How much should I know?

[DustyMcAwesome]

I'm 16 years old, a sophmore in Highschool. I'm planning on going into computer programming when I get out of high school. I know easy languages like HTML, and some more complex like Javascript, darkBASIC, and I'm starting to look into PERL. How much should I know by now if I'm planning to go into programming? And does any one have any advice?

[dm01]

You should have a degree in Computer Science.

You will learn the basics of codes, good practice, procedural v object-oriented programming, and application development and design. You will be able to put all of this together, and create applications from which there was none.

[DustyMcAwesome]

I should have a degree or get a degree?

[dm01]

Sorry, I should have said get. One should have a degree in Computer Science if one is seriously considering a career in programming.

[DustyMcAwesome]

Haha, ok. I was like what are you expecting of me?

I'm considering Pitt university for computer sciences.

And Devry online classes to learn game programming.

[jamiemac2005]

Hey, as dm01 said degrees in Computer Science are pretty much a necessity. (Personally i'm going towards a Computer Science degree in the UK). As for actual language knowledge PERL does seem like a good way to go for you. At the end of the day it's the programming concepts that matter, once you've understood them applying them to different languages is easy.

Cheers,
Jamey

[ritalin]

Originally Posted by DustyMcAwesome

I'm considering Pitt university for computer sciences.

http://www.cs.pitt.edu/ is Pitt's CS Department's website. They offer a B.S. in Computer Science, which is 55 credits. Their lower-level classes teach the concepts in Java (Intermediate Programming using Java and Data Structures), and given that you have already played around with Perl, I suggest installing the JDK and learning Java.

[neonjuice]

I started of studying for a degree in web programming as back then I wanted to be a web developer which I work in now. I want to work more so in the software development side of things and shall be going back to college next year for a degree in computer science or software engineering. SE would be best for pure programming. If you only want to be a programmer then SE would maybe be your best option. I am seriously considering SE. Although CS will open more doors for you career wise.

I was always told by friends who are software engineers to focus heavily on learning OO. Learning object orientation will set you years ahead.
Learn how it works.

Best language to start with is probably the likes of C# and JAVA.
PHP is a good language also.

[jamiemac2005]

Originally Posted by neonjuice

I was always told by friends who are software engineers to focus heavily on learning OO. Learning object orientation will set you years ahead...

I have to disagree with this, theres no use knowing a load of OO and not knowing anything close to the processor. It all depends on the type of software you want to be designing. OO is practically useless without knowledge of basic languages if you're designing embedded system's software.

And i'd suggest the CS degree with SE rather than SE on it's own... I see so many programmers take ages writing programs for large-scale distribution that either don't work on the PCs they're for or run really slowly on the PCs they're for. CS will give you the knowledge of the physical side of your programs (knowing what's going to slow things down a load, etc).

Though i agree that Java is a good place to start because most CS degree's that i've seen teach Java so a good standpoint there would put you ahead.

Cheers,
Jamey

[neonjuice]

Maybe I have been given the wrong information or picked up the advice wrong. If so I do apologise. I myself am still in the " novice " stage when it comes to computer science and I cant wait to start university next year. Sure I work in web development but I am so eager to get into software development just like the poster.

[jamiemac2005]

Originally Posted by neonjuice

Maybe I have been given the wrong information or picked up the advice wrong. If so I do apologise.

Sorry i must have come accross strongly. your advice is good, and there is a big market for OO developers right now, but i've always felt that the further away from the processor you get the less control you have. Anyway, it's a matter of opinion not fact, i couldn't sit here and say OO is useless, because theres no way i'd be right =]

Cheers,
Jamey

[dm01]

Most post-secondary institutions start with procedural C++ or Visual Basic, then move on to object-oriented C++ and Java. I myself am taking obj-oriented Java, program design, internal data mgmt, and English next semester. Should be fun.

[daniel142005]

I plan on going into Programming as well, I'm 18 so I'm not too much older than you. Although I'm not to familiar with darkBasic (have heard of it, but never messed with it) I'm not exactly sure how it handles memory and variables and what not. HTML is good to know but its uses are limited now, almost every website has html + css/js/etc.. If your school provides any programming classes go for it, C/C++ is the very basics and is good to know but fairly difficult. I started messing around with VB.NET a few years ago and I now work for my school writing the tools they use for Teachers and Inventory.

Anyway, to get to the point, any language is good to know as long as you can find uses for it. One thing you may want to look in to is the popularity of it and if it is considered a "dieing" language or not, as well as which OS's it can run on, like VB.NET is a windows only language, leaving mac and linux out in the cold. If your looking for game programming then it is probably best to go straight for C/C++ because this is the language they will most likely be programmed in.