Best Way to Learn Programming?

My vote is for Python. I wish it had been around when I first started programming.

Try using the search feature to see what other people have recommended to hundreds or even thousands of others who have asked the exact same question as you. It will save everyone a lot of time and effort reposting all of their old arguments again.

Learning C might be a good idea as you will need to learn about how to handle memory and stuff like that. If you are like me, your ears will probably bleed a little at the start but then you end up getting the hang of things. I think it's important to have some understanding of how "low level" programming works and how the machine you are using works too. At the mean time, higher level languages like python, or AS3.0 and stuff like that will help you focus on the actual programming and not spend hours tracking down bugs or dealing with low level plumbing and such.
I'm no expert, so this might be bad advice, but IMHO it's not a bad way to go.

learning with python is a good choice. The others are right in that it will help learning programming concepts. I first learned with Qbasic. I wish as well that python was around when I first started. And you can still make some great looking games with python. There is the Pygame and Pyopengl libraries available to get some good graphics handling going on. I currently wish that the guy who makes SL4A (Scripting Language for Android) could get Pygame support for the python language. Then i would make games all day long on my phone. Ahhhhh...dreams....

Anywho...When you make some games with Python, then you will wish for something more. A compiled game to distribute for multiple system. Then you can start with C++. Its a little more difficult to understand with all those pointers and stuff. But once you get it down, its no problem.

Yep, I pretty much agree. Python and then C are the way to go. Python can be pretty basic, but C is intimidating to start with. You might even want to fiddle around with VBasic for a while, just to get unintimidated.


Always looking for vending machines and joysticks...

Hi, I'm new... so this will probably get glazed-over...

I'd recommend Head First Programming, as it covers the new Python standard 3.0. It's generally a good idea to learn the newest standard for a language that has updates and critical-changes as often as python does. It covers the fundamentals of programming, applicable all programming languages. It doesn't get in deep enough for you to be a python guru, but it's incredibly important to master the basics. This is plus, not a minus, as they also have a Head First Python book available.

I'm not trying to sell you on the head first series, or even python for that matter, but yeah... they're good books.

Ok. Thanks for the help guys. Really appreciate. I guess I'll start learning Python first and work my way up from there.

This is how I "learned programming" I guess you could say. Started like two years ago:

-Try to program some big project and FAIL
-Try again on some other project two months later and FAIL
-try again and fail
- try again and fail
- try again and it's easier, still don't finish 15% of projects
- etc, etc

Now two years later I'm starting to get the hang of programming...especially with c++. I feel like I can do anything with c#, VB and forms, and with c++ I'm pretty good.

It's a fun hobby.

Yes, I agree, Python is definitely the way to go. Many free programs like Blender 4.9 and TrueSpace 7.6 support Python scripting. Step aside, C++, C, and C#, a new wave of programming is coming your way!

I am just a senior in high school and started programming/game development about a year and a half ago. I had no idea how to program and was asking the same exact question you are asking. I started with python and I am really glad a made that decision. The whole idea and concept of programming was complex and crazy to me, but starting with python made it simple enough. I highly recommend starting there. If you want to get into game development with python after you get the basics down, I would look into pygame. It's a great library for making 2d games with python.

The best way to learn programming is through practise. If you are reading a book, do all the exercises. Programming is a practical skill, you must do it to learn it.

It is through making mistakes, as Fl4sh mentioned, and learning from them, that we gain the experience we need to write more complex programs.

I started with C++ nad that way worked fine, but many folks don't recommend it. But if you trully want to learn, you'll got it.

I am new to programming as well. At the Moment i am trying to learn with python.

1) Pick a language.
2) Pick a book that introduces the concept of programming using that language.
3) Read through the book, and don't advance to the next chapter until you have mastered the end chapter exercises.
4) Keep reading and practicing, continually improving until you don't want to be a programmer anymore.