How do most computer programmers learn the programming language?

Do you learn it in school (like college) or do you teach yourself? Can you give me advice on how to learn a programming language (in general)?

How do most computer programmers learn the programming language?
You teach yourself a programming language. Colleges don’t teach programming languages. They teach computer science and logic. They teach concepts. Teaching a programming language is like teaching how to write English with a computer, then with a pen, then with a pencil. Not very meaningful.





Learning programming means reading and thinking. The information is scattered in books, online tutorials, and documentation files. You read them, you read more, you Google and read even more, and then you think about what you have read. Knowing certain base computer science concepts and familiarity with programming paradigms helps. The jump from C to C++ is easier compared to say C++ to Lisp, but Lisp to Haskell is easier. But it effectively comes down to you reading, experimenting, thinking, and reading more.
Reply:I figure most programmers learn it in school.





It all really depends on how you learn best. Some people find it easier to teach themselves a programming language and others find it easier for someone to teach it to them.





They both have their own pro's and con's, you just have to pick what works best for you.
Reply:College and special education courses will only teach you the basics. Its up to you to apply them. No one can teach you everything your going to encounter in the workplace. As with any profession, like plumbing, auto mechanic, programming, nursing, either you have the knack or you do not. Take what basic skills you've learned and use them. Write a bunch of applications for yourself. Do an inventory program for a friend or relatives baseball card collection or coin collection. Do a home inventory application for people to catalog their belongings with photos for insurance purposes. Try different languages too. Some people are great at C++ or .NET others stink at it but are awesome at Delphi and Pascal. I am self taught, and I am now a 9 year vetran and senior applications support specialist.
Reply:Learn by doing and read, read, read. There is school also but you still have to write and debug code. If you enjoy puzzles it helps
Reply:I'm 14 and just starting highschool this year, and middle school won't teach me programming languages. So, I learned it the hard way. :)





Google is great, by the way.





http://w3schools.com - web design tutorials.


Once you finished up those go ahead and search Google for more advanced tutorials.





Give a Google search for C++, and you should come up with some web sites such as the C++ home page, and C++ forums. Here is a link to a good C++ forum: http://www.cpplc.net/forum/index.php


But, I recommend buying a book on C++ -- most of the internet tutorials are fairly out of date for C++.





For Visual Basic, go ahead and find a book on it. I found one and it came with VB Express, fairly cheap at Barnes and Noble bookstores.





For other programming languages, you can always give Google a search on it and you will most likely find a tutorial for it somewhere. If you don't, go ahead and find a book. I do think that if you take a class on it, you will learn it easier, so if you have the opportunity to do that, and want to learn a programming language, go ahead and take that class. :)





Have fun!
Reply:College
Reply:I went to Institute of Computer Sciences (15 months of night classes, sort of a tech school type). But most importantly was to get a job. I got my foot in the door by becoming a computer operator at nights and worked my way up to programming. I have now been programming for about 15 years. Pays well!
Reply:Started by "playing around" and reading a couple of books. Realized that is I wanted to be taken seriously as a programmer, I need a degree of some kind.





Completed a BS in Comp Science, and doubt that I have ever used anything I learned in school in real life. (But I also have been doing system adminstration and desktop support rather then programming)





Get a book and get familiar with a couple of languages, then go to school for the degree and/or certification. Easier to pass the classes when you already know the material.
Reply:read C++ for dummys when you're bored and has nothing to do.
Reply:The net has lots of free stuff like the 14 year old said google Scholar is a great place to start just go there and type C++ or java or VB must people begin by learning VB and move on to C++ or JAVA . Good luck and read read read practice makes perfect.


http://scholar.google.com/schhp?tab=ws
Reply:Learn it on your own. When you learn a programming language its better when you motivate yourself to do things then to be forced to. Also, from going to school for CIS, I can say that the professors I have had did not have much knowledge on subject matter and after a short time it was easy to bypass the instructors abilities (granted I didn't go to the best possible school for computer related majors, but that was just one of my majors so it was where I ended). The key is finding good resources for the language you are learning. If you are looking to learn a programming language first identify the style in which you learn best from, whether its really wordy text or a book that has lots of examples but little theory. From there search book reviews or ask questions on this. If your looking to start try php(web-based apps) or vb(various apps - I've made games, vba apps, and others with it when I started out), they will introduce you easier then some of the other languages. (ie java which can be frustrating with no programming experience)
Reply:If it's just for fun/hobby, stick to HTML and maybe pick up a few books about the PHP language.





If you are interested in making a career out of it, find a course at your local community college. to start.. probably in Java or Visual Basic.





The first thing you need to learn is the concept of variables, conditions (if / then / else), loops (for / while / do), and input/output (database, file, etc.). ALL languages have these basic structures, or "syntax". Without a good working knowledge of the basics, you'll never make it far in the working world.
Reply:I've been teaching myself HTML, Javascript, CSS, visual basic, c++(just a little), and PHP by simply reading a few books to learn the basics, and then using that knowledge to build more complex things; for example, in visual basic, im creating my own programming language!!!!!!!!


If you want to learn one, I would suggest starting with something simple like HTML and javascript, and then move up to Visual Basic(my first programming language, and I love it!!!), and then to more advanced languages like C++ (which i hate). Programming languages all have the basic ideas, just written in different ways. If you learn and build from one, you can use that knowlege in another.

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