Jump to content

technology Programmers helping Programmers


Discordian

Recommended Posts

So I am a programmer, one who is in an awkward spot between newbie and novice so I need to build my skills some. I was hoping to get some help from any programmers in the community on maybe some basic projects that'll help in the way I think about my code and build my knowledge and skill.

 

I mainly work with Python and a little HTML and on occasion XML. I've used Django, Requests, Magic and a few other modules for Python in web development for work. I was thinking of starting my own website that uses both Django and HTML, maybe even some jQuery if need be, that I can use as both a hub for my own means and to help improve my programming skills.

 

I've also heard of Panda3D which is an engine made by Disney for video game development built with both Python and C++ libraries. (I don't have any C++ experience so if anyone can point me to any good books or websites that might help me get my foot in the door on that it'd be awesome.)

 

Does anyone have any projects in Panda3D, even small ones, that I might be able to give a try? I haven't yet downloaded it or gone through the tutorial though so I guess I should do that first but I need a non-work laptop before I do that.

 

Of course, this topic isn't just for me! Anyone who's a newbie or more advanced programmer and has a question or is in need of help from others feel free to post! We can all learn from each other, even if our problems aren't directly related I've noticed that many programming languages share very similar issues, just in a different format.

  • Brohoof 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I've noticed that many programming languages share very similar issues, just in a different format.

 

Programming is mostly math, and math is a universal language. Yeah, there are minor syntax differences, but thats easy to learn. I like the thread, though im not sure how much response you'll get here since programmers seem to be a scarce breed on this forum (i might be wrong here, hope i am)

 

Anyways, I started on C, then upped to C++ and C# (which i mostly use today), and im currently working on two bigger and a few minor personal projects. As for learning c++, theres a preety big library at http://www.cprogramming.com/tutorial.html

  • Brohoof 1

fxfe3k.png

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Ah thanks. I'll have to keep that bookmarked for future use.

 

Yeah, I've noticed programmers are a bit sparse but I've run across a couple and our very own admin is a programmer as well (he'd have to be to make a forum that works THIS well!)

 

One of my biggest issues is I don't think about things the right way. My logical paths aren't correct and I get yelled at a lot for it at work. Anyone got any tips and trick as to how to improve the way I think about my code?

 

Also, for loops. I know I should have them mastered already but I absolutely suck at them. Whenever I run into a for loop I end up screwing things up. >_<



I should mention I've only been programming for eight months. Six of which were just me learning basic syntax via Code Academy. The last three months I've had a job and I've learned far more in this job than I ever did by myself. Still, I'm not very experienced. I'm sure years down the line I'll be awesome at this but right now I'm struggling because of a general lack of logical pathwork and some foundations.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Aloha fellow programmer!

 

I, myself am mostly working with web related languages: Ruby (with the Ruby on Rails framework), HTML, CSS (SASS), Javascript. In the most used- least used order.

 

Programming is mostly math, and math is a universal language.
 

 

That was true, and still is, for programming concerning microprocessors. But today any modern programming language will take the heavy lift, leaving you with just having to program the functionality. ( Of course maths is still involved, but not as much as it was. )

 


 

I was hoping to get some help from any programmers in the community on maybe some basic projects that'll help in the way I think about my code and build my knowledge and skill.
 

 

I'm not quite sure what you are looking for. Is it help for your own project, or do you rather wish to join an already existing project and help out there?  Either way I can offer either of them if you want to. ( Add me on skype/steam or pm me. )

 

 

 


 

 

My projects so far include: ponyroleplay.com ( which is now closed for the moment )

and another one I wrote about here: http://mlpforums.com/blog/13/entry-1699-iteration-iteration-iteration-renaissance-roleplay-inside/

 

Obviously I have had a lot of anterior projects but they are not really worth mentioning as most of them didn't see the light of the day.

  • Brohoof 1

I love you! <3

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I mostly meant just little self-contained projects that would help me improve either through repetition or the need to learn how to use a language more efficiently. Stuff kinda like translation-processors (though not that specifically since I don't particularly know any languages besides English) or a non-GUI dice game. Stuff that's simple but good for practice.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I've always been interested in learning to program, but I never knew how to start. And unfortunately, my school's computer science program is currently frozen (its hard to explain). I'm going to try to teach myself, but I was wondering if anyone has any pointers for a beginner. Also, what programming language do you recommend for beginners?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I mostly meant just little self-contained projects that would help me improve either through repetition or the need to learn how to use a language more efficiently. Stuff kinda like translation-processors (though not that specifically since I don't particularly know any languages besides English) or a non-GUI dice game. Stuff that's simple but good for practice.

 

 

 

Well a tool is only as good as what you make with it. So instead of trying to learn what the best way to use a language is, you should focus on making things. You want to make a non-gui dice game? ( Whatever that is. ) Then start doing it, and search for anything online that can help you. One of the first things you could look for is: "How do I print stuff on the screen?" ( I think you already got that down though. ) and then "How do I emulate a rolling die?" Etc...

 

I've always been interested in learning to program, but I never knew how to start. And unfortunately, my school's computer science program is currently frozen (its hard to explain). I'm going to try to teach myself, but I was wondering if anyone has any pointers for a beginner. Also, what programming language do you recommend for beginners?

What do you want to do? Games? Utility programs? Websites? Mods?

 

For games I would go and try lua and Love2D.

 

For Utility Programs C#.

 

Websites I would start with HTML/CSS, then go with Javascript and then jump over to ruby.

 

For mods, it depends ont he game.


I love you! <3

Link to comment
Share on other sites

While not specifically a programming language, learning HTML and CSS is a good place to start for most. HTML is a markup language which is completely different from a programming language.

 

Markup languages are used for moving, storing and displaying data. Programming and scripting languages are for retrieving information and functionality.

 

Try Code Academy for a start. it's where I had my beginnings but keep in mind: No matter how it may look, Code Academy is only learning syntax and the most basic of things. You will not learn much in the way of substance and usage there. Do them in the order they are displayed if you can. Javascript is a good start, HTML is next (You learn CSS at the same time because the two go hand in hand) and then there's Python which is used quite a bit in web development, particularly when dealing with databases.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Well a tool is only as good as what you make with it. So instead of trying to learn what the best way to use a language is, you should focus on making things. You want to make a non-gui dice game? ( Whatever that is. ) Then start doing it, and search for anything online that can help you. One of the first things you could look for is: "How do I print stuff on the screen?" ( I think you already got that down though. ) and then "How do I emulate a rolling die?" Etc...

 

What do you want to do? Games? Utility programs? Websites? Mods?

 

For games I would go and try lua and Love2D.

 

For Utility Programs C#.

 

Websites I would start with HTML/CSS, then go with Javascript and then jump over to ruby.

 

For mods, it depends ont he game.

Thanks! :) I mostly want to be able to create websites so I guess I'll start with HTML. Just out of curiosity, is learning other programming languages easier after you have already learned one? 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Well a tool is only as good as what you make with it. So instead of trying to learn what the best way to use a language is, you should focus on making things. You want to make a non-gui dice game? ( Whatever that is. ) Then start doing it, and search for anything online that can help you. One of the first things you could look for is: "How do I print stuff on the screen?" ( I think you already got that down though. ) and then "How do I emulate a rolling die?" Etc...

 

What do you want to do? Games? Utility programs? Websites? Mods?

 

For games I would go and try lua and Love2D.

 

For Utility Programs C#.

 

Websites I would start with HTML/CSS, then go with Javascript and then jump over to ruby.

 

For mods, it depends ont he game.

Well that's why I mentioned Panda3D. Because I have interest in some minor game development. I was merely using a dice game as an example only, no real interest in that. And by non-GUI I meant a dice game that plays purely in text rather than having actual graphical dice. :P

 

Thanks! :) I mostly want to be able to create websites so I guess I'll start with HTML. Just out of curiosity, is learning other programming languages easier after you have already learned one? 

Take a look at my post. I forgot to quote you but it was definitely directed at you. ;)

 

HTML is definitely a good place to start for website design but javascript (there IS a difference between JS and Java, don't get them confused.) and jQuery will help you a lot.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks! :) I mostly want to be able to create websites so I guess I'll start with HTML. Just out of curiosity, is learning other programming languages easier after you have already learned one? 

 

Yeah. Once you learn the basics and stuff and think in the correct ways, new languages are basically just learning a new syntax. There's obviously more to it, but they all follow the same basic pattern.

Although, HTML isn;t a real programming language, as was said above, and while it will help you a bit, it won't a lot.

 

Also, messing around with Game Maker in high school taught me more about programming than any college class I've ever taken (which has been 2 so far). Self teaching is awesome.

  • Brohoof 1

Signature now 99% less edgy!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Most programming languages, on the surface, share the same basic functions.

 

Things you will find in most every language on one way or another:

 

The if-else function

The for loop

The print statement (or stdout)

many, many syntax and unboundlocalerrors.

 

Deep down every language IS different and has different purposes but as a beginner starting with one and sticking with it, then moving on to another, you'll see a lot of similarities.

 

I noticed just how much I've improved while employed yesterday. I was working with Python Requests when I first started my job but hardly understood most of what I was looking at. Been working with it again the last few days and I understood almost EVERYTHING on that page. :D

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Take a look at my post. I forgot to quote you but it was definitely directed at you. ;) HTML is definitely a good place to start for website design but javascript (there IS a difference between JS and Java, don't get them confused.) and jQuery will help you a lot.

Sorry, I guess you posted while I was writing mine, and so I didn't get a chance to read it. I'll check out Code Academy. It looks pretty awesome.

 

Yeah. Once you learn the basics and stuff and think in the correct ways, new languages are basically just learning a new syntax. There's obviously more to it, but they all follow the same basic pattern.

Although, HTML isn;t a real programming language, as was said above, and while it will help you a bit, it won't a lot.

 

Also, messing around with Game Maker in high school taught me more about programming than any college class I've ever taken (which has been 2 so far). Self teaching is awesome.

Thanks! I've taught myself a lot of complicated things in the past so I think you're right. Self teaching is really awesome.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Keep in mind that Code Academy has a lot of bugs that have yet to be fixed in some of the lessons, particularly the Python one (at least it was when I was doing it)

 

An alternative for learning Python would be Learn Python The Hard Way which is a crash course in Python that will serve as a proper substitute to Code Academy if it doesn't work.

 

I WOULD recommend Javascript via Code Academy first though to learn some basics of programming. Python REQUIRES whitespace, meaning proper indentation and newline formatting in your programs, to work while Javascript does not.

 

Python would be a good place to start if you wanna learn proper code formatting though.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Um...I'm hoping not to interrupt or anything, especially because I'm not a programmer but I was just curious if any of you knew. Have you guys heard of FiM++? (No, it's not a joke. It is an actual thing being made).

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Um...I'm hoping not to interrupt or anything, especially because I'm not a programmer but I was just curious if any of you knew. Have you guys heard of FiM++? (No, it's not a joke. It is an actual thing being made).

 

I have. While it sounds interesting and funny, it also seems kinda stupid and pointless. And really, how ponified can you make a language and still have it make sense?


Signature now 99% less edgy!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have. While it sounds interesting and funny, it also seems kinda stupid and pointless. And really, how ponified can you make a language and still have it make sense?

I know I don't know a single THING about programming, but I'm curious on to how exactly could you ponify a programming language. :huh:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Um...I'm hoping not to interrupt or anything, especially because I'm not a programmer but I was just curious if any of you knew. Have you guys heard of FiM++? (No, it's not a joke. It is an actual thing being made).

Whether it was pretty or worked properly or not the fact that someone attempted it is awesome. 

 

Python was made with the sole intention of making references to Monty Python in it's libraries and when it's taught. :lol:

 

Wise words I remember reading from Cathedral and the Bazaar:

 

"A good programmer uses a language to do what he wants, a great programmer takes the language and modifies it to do what he wants for him or more efficiently."

 

Or something along those lines. It's always been true that every new language or module or library is built to make things easier on the creator. It implements a method as a library instead of having to write three to ten lines of code to make something work how you want it.

 

Python's BeautifulSoup, for example, has a method called .prettify() that can turn a BeautifulSoup object (with proper html, head and body tags) into a nice looking html document so instead of:

 

<html><head></head><body><p><img /></p></body></html>

 

It'll turn it into:

 

<html>

    <head>

    </head>

    <body>

        <p>

            <img />

        </p>

    </body>

<html>

 

This was more than likely implemented because the creator(s) were tired of having to reformat their HTML to look good every time they created an html doc so they could read it well enough. BeautifulSoup also has the ability to grab each tag so .prettify() makes it easier to see exactly which tags, in which instances, you need, even though .prettify() itself is merely for aesthetic reasons.

 

I know I don't know a single THING about programming, but I'm curious on to how exactly could you ponify a programming language. :huh:

Honestly it would merely be changing the names of the some of the functions but if you wanted to change it to be something like "do an applejack" in plain English well....it won't work very well and the guy on the Equestria Daily page who I found when I googled it even confirmed that it's not very good. Programming requires too much verbosity (too many words with no meaning, to put it simply) for any language that tries to use proper English, or any other language, to work properly or be anything less than tedious to write.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Whether it was pretty or worked properly or not the fact that someone attempted it is awesome. 

Amen. People complain about us ponifying everything...now we know that's true. :P 

 

Honestly it would merely be changing the names of the some of the functions but if you wanted to change it to be something like "do an applejack" in plain English well....it won't work very well and the guy on the Equestria Daily page who I found when I googled it even confirmed that it's not very good. Programming requires too much verbosity (too many words with no meaning, to put it simply) for any language that tries to use proper English, or any other language, to work properly or be anything less than tedious to write.

My only wonder is if it could work. I'm going to suppose that if only you used a...er...let's call it, "basic ponification" of a program language, it could probably become not tedious enough to make it work, but ponified enough to actually call it FiM++. But again, I don't really know. Did other members of the ones participating in the FiM++ project mention how did it go or something on other pages?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

I dunno, just skimmed Equestria Daily is all. I suppose they had a good start with the Dear Princess Celestia class definition. Could probably end it with "Signed Twilight Sparkle" and at the top of the program assign "Twilight Sparkle" to the user in question though that would only really have use for when you want to log who does what with which programs. Of course, you could potentially use Rainbow Dash for a for loop name and maneuvers as different functions within.

 

Creating a language is difficult, modifying an existing one is even more dangerous and likely to fail. Usually when you wanna make a change to a language's functions you just import a library to do something for you instead of having to jump through hoops to do it yourself.



Sheesh, I had to back five pages to find this topic again.

 

Anyway, I was thinking about how you would stop a character from going through a wall or floor and maybe you could put an arbitrary variable in there and use an if statement saying "if character variable and wall variable are x don't let the character pass through" or something along those lines.

 

I haven't really experimented with Panda3D yet and I certainly have no experience in developing a game at all. Just kinda think a few things up.

  • Brohoof 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Ah i thread that may be able to help me, i am a fairly novice programmer i have a slight grasp of c++, a knowledge of java, and am learning python, and for web based stuff i have a decent understanding of HTML, css and i am learning javascript, XML, PHP and MySQL,  

 

i am trying to pace myself with all this stuff because if i lose focus on it, it will take a long time to get back into the groove of things also i have a lot of spare time but i am looking to focus down on one part.

 

i have UDK and Unity and panda3d(thanks Discordian it is really helping me expand on python) now the main reason i am tinkering with these engines and building stuff in them(well trying to) is to eventually build my own engine,

 

oh and i am also making little bits of games here and there when i find the knowledge how do the things

 

now with all that said i am looking to be pointed in the way of some good books or other places for this stuff i have some books already that i am reading and learning from but i was wondering if you have any in mind that would help me really expand my knowledge to eventually start making some games and maybe start up an small game business, but that's in the future so i don't have to worry about it now.

 

so whatever advice you could give would be greatly appreciated

 

apologize that this is long but i just wanted to get pretty much everything across


v3_zps0f721b1d.jpg
Signature is a work in progress.

 

Join the Brony Guards http://mlpforums.com/topic/41727-brony-guards-xboxsteam-brony-clan-recruiting/

(um, if you want to)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm somewhat confused about Python. Is it a markup language, like HTML or php? Or is it just a high level language like c++ or java?

 

I've been programming in GML--Game Maker Language, for almost 4 years. I've gotten pretty good at it, but I've wanted to move on to a better language. I know some really basic c++, but only console application stuff, and I still suck at it. I personally want to learn a low level language, like Assembly, but I have no idea how far that'll get me. Plus I can't find any up-to-date tutorials or an Assembler compatible with Windows 7.

Edited by Betez

My OC

 

Stay pony my friends

"And ALWAYS remember...to never forget." - Someone who I'm sure has said this before I did

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 weeks later...

Python is an object-oriented programming language that is very good at making long programs a whole lot shorter. Things that would take hundreds or maybe even thousands of lines of code in Java can be done in maybe 10-30 in Python. It's best use is probably web development, particularly working with databases thanks to the Django library.



Well, seems this topic went about as well as I was expecting it to. lol

 

Let's see if we can get it fired up again, eh? I suppose it also serves as a general discussion topic but all things considered I think we all use very different languages so I wonder how much common ground we can find with one another.

 

Working with Django today I kinda more or less feel stupid because I didn't know about the values_list() function until now. Something tells me the official Django documentation isn't entirely well built because it's hard to find what you need unless you know exactly how to word what you're looking for.



I dunno, maybe I'm just not good at wording what I need to find. I had to find it through a google search or three.

 

I have a long way to go, and I know that, but it seems some languages and modules are unnecessarily hard at times. Wouldn't you think a function to grab a single field and put it into a list would be the first thing they'd teach you in the documentation?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have a long way to go, and I know that, but it seems some languages and modules are unnecessarily hard at times. Wouldn't you think a function to grab a single field and put it into a list would be the first thing they'd teach you in the documentation?

 

That sounds like 'pluck'.

 

While I don't use Django I don't see the problem of using google to find stuff? You can use the onsite: restriction as well?


I love you! <3

Link to comment
Share on other sites

That sounds like 'pluck'.

 

While I don't use Django I don't see the problem of using google to find stuff? You can use the onsite: restriction as well?

I do use Google actually it's just half the time you have to know how to word it or it won't actually find the right thing at times. This is especially hard when you don't actually know the name of a function and only know what you think it should be doing so Google can get some really mixed results.

 

I know, kinda makin' up an excuse. My boss tells me all the time I need to work on my logical path, it's what trips me up a lot of the time. He always tells me I got the potential to be great, I just have some glaring flaws I need to work through first.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Join the herd!

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...