Why shouldn’t beginner learn VB first?
First of all, I need to say that I’m neither a guru nor expert. I have no idea to consider and compare about programming languages. But I think I can give some advice to beginner.
Yesterday, my friend asked me that he wanted to start learning programming. He wanted to know which language he should learn first. He heard about some visual languages. Someone told him, those visual languages are very easy to learn and will give him great productivity. “Is that true?” He asked. How should I say?
In my opinion, if the beginner learns Visual Basic first, it can misunderstand about the programming. I don’t mean that Visual Basic is a bad language. Visual Basic is the language of choice to develop desktop application for me.
Visual Basic is a useful language. But beginner shouldn’t learn that language first. It can only be wasting their time by trying to understand textbox instead of trying to understand string processing. They will make double click on a command button to write a command1_click() procedure but they can’t clear understand about object, method and event. They think Visual Basic itself a programming language and they also can’t clearly understand what programming language is and what IDE is. They will blame other languages for not having great drag and drop IDE. And then they won’t try to understand memory management, threading, garbage collection and other important programming feature. They will think those features are not necessary to understand.
After having some experiences in developing applications, they can develop some windows-base small applications. But they will face some difficulties in learning other languages like Java, PHP. Because they can’t develop without drag and drop IDE. And they will blame those languages again.
In the real programming world, it is impossible to emphasize on only one language. We must know various languages. If beginner learn VB and love it, they will find that difficult to learn other language. If s/he learns a language like C or Java first, studying other language will be easy-going.
Believe it or not, I have never heard about regular expression within 2 years experiences as a professional because I’m a VB developer.
Yep, when I first started out programming I kept thinking, “what’s the best language?”. Unfortunately there isn’t any best language to learn. Different IT employers will want different skills. The only real way is to learn as many languages as you can, as efficiently as you can and keep an open mind. This doesn’t mean you have to master every language you come across - even if you just have a quick dab at Python and dip into Actionscript, that’s very good.
Learning many programming languages isn’t something a programmer can decide if they want to do, it’s something that programmers really must do. Not only does it allow you to get a job, learning multiple languages will help you understand programming far better, because it lets you see programming theory from different viewpoints.
I started programming with VB (for a few weeks in grade 9), then moved on to Javascript. In Uni I started with Java. Since then I’ve done C++, Unrealscript, Actionscript, Lingo, PHP, mySQL and Python. So far. Looking at myself, I still need to learn and practise a heck of a lot
Visual Basic can be powerful in it’s own right, but it should never be the only programming language you know
One more thing
As for VB being the *first* language to learn, I’m not sure. Personally I don’t think it matters which is the first, but it definately cannot be the last, or even the second last.
Learning to think properly is the most important thing. Syntax comes later.
Visual Basic teaches you to think funny, teaches bad habit after bad habit.
I started with C++ then moved quickly to using MASM32 for most applications.
I have since learned a myriad of other langauges (C/C++, C#, Pascal/Delphi, ASM (MASM32/FASM), and java (which I despise with a passion)).
I saw this the other day:
To quote Edsger Dijkstra:
It is practically impossible to teach good programming to students that have had a prior exposure to BASIC: as potential programmers they are mentally mutilated beyond hope of regeneration.
Ruby is a good Language for beginner. It easy to learn for OOP concept too.
Learning the programming language (syntax) is easy… but.. at the same time.. we need to learn a about OOP concept.(yes, i know.. it is not easy)..but.. dont give it up.!!!
@zogamnuam
I know, ruby is a good language to start and I love ruby too. But, I think, C is more good language for beginner to start. Ruby and C both are hight level language. But Ruby is little much higher than C. I afraid for beginner, when they choose Ruby to learn very first, they will be miss some basic like memory allocation. If they learn C first, they will get many advantages. For example, today popular languages like JAVA, C# and PHP are C-like languages. So, they can learn those popular language pretty fast.
Thank you very much for your comment…
yes.. it true. in modern programming languages we dont need to think about memory allocation or garbage collection.
So.. It is good for us.
If they start with C, they will have problem with many this Topic.(memory,etc…
And C is Not OOP-language.
Ok. who want to be work in Hardware field.. it to be have C Knowledge.
Very good discussion. I do agree with you. I wonder why so many people start learning VB in Myanmar.
Java is widely used to study OOP in Many university. To me, C# should be a starting language as for programming profession.
Yes.. nice post.. You are absolutely right about that..