How to Learn Computer Programming Languages
Programming languages allow people to write instructions for a computer that are later compiled and changed into machine code that computers understand. They come in many flavors, development environments and uses. Learning to read programming language is difficult the first time but should get easier with each successive language learned. Books, online documents, and sample code are just some of the resources programmers use to learn a new language.
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Instructions
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Choose a language to learn based on difficulty and usefulness. While C++ and Java are more powerful, Visual Basic is a great beginner's language that has many uses in Microsoft Office, Active Server Pages (ASP), and in building simple standalone applications. For web developers, however, PHP is more useful as it allows building web applications and is more widespread than other dynamic web page technologies.
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Gather learning resources. For those using Microsoft programming suites,like Visual Basic .NET or C# .NET, Microsoft's MSDN Library offers many great resources and tools. Active developer communities and free informational documents are available on many open-source programming languages' websites, such as that for PHP or Ruby. Other resources include free code, third-party online tutorials, and books. Universities and colleges also provide courses in programming languages for current students or those who can afford to enroll in individual courses.
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Learn by seeing. Code snippets, found on many programming resource websites, not only make programming quicker by providing ready-made code but also give examples of how something is done in that language. Try downloading code for simple programs, running them first to check they work, and then make your own changes to them. Doing so will get you familiar with syntax and structures more quickly than learning in a classroom.
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Learn from your mistakes. Debugging is the process of fixing code that does not work. Although frustrating, much is learned through fixing one's own mistakes. It reinforces programming knowledge, such as when you add the tenth or hundredth forgotten semicolon while debugging your first programs. Programming suites come with their own debuggers. Web developers often use browser plug-ins like Firebug, for Firefox, to debug web applications.
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Tips & Warnings
After learning one programming language, others come more easily. Pay attention to basic structures that repeat across languages, such as loops and functions.
References
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