computer science languages

Discussion in 'Tech Discussion' started by henrywolf123, Mar 22, 2017.

  1. henrywolf123

    henrywolf123 『<(-.-<) kriby master』

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    So, I'm trying to do more computer science, and trying to gain practical experience. I have a few questions here so bear with me please.

    1. What languages should i learn, so far i know java decently, and plan on learning C++, Python, SQL, possibly HTML, JavaScript, and Ruby. Are there languages that would serve me better that i should focus on more currently? (i'm currently learning how to do stuff in a terminal. (P.S. why is the command touch for making a new file? i get mkdir, but touch?))

    2. I made a profile on github, and looked around getting a feel for it, but the projects that i saw in java seemed to be a little bit above me. I feel like i need a deeper knowledge of data structures to be able to touch this stuff. In my Computer science class we covered the basics; for & while loops, objects , if and else statements, arrays, arraylists, recursion, sorting methods, and 2d arrays. I have also seen a little bit of hashmaps on codeacademy. Is there anything i would actually be able to work on with this level of knowledge, or should i just learn how to do basic stuff on other languages for now?

    3. Are there any projects you can reccomend to me to either do on my own, or to help with on github or something? It seems important to get more experience cooperating with others for the future.

    4. Is the first college computer science course you take data structures? if so is it usually in python or C++? Can you link me any websites you thought were effective in teaching that material?

    TLDR: which langauge should i learn, What are good projects to work on, is Computer science AB realistically enough to work on anything, and where can I find a good website to learn about data structures?

    Edit: also any clue what seems to be the current big programming language for getting a career? (I know all different aspects of comp Sci use different languages, but is there one that seems to be more common, or preferable?)
    Edit2: I'm thinking web design doesn't really sound like my thing so that rules out HTMl / CSS
     
    Last edited: Mar 22, 2017
  2. Nom de Plume

    Nom de Plume [Shio’s Disciple] [True Villain] [Equip: Gunblade] Novel Updates Staff

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    I would look at the actual courses available at your college if I were you. My school used Ada to teach the logic behind programming in the first class. I had already learned a bit of HTML/java/css/javascript on my own.

    If you are looking for something that has real world applications it's best to stick with your current list and maybe learn MySQL and some PHP if you are wanting to go into web stuff.
     
  3. Astaroth

    Astaroth empty

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  4. FatalStrings

    FatalStrings Admiral: Third Celestial Armada

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    ditch C++ and go for C# its more useful
     
  5. faraonj

    faraonj Well-Known Member

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    1. I dont have enough experience to know what language to learn, but i'm taking C++ courses in college atm.
    2. No experience, but if you know that you need more experience on data structures then just work on that
    3. nope
    4. My first college class on C++ did include data structures but only to up to switch statements or loops. Any website on any programming language is just a crash course of a simple learning standard. Its much better if you were to find a book online on any computer science language your looking at and learn through there. Take for example java programming on codeacademy or khan academy (i cant remember) they will go through loops i think, but they wont tell you about certain things such as in a switch statement each case after needs to have a (break; ) if you just want that case.
     
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  6. NewbornWarrior7

    NewbornWarrior7 Active Member

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    Html is more of a designing language than other languages but in terms of recommendations, C++ is pretty easy and python is pretty big now from what I heard. But if you are going learn html, you should also pick up css because html by itself is pretty ugly.
     
  7. henrywolf123

    henrywolf123 『<(-.-<) kriby master』

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    I am currently using codeacademy, but at least in java they went over arrays, arraylists, and hashmaps for data structures where i feel that there is more in that subject(although i am not sure). Perhaps they have more in another language.

    I haven't decided which college to go to yet, I still have a few more applications coming in before i decide.
     
  8. deepon

    deepon One who inevitably awakens

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    This is my first time seeing someone who knows java before learning C/C++(just my personal circumstances). As for your point no 2, if you truly understand those basic operations, in my opinion you should be able to do most of the programming out there, since those are the building blocks for everything.
     
  9. henrywolf123

    henrywolf123 『<(-.-<) kriby master』

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    i can't tell if you are trolling me here or not ... but, on the bright side if i do focus on C# my grandfather is rather skilled and runs the database at my father's company so that could be potentially cool.

    i suppose one of the main problems I encounter is that projects done in java seem to be more rare in github, and the ones that i did look at were rather confusing and beyond my scope talking stuff i heard for the time just there. To be fair though, i havent searched extremely thoughroughly yet.

    we learned java in my Computer science class because the AP examination is in Java. (or maybe just because the teacher was better at it idk.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Mar 24, 2017
  10. Knowledge is power

    Knowledge is power [Wise owl][Sweet Lover]

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    You can always ask your teachers or elders( who know java) for project ideas... Pretty sure they'd know more about you and suggest you what's suitable for you...
     
  11. kuraian

    kuraian Well-Known Member

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  12. pentadrian

    pentadrian Wandering donut

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    W3schools contain a fair bit of inaccuracies and aren't reflective of current standards. I wouldn't recommend this as a resource
     
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  13. Knowledge is power

    Knowledge is power [Wise owl][Sweet Lover]

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    Or you can always search the Net for interesting project ideas....The important thing is what do you want to focus on? If you want to make a career out of programming, you'll need in depth knowledge of atleast one of the three: Java,Python,C/C++/C#...
     
  14. lygarx

    lygarx Lazy Translator

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    You learn one, you learn them all. You will never really remember all of the built in functions and all of the libraries of a language. Just review the basics of the syntax and know how to make the Pseudocode or plan out your algorithms and you will be fine. Try not to overly rely on built in libraries of a language, For example with C++: using the #Include <array> or #Include <stack> or #Include <queue>. Other than the 'iostream' or 'iomanip' or some type of input output library and a library that allows you to use maybe files like fstream, you should build programs using your own custom structures or objects.
    Personally, I have used C++, Python, Visual Basic, Java, and Assembly for actual courses I took and I am in the middle of reading a book about Ruby. At the core, they are all the same. Just make sure you understand how to plan your algorithms and turn it into the programming language. I have done homework assignments in C++ by converting an Java version of the assignment I found on the internet.

    Data structures should be the last thing you take for lower division undergraduate courses. Before that is object oriented programming, and before that is some other intro thing.
     
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  15. FatalStrings

    FatalStrings Admiral: Third Celestial Armada

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    i'm actually serious.
    to me programming languages only differ in syntax, as long as you know the core computing concepts and how to apply them, it does not matter which language you use.

    i just said C# is better because it can also do things c++ is capable of, only using simpler codes. like events for example.
    also I am biased because I use c# my preferred scripting language in unity3d
     
  16. 222222

    222222 12121212121212121212121212121212121212121212121212

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    Programming languages are really compilers, transforming the code into machine code, which is the only language computers can read. I say skip everything and learn machine code. One language to rule them all. If future programming languages comes out, it doesn't matter. You already know machine code.

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Low-level_programming_language
     
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  17. SleepyFox

    SleepyFox Well-Known Member

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    Don't waste your time learning so many languages, figure out something you want to make first. It could be a website, a piece of software, an app, a game, a social networking platform, whatever, then research what language is best to develop it.

    Learning so many languages will just eat up your time, once you know the ins and outs of one language you can transfer all that knowledge over to another language when the need arises.
     
  18. Haevrus

    Haevrus No.1 Incognito Webuser

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    Python. Python & Python , to get you the feel of Programming. But you are warned, that it hides many things .

    Then go to Java & C#

    Then choose whatever you want
     
  19. henrywolf123

    henrywolf123 『<(-.-<) kriby master』

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    the problem is really just that i dont know exactly what i want to do, but its not like im talking about massive amounts of time here. I'm pretty much just going to take the codeacademy courses on the language to get the general idea of what the differences are. I'm not going to go super in depth yet.
     
  20. chencking

    chencking [Daolord Grammar Nazi]

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    Just chill. You've already posted similar threads a few times; if you didn't like the answers then, you probably won't now either. You're going to learn all of that stuff in college anyway.