I have recently decided to look towards a career in computer programing. I really do not know much in this field but I would like to learn and I think I would be good at it. I just wanted to know from some of you programmers/moders out there of what there is to expect and what I should start learning/reading up on to help me understand things better. I just want to stated up front that I have never tried anything like this before but I think that I would like it once I was more familiar with it. Any type of information that you could post will be great. A teacher of mine told me that one basic program that he made a while back in Java was to convert letters into numbers like in texting on a cell phone. He said that it was highly recommended that I was good in math because its all logic, " if then " statements. I would imagine that it would be something like:
-IF-
Click at location X ture
-THEN-
play sound

http://www.cprogramming.com/tutorial.html

1) Get an idea for a project you want to make. Start small.
1.5) Decide on a language. C++ is popular and powerful but a little tougher to pick up right away. C# or java might be a better fit depending on what you want to do.
2) Get some development tools. The Microsoft Visual Studio Express editions are completely free and awesome: http://www.microsoft.com/express/
3) Find some good resources for learning your selected language. Google is your best friend.

If you want to make a game (most people do...) then check out XNA: http://creators.xna.com/en-US/create_detail#tour_one

Microsoft is ew. xC
I, personally, just use C. If I am writing a quick program, though, I use VB... Most my recent projects have been C 'cause I'm trying to get away from VB.

lol Heimdal, I'm writing an RPG from scratch.

Why would you use C over C++? C++ is more or less a superset of C; that is (nearly) everything you can do in C, you can do in C++ (with more or less the same code).

If you're going to make a windows application, C# and windows forms is really nice. WPF is the Next Big Thing but I haven't messed around with it much.

I just would like to start off with something basic and that does not require much knowledge to create. I would like to make a window with a typing field and when you type letters, it inputs it into numbers like texting on a cell phone. How would I pull this off?

EDIT: All of the downloadable programs are for SP1. I have SP2, is this going to cause a conflict? Which one should I download?

VB 08?
C# 08?
C++ 08?

I use C because C++ does wierd things. I hardly know the difference, though. C seems friendlier or something. Sometimes I compile as C++ if there is some issue.
If you do anything Microsoft it is always really bloated and gross. Like I try to copy stuff made with some MS development thingy and it yells at me for not having runtimes or required files. That simply should not be! xC Why do people insist on using such retarded things that need required DLLs and such installed? xC The only required file(s) should be Windows itself, which everyone running Windows already has.
What the hell is WPF?

... Just don't yell at me for using ASM like some people do at school. xC
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Type letters it puts in numbers like on a cellphone? What kind of cellphone do you have?!

Also it is a bit more than 'If click at X'... first you have to tell when the mouse is clicked and then determine X.

If you want to start, I would suggest starting with C++. As long as you never use VB, almost any language will eventually lead to C++. The only reason I recommend C++ against Java is because of memory management. Pointers and such. I feel that if you understand pointers and can take it, you're probably meant to program.

But if you really want to get good, start with assembly like MIPS or x86. MIPS is easier to learn and you'll realize why high level language is so much better and at the time, improve your skills in high level.

I'm sorry...but if you don't understand the differences, how can you make valid recommendations? If you had problems with something built in VS then you probably set it up wrong. One could argue that they make it hard to set things up correctly, but the development environment itself is unparalleled, especially for newbies.

DO NOT try to learn an assembly language first. Are you guys crazy?

lol. Even though I don't completely discourage using VB... it is a good idea to stay away. I have had trouble getting away from it because it is so easy.

Maybe he's gifted and could.

I made a recommendation? I just stated my personal preference. How did I set something up wrong if I download a program and it bitches "MSVCRxx.DLL IS MISSING."?

But ASM is easy. xC Just memorize a bunch of opcodes and all's well. I learned z80 with little difficulty. (Then again z80 is rediculously easy with only like a 3 page instruction set... when sorted into 3 columns... and using size 8 font.)

Well, it wouldn't be my cell phone *cough*BlackBerry Curve 8310*cough* It would be those other phones where you don't have a full key pad.

I can't look at a regular phone because I don't know what the actual letters to numbers would be but you get the idea.

I've heard of numbers -> letters, but not vice-versa. O.o
Like 2 is abc, 3 is def, etc

I downloaded C++ and this is one of the menus:



Which one should I select?

OK, you were only stating what you like to use. But in the context of this thread...meh

Was it a .net app? If not then statically linking the runtime library probably would have worked.

BrontoByte:
You don't need Silverlight. The MSDN library is useful but it's also available online. If you don't have an internet connection 100% of the time you should probably install it.

Oh god.. programming in windows. Umm... first learn linux. It will make your life soo much easier.

(if you really need to do windows, get Dev C++ instead of the crappy windows stuff)

No idea. All I know about it is: "MSVCRxx.dll" = Microshaft Visual C++ Runtime x.x
And that requiring runtimes should be completely unecessary.

Can someone give me a general layout of what is expected of me when making a program? What should I study? Math? Books?

http://www.cplusplus.com/doc/tutorial/

Just start from the beginning and go from page to page as directed. You'll get a pretty good grasp of C++ after you're done (which could take a fairly long time...)