Programs for newbies

[rbklex]

Hey,
I'm wondering.... How do you create a program? I just want to
understand the basics, although if someone could explain how to make
one of those 2d-3d computer game worlds, I'd love to learn.
thanks,
[Not entering name for security reasons]

 

[Andrew Thompson]

I'm wondering.... How do you create a program?

Learn the language*, write the code.

* For Java, a good way to learn is to
work through the 'Java Tutorial'.

..I just want to
understand the basics, although if someone could explain how to make
one of those 2d-3d computer game worlds, I'd love to learn.

Creating such a game is hardly 'the basics',
there are a number of things you should learn
before writing programs with GUI's (programs
without GUI's generally run on the command
line/DOS).

Then starting into (fast) 2D/3D rendering is
another learning curve.

thanks,
[Not entering name for security reasons]

Huh? You do not need to use your 'real name'
when posting, but 'rbklex' is suitable as a 'handle'.

--
Andrew Thompson
http://www.athompson.info/andrew/

Message posted via JavaKB.com
http://www.javakb.com/Uwe/Forums.aspx/java-general/200704/1

 

[Z.]

Learn the language*, write the code.

* For Java, a good way to learn is to
work through the 'Java Tutorial'.
<http://java.sun.com/docs/books/tutorial/>

I could not disagree more. I tried that. Twice.

I never quite got the whole OOP paradigm. I was writing crappy,
procedural Java code. Then I took a course at a local college, and,
suddenly, it all made sense.

My advice: Invest three months and ~$400 for a local college course plus
textbook. Access to a professor who knows his stuff is a huge benefit.

First you will need to understand OOP. After that, the language you use
- Java, C++, Perl, C#, etc - is secondary.

 

[Luc The Perverse]

I could not disagree more. I tried that. Twice.

I never quite got the whole OOP paradigm. I was writing crappy, procedural
Java code. Then I took a course at a local college, and, suddenly, it all
made sense.

My advice: Invest three months and ~$400 for a local college course plus
textbook. Access to a professor who knows his stuff is a huge benefit.

First you will need to understand OOP. After that, the language you use -
Java, C++, Perl, C#, etc - is secondary.

Yes having help is useful - but certainly not necessary. My university
courses mostly told me to pay for an expensive textbook and then do problems
out of it.

For many people, the determination to study something when not somehow being
"pressured" to do so is overwhelming and they give up quickly. If I had to
guess I would say that, in general, a class forces you to spend more time on
a subject than someone otherwise normally would. But that does not
necessarily make it a better method for learning. And the price of teaching
yourself over a class is a big deciding factor for many people. In many
cases it could just be an issue of having the right tools to teach yourself.
A trip to the library, coming home with some crappy 8$ Java book is not
generally going to be particularly beneficial, in my experience.

Most tutorials are good for depth study but they are very "narrow" and don't
teach basic concepts. Even beginner tutorials seems to focus almost
exclusively on code and little to nothing on style or theory. So to a point
I agree with you. But I think a good book is just as good as a university
that you will pay just to have them tell you to go buy the book you were
going to get originally

 

[Mark Space]

My advice: Invest three months and ~$400 for a local college course plus
textbook. Access to a professor who knows his stuff is a huge benefit.

Good advice. A four year computer science degree would be better, esp.
if the poster really wants to do 3D graphics, which is non-trivial to
say the least. CompSci with a minor in math is more like it.

To the OP: But yeah, start with the tutorial that Andrew pointed you at,
take a class if time and finances allow, but realize that what you are
attempting is not easy and will be a lot of work.

 

[Lew]

Good advice. A four year computer science degree would be better, esp.
if the poster really wants to do 3D graphics, which is non-trivial to
say the least. CompSci with a minor in math is more like it.

To the OP: But yeah, start with the tutorial that Andrew pointed you at,
take a class if time and finances allow, but realize that what you are
attempting is not easy and will be a lot of work.

Could be bad advice. Some people learn better and faster without a classroom
holding them back. I know any number of people, myself included, who found
ways to learn Java without the expense of a college course, and at the much
faster pace that such a course would've obviated.

In my own case, I got together with other programmers to form in-home study
groups when I was learning JEE. We agreed on textbooks and example projects,
and took turns presenting the information.

Free, fun and fantastically effective.

 

[ballpointpenthief]

(e-mail address removed) wrote:

..


Learn the language*, write the code.

* For Java, a good way to learn is to
work through the 'Java Tutorial'.


Creating such a game is hardly 'the basics',

You should probably be talking about solving games rather than
creating games.

The easiest would be a one player game with a definite solution. Find
a puzzle book and look for some ideas.

If you haven't programmed before, you would be better of playing
around with an interpreter. This means you can get instant feedback on
what you are doing. Download a SCHEME, or a BASIC interpreter.

But yes, a Sun's Java tutorials are a good way to learn.

 

[Oliver Wong]

Hey,
I'm wondering.... How do you create a program? I just want to
understand the basics, although if someone could explain how to make
one of those 2d-3d computer game worlds, I'd love to learn.
thanks,

Expect to spend 5-10 years full time studying before you are able to
make "those 2d-3d computer game worlds". Expect to spend more time (15-30
years) if you are unable to spend full time studying due to being a
university student in a non-computer science program; and/or having a job;
and/or having a family to raise; and/or having friends to spend time with.

Once you've spent 5-30 years studying enough to know HOW to make a
game, expect to spend 5-10 years of actual effort making that game
(especially if you're going to do it solo).

There's a reason Sony, Blizard, Nintendo, etc. spend in the tens of
millions of dollars on teams of 100+ employees over several years to
develop those games, as opposed to just spending a couple thousand to have
some guy develop the game over the weekend.

- Oliver

 

[Mark Space]

Expect to spend 5-10 years full time studying before you are able to
make "those 2d-3d computer game worlds". Expect to spend more time (15-30
years) if you are unable to spend full time studying due to being a

Well, I think this is a tad excessive. Anyone of mediocre talent could
master the basics of programming, 2D and 3D math and crank out a couple
of engines in five years, if they were diligent and applied themselves.
Yes, I agree that doing it full time (i.e., no more than "student"
jobs) would be required.

It is possible to learn on your own, but that requires considerable
drive, ime. Even self-taught programmers often feel the need to get a
piece of paper with a degree on it eventually. In fact, I think the
graphics industry moves too quickly for self-teaching to be possible.
By the time you learned one technique, the industry would be two steps
ahead.

For true mastery, working in the industry is required. Yes that will
probably take another five years before you could possibly be a "hot
commodity." But at least you'd be doing it the whole time.