Programmers? Is this delusional?

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I'm asking here because I want HONEST OPINIONS. Nobody else wants to ruin my *dreams*.

I want to be a computer programmer but I am 26 and I really know nothing about it. I know some people just teach themselves and become certified but I'd prefer to go to school so that I can feel like I'm on a stable path.

I feel like I'm behind, though, because I am. I also worry because I have poor math skills. I am good at math in some areas but in other areas it just doesn't come naturally to me AT ALL.

Learning about computers has always come naturally to me, I'm fascinated by them and I learned how to do all kinds of trouble shooting and fix common and somewhat serious problems by myself on my own computer as a kid, I just wonder if programming is really what I should be thinking about. I thought about web design because it's easier and interests me as well but i hear there a lot of hacks in the field and i don't want to to sell myself short.

Basically, I'd just like to know more about the field from those who have experience because I really don't know what I'd be getting myself into. I think I could be very good at,it, I have a very quick, logic-based way of thinking and I learn formulas/patterns/languages in general very easily.

Thoughts?

What I would suggest is buying (or downloading) books on C, C++, and Java. Read through these books and see how hard the information is for you to understand. If you have the patience to wade through the first few chapters and decide that this is something you are indeed interested in, continue reading the other chapters and doing the exercises.
After learning a bit, write your own programs or hack other people's works. Much code online is open source and that gives plenty of hacking opportunities. It will probably take a few months of time investment to learn how to program, but for me, the effort is worth it. If you really enjoy it, you may decide to go to college to get the darned paper so you can get hired, or you may decide to write and release stuff on your own. Although I have written programs since I was 12, I wrote my first software package at around 32. I don't think you are delusional.

^^Yaye greetings MotownDangerPants. I believe I have also happily started to learn C++ and would wish to become a computer programmer. I have been using the lovely website

www.learncpp.com

to assist me. Also, there is a free IDE program named Microsoft Visual C++ Express that may be downloaded at no cost. There is also a free course within this program also I believe. I am very sorry if I am incorrect. ^^ I wish you very much luck. *Blesses*

Honestly, I think if you really had an aptitude for programming, you would already be doing it. That isn't to say you can't learn it, but I don't think you'll ever be a natural based on what you've said.

i disagree somewhat with the previous posters. Rather than C++ or Java (which are fairly advanced languages), I suggest you start simple. IMHO, you should first learn Javascript. Javascript is an interpreted language that is run on every browser just like the one you are reading this on right now. You don't need any compilers, you just need a text editor like notepad. There are tons of free javascript and HTML guides on the web. You run your javascript programs by saving them to a .HTML file and then double clicking them. Your browser will start and then run the HTML file the same as if it was on the web.

I went without a computer for about 6 years and wasted a huuuge amount of time on things that had nothing to do with my real interests. I wish I hadn't, but what can you do? I do feel like if I had really been myself these last 5-10 years I would have stumbled upon it by now, I hate that I am this behind at this age but fortunately I catch up quickly most of the time.

You don't need maths skills, the computer works it all out for you. You only need to understand the logic behind it. If you can do that, you're good to go.

I recommend learning C first, and I wish you good luck!

You are pretty old, but not excessively old. You could make a comeback if you try.

There are also other areas of IT that you might like better such as web design or Network management. The only problem with web design is that it requires an artistic component.

Again, I still say to start simple with an interpreted language like javascript. If you can't get the hang of that, then there is no reason to try more complicated languages like C, C++ or Java.

I agree. I learned BASIC, then Visual Basic, then C, then C++, then Java. But you don't need to know the math, you just have to understand the program does what it does.

Learn Java? Why not just learn Pascal while you're at it?!

Learn Visual BASIC / BASIC, then learn C or C++. Learn several database languages, especially MySQL and MSSQL.

Honestly, if you'd like a job for life, go learn Cobol. It's outdated, nobody new learns it, and huge sections of the banking industry still depend on it and pay well for people who know it.

Moderate skills at C++ will keep you employable forever. So will quality skills with VB. Quality skills with PHP and JavaScript will also keep you employable.

Anyone who says Java just hasn't been keeping up. Learning Java is nothing short of picking the wrong damned horse.

IMHO, you're probably best off trying to learn one of: Python, Javascript, or Java.

Python is easy to learn, though I'm not sure how readily useful the runtimes are on Windows. (It's part of the standard install on OS X & Linux).

Doing HTML+Javascript is a great combo, you can then expand into PHP (or Ruby, or...) and do web development work.

Java is a bit harder to pick up, but used reasonably widely in businesses.

Another related occupation (that I'm currently in, having previously been a web developer) is systems administration - looking after servers, OSes, networks, etc.

Since we're all suggesting languages to learn, let me throw assembly into the pot. Screw all this high level crap, assembly is the only real programming language

In fact, no, learn to program in pure machine code

010010010111010000100111011100110010000001100110011101010110111000100000011101000110111100100000011100000111
001001101111011001110111001001100001011011010010000001101001011011100010000001110011011101000111001001100001
011010010110011101101000011101000010000001101101011000010110001101101000011010010110111001100101001000000110
001101101111011001000110010100101100001000000110010101110011011100000110010101100011011010010110000101101100
011011000111100100100000011010010110011000100000011110010110111101110101001000000111011101100001011011100111
010000100000011101000110111100100000011011000110010101100001011100100110111000100000011000010110110001101100
001000000111010001101000011001010010000001000001010100110100001101001001010010010010000001100011011011110110
0100011001010111001100100001

Last edited by jdcnosse on 20 Aug 2010, 11:13 am, edited 1 time in total.

Well that messed up the forum's layout pretty bad

I imagine even writing something as simple as an if loop in machine code must be tiresome. Could be fun though. Next summer holidays, I may try it

There I fixed it, didn't realize it was going to do that lol

But I agree, something as simple as "Programming is fun!" turns out to be really complex and tiresome in straight binary.

Programming is fun!
010100000111001001101111011001110111001001100001011011010110110101101001011011100110011100100000011010010111
00110010000001100110011101010110111000100001

which one would you rather choose?

That depends entirely on how much time I have on my hands

I agree about Cobol, i hear that the pay can be insanely good. The problem is that programming is old, horrible and just as fun to program in as slowly sawing your leg off with a blunt butter knife!

If i had no job and no desire to have fun ever again in my life and have all creativity sucked out of my brain through a drinking-straw, much like that guy in "Starship troopers" when he met the "brain bug", i'd learn cobol


If you just want to out some simple programming that doesnt go too deep into the subject, Javascript or VBScript is simple and you can code it in Notepad and run it in Internet Explorer. there are plenty of tutorials online as well, that way you do not have do dig down too deeply into the world of programming unless you are ready.