Learning to program

[Izret101]

I am taking a programming course at school next semester.
So i would like to know if anyone here could let me know of a site that is good for starting off.

[den68]

could you be more specific?

[Hydrobond]

]drunken posting]
Depends on what language the class will be taught in.

My guess is Java, but I have no experience with Java.

If it is C, then a google search will be your best bet.

anywho, www.sharkyforums.com willl be a good source if you have a specific question.
[/drunken posting]

[Izret101]

Its Visual Basic. Here is what the schools site says about the course.

Computer Science is a half-year course. The primary focus is programming in the object-oriented/event-drive high-level computer programming language known as Visual Basic. Microsoft(r) Visual Basic(tm) is one of the most exciting programming languages in use today. It is a software development tool, which means it is a tool that allows you to create windows based programs. It combines a graphical interface with programming code.
The course will introduce the students to Visual Basic and the basic features required to write useful Windows programs. In the first lesson, the students will play a game written in Visual Basic. In the last lesson, they will learn how to create the game they played in the first lesson. In the lessons in between they will be introduced to the fundamentals of programming in Visual Basic by creating multi-disciplinary projects. This course will present the students with the programming environment, controls, properties of controls, and the necessary code syntax to complete projects of simple to moderate complexity

[Hydrobond]

Well, unless you go out and buy a copy of visual studio, or get it illegaly, then there is no realy way to try it before the class.  But you really dont need to prepare for this class, they will teach you everything you need to know.

[Izret101]

Well then depending on how useful i find the class i will see if i should pick up a copy.
Thanks for the info.

[Hydrobond]

To tell you the truth, most of the classes you will take at the college level are C or Java.   Most companies use these languages as well.  VB is really only for making slow, crappy programs that you need fast.  You can make a program in VB much faster than in any other language, but it will be efficient at all, which is why it is not used much commercially.  However, it will be a good intro into the programming world.  

[Izret101]

Well then i'll use this as a jump point and see where i go from here. I'm still not to sure what i want to do if i get into computers so i will just dabble in alot of stuff till i find what i like the most.

[danvx6]

Ant, I have a copy of Visual Studio 6 if you want to use it.  I would say your course is better than the ones at our school, they taught us BASIC using TrueBASIC for Macs from like 10 years ago.

[Izret101]

Nice change to have a better course at my school than youres but im not expecting anything too spectacular. We dont have any computers newer than 6 or so years old in the computer labs but the journalism room has 5 G5s i just dont get it.

[danvx6]

Yeah, our school does that too, the web design room had pentium IIs that freeze while we work, but the library has like 20 brand new pentium 4s that are overkill.  They even have dvd drives and CD burners when they probably wont even let us burn cds and nobody uses DVDs for educational purposes!!

AND they spent $2500 each on laptops that stay in the same room anyway when they could have just bought cheaper desktops.  This is also the school system that has a horrible budget and could spend the little that they have on something more useful than extra laptops, like BOOKS FROM THIS CENTURY.