2007 6:33 pm

Classic BASIC isn't very useful anymore. Try Visual Basic, MS gives away an Express edition that can make full-fledged programs. It will do a lot more.

soundwave · Post by **soundwave** » Wed Aug 08, 2007 6:34 pm

That doesn't make sense..That doesn't make sense at all.
It might make it a little easier, but still, BASIC is a pretty archaic and obsolete language, ditch BASIC, learn Java, if you plan to go to college for computers you'll be learning it anyways.

ganonbanned · Post by **ganonbanned** » Wed Aug 08, 2007 6:41 pm

soundwave wrote:That doesn't make sense..That doesn't make sense at all.
It might make it a little easier, but still, BASIC is a pretty archaic and obsolete language, ditch BASIC, learn Java, if you plan to go to college for computers you'll be learning it anyways.

well thanks for the tip, but im not anyway, I'll probably learn java. is that easy?

if anyones wondering, im not not going for computers, im going to bartender school.

Post by **gannon** » Wed Aug 08, 2007 6:58 pm

Moving to the right forum.
As far as BASIC goes, which version? I'm sure there's hundreds, if not more.
For the most part, I only use C for embedded applications. Don't do much non-web PC programming, and the stuff I do is usually in php or perl.

soundwave · Post by **soundwave** » Wed Aug 08, 2007 7:12 pm

Bartending school? That's one of the biggest wastes of money out there..

ganonbanned · Post by **ganonbanned** » Wed Aug 08, 2007 7:14 pm

alright im not even sure what im talking about anymore. I basically want to learn a language so I can make an old-type FPS, or maybe an RTS filled with 80's references. prefferably like the original doom or the original quake. I thought I would need to learn BASIC, followed by C++ and use C++ to program this shin-ding. any suggestions?

Post by **marshallh** » Wed Aug 08, 2007 10:40 pm

Rule #1: BASIC in general sucks ass for games.
Rule #2: See Rule #1.

Learn C. It is actually quite simple, save yourself time with basic.

Don't start with programs from scratch. First, download examples and play around with those. Experiment.

Google Bloodshed Dev-c++

joevennix · Post by **joevennix** » Wed Aug 08, 2007 11:36 pm

Yeah definitely don't learn basic. General consensus is that programmers who learn basic as their first language usually have a lot of difficulty grasping concepts in better languages. Learn C++, Dev-C++ should work fine as an IDE.

Post by **Sparkfist** » Thu Aug 09, 2007 6:40 am

[url=http://www.programmingtutorials.com[/url]

BASIC is nice for learning the basics of programming. It's very limited as to what can be done, namely you can't easily move code around and make it easier to build.

I don't know about C, if you're looking to do some real game development, go with C++. It will be easier to learn that from scratch then learn C and then adopt it's rules to C++.

Post by **Skyone** » Thu Aug 09, 2007 8:39 pm

Sparkfist wrote:I don't know about C, if you're looking to do some real game development, go with C++. It will be easier to learn that from scratch then learn C and then adopt it's rules to C++.

C is just as apt to game design as C++ is, really, although I do prefer C++ over it (due to the ease of OOP).

BASIC is not worth learning in relevance to the Win32 API, there's no point of it.

Visual Basic is a relatively worthless language, too; end-user doesn't have MSVBVM60.DLL? Sucks for them. You don't mind all of your code being released under GPL v2, do you? Oh - and two words: Private ****ing Sub.

32-bit ASM (MASM32) is an awesome language, you get a speedy 3kb file while any other language would give a 100kb file.

In conclusion: Learn C++ (not .NET).

Master of Portables · Post by **Master of Portables** » Thu Aug 09, 2007 8:46 pm

Skyone wrote: In conclusion: Learn C++ (not .NET).

yeah, C++ owns. I would recommend getting a book though, since the tutorials on the web aren't very good in my opinion. And I would not reccomend using Dev C++, whoever suggested it, because it uses these stupid .a files instead of .lib files... but enough of my rambling