63 replies to this topic

[Dlcruz129]

I (of course) know Lua, and I know Java, but I want to start doing serious stuff with programming. Java is somewhat advanced, but all the Java programs I've seen are cheesy as crap (besides Minecraft). I wanted to ask you guys, what language should I learn? I am strongly considering C++, but if there's another language you guys think I should look into, I'll consider it. Oh, and I've seen people say "OMG WHY U LEARN OTHER LANGUAGE LUA IS BEST ", and let me just tell you, its NOT.It is user-friendly and I definitely think its the best choice for ComputerCraft, but I would never consider trying to make money off of a Lua game. I want to make a serious game. Please leave your ideas in the comments.

Dlcruz129

P.S. This is not a goodbye, I'll still be using Lua for ComputerCraft, and I'll stay on the forums, I just want to branch out a bit.

[Pantomchap]

I would choose C# XNA, but it is kind of hard to use. Java might be better, but it takes longer to make a game.

[Dlcruz129]

Pantomchap, on 30 November 2012 - 03:35 PM, said:

I would choose C# XNA, but it is kind of hard to use. Java might be better, but it takes longer to make a game.

Read the first sentence . I know Java, I just think its kinda an "Intermediate" language. I wanna learn a hardcore, professional language.

[KillaVanilla]

Learn C++. I did, and I wrote a program!

...and then I spent a few hours debugging it. Then I completely forgot about it.

Still, it was fun.

[Dlcruz129]

KillaVanilla, on 30 November 2012 - 03:41 PM, said:

Learn C++. I did, and I wrote a program!

...and then I spent a few hours debugging it. Then I completely forgot about it.

Still, it was fun.

Lol ya, I'm leaning towards C++. Its one of the most well-known languages.

[je06]

You can try Python. I now some python and it can be challenging!
P.S. it has a print function used in the same way as lua

[Dlcruz129]

je06, on 30 November 2012 - 04:59 PM, said:

You can try Python. I now some python and it can be challenging!
P.S. it has a print function used in the same way as lua

Been there, done that.

[Bubba]

Go for either C++, PHP/SQL if you want to try your hand at web developing, or C. Any of the three (well four technically, but SQL is more of a tool than a full-fledged language in my eyes) are enormously powerful if you learn how to use them correctly, although I would say of the three PHP/SQL is the most limited. On the other hand, it is also easier to learn.

[Dlcruz129]

Bubba, on 30 November 2012 - 05:09 PM, said:

Go for either C++, PHP/SQL if you want to try your hand at web developing, or C. Any of the three are enormously powerful if you learn how to use them correctly, although I would say of the three PHP/SQL is the most limited. On the other hand, it is also easier to learn.

Oh, I didn't think about PHP. I might learn that, but I think I'm gonna stick with C++ right now. I'll definitely learn PHP in a week when I'm bored of C++ .

[Orwell]

Get better at Java Calling Java an intermediate programming language seems kinda wrong in my opinion. It might be intermediate to learn it at first. But getting really good at lower level languages like Java or any C variant takes a lot of practice and knowledge. And as you learn about the in depth workings of such programming languages (stuff like pointers, memory allocations, but also computer science stuff like binay heaps and hash maps), you gain knowledge that you can transfer to any language, also C++, assembly, ... name it. This could even count for Lua at some depth.

[Bubba]

Dlcruz129, on 30 November 2012 - 05:16 PM, said:

Bubba, on 30 November 2012 - 05:09 PM, said:

Go for either C++, PHP/SQL if you want to try your hand at web developing, or C. Any of the three are enormously powerful if you learn how to use them correctly, although I would say of the three PHP/SQL is the most limited. On the other hand, it is also easier to learn.

Oh, I didn't think about PHP. I might learn that, but I think I'm gonna stick with C++ right now. I'll definitely learn PHP in a week when I'm bored of C++ .

Well you might be able to learn the absolute basics of C++ in a week, but there's so much to the language and so many different aspects to it that a week would barely have you scratching the surface of it.

Orwell, on 30 November 2012 - 05:22 PM, said:

Get better at Java Calling Java an intermediate programming language seems kinda wrong in my opinion. It might be intermediate to learn it at first. But getting really good at lower level languages like Java or any C variant takes a lot of practice and knowledge. And as you learn about the in depth workings of such programming languages (stuff like pointers, memory allocations, but also computer science stuff like binay heaps and hash maps), you gain knowledge that you can transfer to any language, also C++, assembly, ... name it. This could even count for Lua at some depth.

Also this. I am still new to Java, but I'm certain that it is anything but an intermediate language. I wouldn't qualify the power of languages as the difficulty of its syntax, as Java can do nearly everything C++ or C can do, if not everything - there's nothing I have encountered yet that is impossible in Java except perhaps speed optimization through native code, but of course even that may be possible. The difference with Java is that it is quite a bit easier to learn than C or C++, so I would recommend sticking with it until you are really good at it.

Hope this advice helps

[Orwell]

Bubba, on 30 November 2012 - 05:27 PM, said:

*snip*

Amen.

[Dlcruz129]

Bubba, on 30 November 2012 - 05:27 PM, said:

Dlcruz129, on 30 November 2012 - 05:16 PM, said:

Bubba, on 30 November 2012 - 05:09 PM, said:

Go for either C++, PHP/SQL if you want to try your hand at web developing, or C. Any of the three are enormously powerful if you learn how to use them correctly, although I would say of the three PHP/SQL is the most limited. On the other hand, it is also easier to learn.

Oh, I didn't think about PHP. I might learn that, but I think I'm gonna stick with C++ right now. I'll definitely learn PHP in a week when I'm bored of C++ />.

Well you might be able to learn the absolute basics of C++ in a week, but there's so much to the language and so many different aspects to it that a week would barely have you scratching the surface of it.

Orwell, on 30 November 2012 - 05:22 PM, said:

Get better at Java /> Calling Java an intermediate programming language seems kinda wrong in my opinion. It might be intermediate to learn it at first. But getting really good at lower level languages like Java or any C variant takes a lot of practice and knowledge. And as you learn about the in depth workings of such programming languages (stuff like pointers, memory allocations, but also computer science stuff like binay heaps and hash maps), you gain knowledge that you can transfer to any language, also C++, assembly, ... name it. This could even count for Lua at some depth.

Also this. I am still new to Java, but I'm certain that it is anything but an intermediate language. I wouldn't qualify the power of languages as the difficulty of its syntax, as Java can do nearly everything C++ or C can do, if not everything - there's nothing I have encountered yet that is impossible in Java except perhaps speed optimization through native code, but of course even that may be possible. The difference with Java is that it is quite a bit easier to learn than C or C++, so I would recommend sticking with it until you are really good at it.

Hope this advice helps />

I was joking about only using C++ for a week. I just think Java is a little cheesy. The example programs I've seen are pretty ugly, I want to learn C++ and make advanced 3d games. (I have a friend who works in computer graphics/animation who would be more than happy to make some models).

[Bubba]

Dlcruz129, on 30 November 2012 - 05:28 PM, said:

I was joking about only using C++ for a week. I just think Java is a little cheesy. The example programs I've seen are pretty ugly, I want to learn C++ and make advanced 3d games. (I have a friend who works in computer graphics/animation who would be more than happy to make some models).

Please don't take this offensively but here are my thoughts on this.

If you think C++ is a pretty language in comparison to Java, then I'm not sure what C++ code you're looking at but give me a link because it must have been coded by jesus. And 3D games in C++? Oh my god you are in for a long haul. I don't want to be a downer or anything, but C++ is probably one of the harder languages to learn for 3D graphics. The reason developers use it is because it is machine optimized and also because it provides access to really low level machine code. There's just so much stuff to learn that it takes years to even approach the level where you can make a descent game.

I don't mean to put you off your goal of learning C++ as it could serve you very well if you are incredibly patient and diligent. If you don't think that you're going to stick with it for more than a year though, I wouldn't suggest it as a great programming language to learn for what you want to do.

[billysback]

Java can be rather complex;
If you want to go in to 3D programming and know some Java then firstly, learn more Java, then secondly I recently downloaded this engine which is like a new version of NetBeans with a pre-installed OpenAL window and an engine to use this window with ease. It's called "jmoneyengine"

[1v2]

Stick with Java.

[Jasonfran]

The reason you haven't seen any cool things made with Java besides minecraft is because Java is very very slow. Hence why you think minecraft would be easy to run when you actually need decent PC specs to get 100fps. Whereas if it was made in C++ it would run a lot faster because there is nothing in between the program and PC because Java needs a runtime environment to transform Java into something the PC understands. C# with XNA is the best thing as it is fast and similar to Java.

Also look at the visual versions of C++, C# and Visual Basic as they are good starting points form understanding the code

[billysback]

However it means that it can easily support any OS that Java supports, which is all of them (I believe)
This is why it is used; no need to port.

Also what makes it lag is it's crappy garbage collection
(and Minecraft is terribly unoptimized, if Notch was creating it now and new how big it would get then I'm sure it would be much easier to run.)

[Bubba]

Jasonfran, on 01 December 2012 - 06:41 AM, said:

The reason you haven't seen any cool things made with Java besides minecraft is because Java is very very slow. Hence why you think minecraft would be easy to run when you actually need decent PC specs to get 100fps. Whereas if it was made in C++ it would run a lot faster because there is nothing in between the program and PC because Java needs a runtime environment to transform Java into something the PC understands. C# with XNA is the best thing as it is fast and similar to Java.

Edit: ninja'd by billysack

True, but the fantastic thing about Java is that it runs on any platform that supports a Java interpreter and therefore requires the developer to only write a program once.

[Jasonfran]

Bubba, on 01 December 2012 - 06:45 AM, said:

Jasonfran, on 01 December 2012 - 06:41 AM, said:

The reason you haven't seen any cool things made with Java besides minecraft is because Java is very very slow. Hence why you think minecraft would be easy to run when you actually need decent PC specs to get 100fps. Whereas if it was made in C++ it would run a lot faster because there is nothing in between the program and PC because Java needs a runtime environment to transform Java into something the PC understands. C# with XNA is the best thing as it is fast and similar to Java.

Edit: ninja'd by billysack

True, but the fantastic thing about Java is that it runs on any platform that supports a Java interpreter and therefore requires the developer to only write a program once.

I agree