Simple Program Idea

[Everlast]

Hey I was just wondering about your thoughts on a program I am thinking of making. I don't know what I would call it but it would tell people what things mean. So say you typed in NVM, and click Definition, it would give you the definition, which would be Never Mind. Basicly if you don't know what an abreviation means then you could use the program to find out. I'm not talking regular abreviations like FBI or NASA I'm talking about Instant Messenger abreviations. This might have been done before but I haven't found it yet, and there are websites but I think this would be easier. So what do you all think?

[Bert]

Would you download the program, and thne have to liek open it to use it? Because like favoriting a website is just as easy. Maybe this? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Internet_slang_phrases

[zetablack]

thats kinda what hes talking about but a program thats faster, i think its an ok idea but not super great, but good thought though

[Zwaken]

A C++ program? I may be able to make it with C++...

[Everlast]

I was gonna make it in Visual Basics, because I don't have C++

[Zwaken]

What's visual Basics? I just know about C and C++.

[Everlast]

Visual Basics is another program that you can write programs in. It's quit simple......well not simple to someone new to it. It just uses different coding definitions than C++. Like in C++ for documentary you use // but in Visual Basics you use ' so its different but the same. I think its a lot easier than C++.

[Zwaken]

Can it do as many things as C++? I mean, do companies use Visual Basics? I'm already started on C++, so I'm not switching. And most programs are in C++, so if I wanted to change that program, I could.

[Everlast]

Yes companies use Visual Basics, the most expensive Visual Basics program out is Visual Basics 6.0 Proffesional which is around $750. I believe it can do most anything that C++ can. Although I think that C++ is better for editing.

[Zwaken]

And another thing that's better about C++ is that the program to program is FREE!!!

[Everlast]

How do you know if it's better if you don't know about Visual Basics :rolleyes:, and are you talking about the Express Edition of C++ when you say it's "Free"?

[???revived]

Can it do as many things as C++? I mean, do companies use Visual Basics? I'm already started on C++, so I'm not switching. And most programs are in C++, so if I wanted to change that program, I could.

My dad's company uses Visual Basic, for example...

[Zwaken]

Well, I judge quikly. I guess I shouldn't bash about visual basics.

[Everlast]

My dad's company uses Visual Basic, for example...

Cool which version does he use? I bet it's the PRO if he owns his own business.

[???revived]

He uses VB8 (.NET).

[Everlast]

Wow, I didn't know there was a version 8. I use the .net version also but only at school. But I have 6.0 Pro.

[???revived]

Wow, I'm surprised at the number of people here who can program some, especially for their age...

I can't program my way out of a cardboard box...

[Zwaken]

Wow, I'm surprised at the number of people here who can program some, especially for their age...

I can't program my way out of a cardboard box...

Well, I just started to program. I can do small things, like make a talk program and a calulator. I guess 13 years old is kinda young for starting though. And good wording right there. "I can't program my way out of a cardboard box..." That deserves my line "LOL all the way"

[???revived]

I personally don't know anybody in real life at my age that knows anything about programming. Then again, my school has practically nobody with any sort of nerdiness factor...

[Everlast]

Same here Zwaken123 I'm just starting out. I can make a program say stuff based on what you type in, mostly using If and Then statements. I just finished a program that has over 1000 lines of code. :) It's a program that figures your GPA. You may be thinking "That seems simple why does it have so much code?" well we added a lot of extra stuff.

[Zwaken]

I personally don't know anybody in real life at my age that knows anything about programming. Then again, my school has practically nobody with any sort of nerdiness factor...

Are you saying that C++ is nerd-like? My friends say the same, but then I pointed out to them without those "nerds", we wouldn't have anything electronic. Well, other than lightning, but that's just about it.

[Zwaken]

Same here Zwaken123 I'm just starting out. I can make a program say stuff based on what you type in, mostly using If and Then statements. I just finished a program that has over 1000 lines of code. :) It's a program that figures your GPA. You may be thinking "That seems simple why does it have so much code?" well we added a lot of extra stuff.

lol, the longest program I made was about 15 lines.

[zetablack]

15 lines lol and look at the acual windows operation system with over 1.3 billion lines of code LOL

[Was It Me?]

Red Hat Linux is only 3.something million lines of C++ code. :)

over 1.3 billion lines of code LOL

[Imposter]

I like useing torquescript more than C++ because it doesn't take as long to compile and its uses basicly the same syntax. (after C++ is compiled though its much faster)

[Everlast]

Are me and ???Revived the only ones here who have heard, and used Visual Basics?

[zetablack]

i have! i don't really like it you can't make super mega world of warcraft graphics kinds of games :)

[Everlast]

Yer, I don't think it can make that sofisticated of a game.

[zetablack]

the only thing i can think of thats close to wow is torq game engien thingy but even still the elf city in wow is incredible.

[Imposter]

I think silvercreater uses visual basic. I used that until I bought torque.

[Was It Me?]

Are me and ???Revived the only ones here who have heard, and used Visual Basics?

I first learned programming using Visual Basic 5. I have since learned C/C++, several different flavors of BASIC, and Java.

Nowadays, I still prefer Visual Basic (or VB as it's more commonly known) for application development and prototyping, but I have upgraded to .NET 2003 (7.1) and .NET 2005 (8.0), so I don't use 5 or 6 anymore. :)

BTW Everlast, I believe that you mean Microsoft Visual Basic not Basics? If not, then no, I have never used it. ;)

[Everlast]

Yeah I mean Microsoft Visual Basic. All I have is Visual Basic 6.0 Pro, I don't have .NET and I don't know where to find it either. I don't think Best Buy caries it in their store. >_>

[zetablack]

you could probobly buy it from mmicrosofts like online store...

[Everlast]

Arg! I have said this many times! I can't buy stuff online! I can only get it if its in a store.

[Zwaken]

yeah, he doesn't have a credit card.

[zetablack]

sorry T_T i forgot...

[Slater]

Hmm, your program idea could be done so easily, you could do it in simple JavaScript. Lots easier than C++ or Java.

Tho if you really wanted to use something more program-like, use Java. It isn't an actual programming language (Technically it isn't since Java isn't compiled, even though it has a pseudocompiler javac.exe), which has its advantage in that you could easily turn it into an applet.

[Was It Me?]

Hmm, your program idea could be done so easily, you could do it in simple JavaScript. Lots easier than C++ or Java.

... if you really wanted to use something more program-like, use Java... which has its advantage in that you could easily turn it into an applet.

True. Good ideas.

[ben]

onelook.com (http://onelook.com/) is a very nice site that basically does what you want. If you really wanted to, it'd be quite easy to write a script to query it for you.

[zetablack]

i didn't find any messenger things though...

[Everlast]

Note that the name of the topic is Simple Program Idea, NOT Complicated Program Idea.

[???revived]

Are you saying that C++ is nerd-like? My friends say the same, but then I pointed out to them without those "nerds", we wouldn't have anything electronic. Well, other than lightning, but that's just about it.

Well, in today's fast paced world, programmers are generally considered "nerds", but I don't really see anything wrong with that, as I'm a nerd, just not a programming nerd (I'm one of those smart kids).

Are me and ???Revived the only ones here who have heard, and used Visual Basics?

I haven't actually used Visual Basics, I just know about it because my dad uses it. On another forum I once went to, there was a 15 year old guy who supposedly knew how to program Java, and everybody was saying "wow, that guy must be über smart or something". It seems that this sort of stuff just comes to younger and younger people (I feel so old after writing that, even though I'm only 14 XD).

[Everlast]

Where did you all get your Visual Basic.Net's? Because I can only use it at school. I write the code at home and e-mail it to myself then I copy and paste it to a computer at my school, and then make the form and such...

[Was It Me?]

I saw VB.NET 2003 Standard several months ago at a store called Micro Center (don't know if you have those where you're from) for $80ish. That was for JUST VB and not the whole Visual Studio. You should be able to find a copy at pretty much any computer store though.


Check out the Visual Studio Express Editions (VB.NET, VC++.NET, VC#.NET, ect. - all 2005 editons) from Microsoft here (http://msdn.microsoft.com/vstudio/express/). They are "lite" versions that you can download for free from Microsoft. :)

Lite but still pretty feature filled. ;)

[Everlast]

I will have to try Radio Shack, that the best I can think of.

[Was It Me?]

Did you see my edit to my previous post? :) I think that that would be a good option, in my opinion.

[Everlast]

I have but they don't work on my computer...

[Was It Me?]

Eh? Why? :confused:

Oh... Is it because you don't have the .NET 2.0 framework installed on your computer? I don't know if the development framework is included in that package.

[Everlast]

Hey I don't know if you all care but I'm posting this anyway. ;) In my programming class at school were're making a Deal Or No Deal? game. It looks pretty cool so far.

[Saint Wacko]

I am planning on learning C++ as soon as I can

[ben]

So, you want to learn to program, eh? Well, here are a few thoughts from someone who is very much learning himself.

First of all, forget game programming. You're not going to program the WoW, Halo 3, or Pocket Tanks any time soon, if ever. Countless man hours of work and experience went into making those games. That's not to say you won't ever work on a game, but it won't happen for quite a while.

Secondly, teach yourself. You're not too young to teach yourself how to program. Some good books, an inquisitive mind, the willingness to experiment, and a bit of persistence will go farther than any school course ever will.

I've never taken a programming course (or any real computer course, for that matter). Nearly everything I know was "self taught" - reading books, watching and listening to what I see experts saying and doing, looking and poking at things, and just plain trying something and seeing what happens. This isn't to say that school/college courses are useless or only for stupid people, of course. They can be invaluable to learn things that would be difficult to learn otherwise - but they're no substitute for the correct attitude about learning yourself.

Remember, to become a good programmer, you have to first master the basics. Every good programmer spend many long hours becoming good at the basics long before they did anything impressive.

Thirdly, get UNIX (and by UNIX I mean Linux or BSD). Even if you don't want to install it to your hard disk, even a live-CD would be great. While not necessary to learn to program, IMHO it makes it vastly easier to learn to program well. UNIX and the C programming language were very much written around each other, and it shows. It can be argued that UNIX was started by programmers for programmers. IMHO, getting a good base of programming in UNIX will be very useful in making quality programs later on.

What makes UNIX so great for programmers? Many things. One is the Command Line Interface. It's hardly obsolete. Learn it. Use it. Love it. Another is the concept of programs doing one thing and doing it well. A third is the simple fact that any UNIX worth its salt will have a compiler already installed, and several other scripting languages pre-installed or easily installed. A fourth is the whole concept of Free/Open source software. That Microsoft charges for a compiler amazes me.

Fourth, remember, patience is a virtue. Learning to program will not happen overnight. In fact, the learning will never end. Do not ever presume that you can't get better.

Finally, a couple thoughts on where to start. I, personally, wouldn't recommend starting directly with C++. IMHO, I'd start with something like Python - it's both very powerful and easier to learn than C++. The O'Reilly books on Python are very good, as are some of the tutorials on the Python web site.

If you do want to start with C++, then once again the internet (and Google!) is an excellent resource. There are more good books than I can remember off the top of my head - check your library! O'Reilly books are generally good. The C++ Programming Language by Stroustrup is the definitive reference, though not a good first book. The C Programming Language by Kernighan and Ritchie is excellent, even though it only covers C. The Practice of Programming by Kernighan and Pike is excellent once you get the basics of C++ down.


...whew. That was long.

[Everlast]

Well I don't really care to learn C++ I'm more interested in Visual Basic.NET, 'cause I'm not really interested in making games , I'm just making the Deal Or No Deal game in class because the teacher thought it would be fun and he hasn't done anything like that before. I was surprised he hasn't, he knows C++, Visual Basic.NET, Basics, Python and something else that starts with a Q I think. Anyway I just want to make like small programs to help me, and later will make some bigger ones. (If I can ever get VB.NET)

[Was It Me?]

Thanks Ben, for the excellent thoughts and encouragement for the self-taught! :)

[Zwaken]

And that's why I'm learning at an age as early as 13. I have been thinking of learning programing ever since I was 9 years old. I have a great desire to learn it, so I will learn it. Watch out, because I'm about to pour all of my free time into programing. I also do intend of teaching myself with books. I may not know much now, but wait. It'll become a second language to me.

[Everlast]

Mabye you will eventually own one of those businesses that makes programs and sells them for $1000. Like Adobe...

[???revived]

And that's why I'm learning at an age as early as 13. I have been thinking of learning programing ever since I was 9 years old. I have a great desire to learn it, so I will learn it. Watch out, because I'm about to pour all of my free time into programing. I also do intend of teaching myself with books. I may not know much now, but wait. It'll become a second language to me.

I've wanted to make my own video games for as long as I can remember, but after observing what my dad does, how much time it takes, and especially after the "Take Our Kids To Work Day" thing in 9th grade, I found that it's just not my thing. Too time consuming, and it seems both awfully boring and awfully complicated...

[Imposter]

I am mainly self-taught but I found that its a good idea to have someone you can ask for help if you can't get something to work (so long as you tried to fix it yourself already) and if you totally don't understand something.