Son wants to learn c++

R

Rob

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So my son wants to learn c++ so he can develop games later on.

He's 13 and is using a Windows computer..

Now.. I'm no programmer (at all) but think the better route might be something like learn the basics of programming/scripting with bash, perl or python or something first.. maybe in Linux.. then get into c++ after he's got some of the basics down...

Thoughts?
 


My first programming language was the QBASIC on the very old (pentium mmx) computer with MS-DOS and dead floppy driver. It was challenging, but funny. I was 13 years old like your son. Now I'm learning C. I also recommend Pascal (old Turbo Pascal for DOS) for learning the basics of programming. I think, C++ isn't good for frst programming language.

Show him Linux. Maybe he'll create a breakthrough game for Linux in future. Explain him some important thing. He must know there isn't the best technology at all. Operation systems and programming languages are just a tools to reach goals and C++ isn't the best, but good language.

Sorry for my bad English.
 
I think Python would be perfect. Try khanacademy.org and it's Python (not yet finished) course.
 
Now I'm no expert but I think the best programming language for him to learn from would be Java. It'd be great to introduce him head on into object oriented programming, and even without grasping object oriented programming Java is still a very fun and easy language to learn. Just download the JDK and get some e-books about learning programming in Java. There's also an online tutorial that's very good and effective in teaching someone how to use Java, right here: http://docs.oracle.com/javase/tutorial/. In fact that's what I used to learn programming in college. Hope this helps!
 
Have him learn C++ if that's what he wants to learn. I ruined myself at a young age with basic and then visual basic and had a hard time later with learning new syntax.

I don't recommend java just because its less powerful in some ways than C++ and every single kid knows java now days. They teach it in 90 percent of programming classes in high schools and college programs first because its the easiest to learn...not because its the best thing to be teaching the kids.

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He's more on the android development route now.. if only he could get the sdk installed right :)
 
Then he wants to learn java. Javas fun...C++ is only fun to some. It's less rewarding in the short term and I almost want to say it takes an imagination and patience to really learn. I think that why the market is so flooded with java right now. It's cool and fun to learn...and you can literally dig in and start seeing your stuff.work right away.

Sent from my HTC EVO using Tapatalk
 
Now I'm no expert but I think the best programming language for him to learn from would be Java. It'd be great to introduce him head on into object oriented programming, and even without grasping object oriented programming Java is still a very fun and easy language to learn. Just download the JDK and get some e-books about learning programming in Java. There's also an online tutorial that's very good and effective in teaching someone how to use Java, right here: http://docs.oracle.com/javase/tutorial/. In fact that's what I used to learn programming in college. Hope this helps!

Besides VisualBasic, this will be the first programming language that they're going to introduce us to in college. I'm pretty excited into learning it. But your son may want to try Python first. I'm still within the learning stages of it, but finding it pretty easy to grasp.
 
If he's into games, then let him get started on Lua. It's the language used to write addons to games. Then later he can pick up c++. C++ for a total beginner can be tough going. Learning Lua is much more fun.
 
c++ is most popular game development language. after that c# is also very powerful language for developing gaming tools.
 

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