How do I start making my own Software?

[Nitro89]

I want to make some freeware programs but where do I start?

[Snakebyte1]

Learn a programming language (like Visual Basic or whatever you wish) then create a program that does something people will find useful

[zoobie]

start by searching here...someone asked this recently

[gadgetguy]

You will want to learn more than one programming language. It will mostly depend on what types of software you want to develop. Different programming languages each have their own strengths and weaknesses for different applications. What kind of software are you interested in developing? What platforms are you interested in serving?

[Nitro89]

where do I learn this language and I can't find any threads on this subject apart from mine

[JohnnyMalaria]

It isn't really something you can learn from a forum. If you have never programmed, you will have to teach yourself the basics. There are a lot of websites with tutorials. You need to decide what exactly you want to do since this will have a large bearing on which language to learn. Visual Basic is definitely a good one to start with.

Try this Google search as a starting point:

http://www.google.com/search?as_q=%22visual+basic%22+beginner+tutorial&hl=en&newwindow=1&num=100

And I *strongly* recommend getting a real, paper book once you have had a look at or tried some of the tutorials.

[gadgetguy]

I don't know about the UK, but around these parts most community colleges offer classes in programming for the various languages available. There are also tons of books available from bookstores and libraries if you want to take the self-taught route. There are also many on-line communities for the different languages where you can ask questions and share experiences to learn and improve your skills.

Edit: My personal opinion is that if you are going to self-teach, Visual Basic is not a good language to start with. It's too easy to learn poor programming techniques with VB and will make it hard to transition to another language if/when your needs change. I think you would be better off starting with a C variant (C#, C-Plus, etc.). You're apt to develop better skills that you can easily adapt to VB and other languages later.

[JohnnyMalaria]

I agree with the "bad habits" bit but C/C++/C# etc have a very steep learning curve including learning how to use the compiler etc. I think the rudimentaries of programming are best taught with a simple, interpreted language which, of course, is what BASIC was designed to be.

Many of the sloppy techniques associated with BASIC are somewhat removed with variants that no longer use line numbers etc.

I know in my own case that I had been programming for many years in Pascal (great language) and when I needed to start using C++ I just ended up tearing my hair out. The code looked like gibberish. Of course, years on from that, I used C++ for all the hard core stuff and VB .NET for quickly pulling together simple GUIs.

[Snakebyte1]

Most books provide details on proper coding techniques and warnings of bad habits, at least the ones I have seen. Its up to the reader to actually read and then apply those techniques. For example you can read a whole chapter on why you should not use GOTO but its up to the programmer whether they take shortcuts and use it or take the time to do it right.

[gadgetguy]

From what I've seen, the large learning curve of C variants is lessoned considerably by not being familiar with another language first. Again I only suggest it for the self-taught approach. VB is definitely easier to learn and in a classroom environment, where you have a teacher to correct bad habits and enforce proper techniques, it's a good introductory language, but it won't be too long before it's limitations become apparent and you want to move to something else and a C variant is usually the next step.

[freebird73717]

Also one thing to consider is if your target audience is willing to have .net installed on their machine. If you want to write a program that will be able to be used on any machine without having to install additional software I would suggest C or C++. You could also use the pre .net visual basic (VB6 i think) as it does not need .net (although you will have to include the proper VB runtimes in your package when you distribute it).

I don't want to start this thread into a flame war over the pros and cons of .net I just want to point out that not every body will use a program written in it.

[JohnnyMalaria]

For example you can read a whole chapter on why you should not use GOTO but its up to the programmer whether they take shortcuts and use it or take the time to do it right.

There are times (not many, mind) that I use the goto statement in C++. To do otherwise would necessitate a large amount of additional code to achieve the same goal. And some of the other C statements like continue and break are nothing more than anonymous goto statements!

[Video Head]

I agree with the "bad habits" bit but C/C++/C# etc have a very steep learning curve including learning how to use the compiler etc. I think the rudimentaries of programming are best taught with a simple, interpreted language which, of course, is what BASIC was designed to be.

Many of the sloppy techniques associated with BASIC are somewhat removed with variants that no longer use line numbers etc.

I know in my own case that I had been programming for many years in Pascal (great language) and when I needed to start using C++ I just ended up tearing my hair out. The code looked like gibberish. Of course, years on from that, I used C++ for all the hard core stuff and VB .NET for quickly pulling together simple GUIs.

I agree with going the Basic route. It will teach fundamental flow, processes, subs, syntax, etc. A huge advantage to know when starting into the world of C++, Delphi, etc or even just doing Pearl scripts. When I studied programing in school I learned Basic first and then moved on to Pascal, Cobol and eventually assembly language & machine code. After that C was not a challenge. Even in C++ there are times where a solid knowledge of assembly is of huge benefit. I suggest learning to walk before running a marathon.

[snotity]

Hi there, I am in the same boat as Nitro89 here (new to programming, wanting to start learn a language for simple Windows apps).

I have looked around and asked a few tech-savvy pals and everyone seems to recommend Python as a first language.

Would you people suggest Python over say Visual Basic? I hear Python is a lot simpler to learn, for one thing.

[Ollie6431]

Hi there, I am in the same boat as Nitro89 here (new to programming, wanting to start learn a language for simple Windows apps).

I have looked around and asked a few tech-savvy pals and everyone seems to recommend Python as a first language.

Would you people suggest Python over say Visual Basic? I hear Python is a lot simpler to learn, for one thing.

Python is an open-source language, unlike Visual Basic which is developed by Microsoft. Python is a great programming language. The major problem is that it is not as popular as Visual Basic and you would not be able to get access to a large source of learning materials (text books, forums on the web, courses, etc.) as for Visual Basic.

I agree with most comments so far favoring Viual Basic. It allows you to:
- start basic Windows programming
- program with proper syntax; starting with Visual Basic.NET, the syntax is very stringent, no longer loose as in previous versions
- program web pages as the next learning step (Visual Basic code in ASPX files)
- create Visual Basic code that can be ported easily later on to more advanced languages (like C#)

When Visual Basic first came out (17 years ago?), I was amazed at how easy it was to write the first program for Windows. It just took 10 minutes! Of course, writing a very productive software in any language is a complicated task. Visual Basic has been my language of choice for quite some time before I moved on to others (after learning the basics in Visual Basic.)

[classfour]

I know writing stuff in DOS was tedious. Haven't done much programming since, LOL.

[d_unbeliever]

Go Visual Basic.Net. Ive learned it though i don't have formal computer or programming background/education just self-learned.
Visual Basic basically drag and drop.