I would start with java, because the majority of the universities in Europe have java as coding intro

-edit- the advantage of that is being able to find easy coding assignments and then compare to other students and the corrections they got from the professors.

I had no trouble finding a job with C++, and it was my first programming language. Also, there's plenty of stuff available for C++, especially since its been around so much longer. Visual Studios Express (windows) and Eclipse (windows and linux) are both free IDEs for C++. C# is probably easier, but I've never seen a job listing for a C# programmer. Not that I've looked terribly hard, but I've definitely seen C++, java, and web programming languages.

I agree that C/C++ is still much more marketable than C#. Java is pretty marketable, too. Personally, I dislike that schools teach Java or C# as a first language now, since I've seen my fair share of student interns who don't know how to manage their own memory usage when they work with C/C++.

This thread still has me a little baffled, going back and forth between combat systems/reflexes and programming languages/certification. If you want a combat system, use Lua. If you want a job, use C/C++ or Java. If you want both, I hope you've got a few years and a lot of patience.

And personally, I think that people who voluntarily use C/C++ for anything besides low-level system tools are trying to build a palace out of paperclips. Everyone who calls himself a programmer should know them in the same sense that programmers should know assembly, but we're long past the point where these are still acceptable tools for serious application development. It's still in use because of that same organizational inertia that keeps COBOL in use...except that C can be embedded into a modern language with minimal difficulty, so even legacy programs shouldn't be extended in C anymore.

I didn't say you couldn't get a job with C++. I said its marketability was narrower than some of the other languages mentioned.

Just doing a search on Monster.com right now with no other filters, C++ brings up 326 jobs, C# brings up 967. I have no idea where Zarquan is getting the idea that somehow C++ is in way more demand than C#, although I assume he has a basis for that.

You can have no trouble getting a job with Fortran or with AS400, either, but that doesn't mean those are the most marketable job skills, today.

I also agree with what Xavius said. Memory management is not a hard thing to pick up, and the ability to keep track of pointers, while impressive in its way, isn't really useful most software engineering scenarios. Scenarios where you actually get an appreciable benefit from a lower level language, sure, but those situations are not the most commonplace.

Even if the job listing says they want you to code in C#, if you know C++, most places will still grant you the interview to see if you're the quick learning type. There is a ton of legacy C/C++ code out there, so it's still a good skill to have in your repertoire.

Now, don't misconstrue what I'm saying here, either. Learn as many programming languages as you can! I know a dozen or so, and I can pick up almost any language in a couple of weeks of reading and tinkering. The more languages you study, the easier it gets to recognize the common elements.

Fully agreed.

And I certainly don't want to sound like I'm saying C++ is obsolete or that I'm trying to minimize the programmers who are most at home in that language. It's just that, if someone came to me and said, "I don't know how to program, but I want to make a career move into it. Which language should I start with?" I'd suggest C# over C++ for the reasons I gave. That's all I meant.

Cough cough cough, Whyte's mudbot, cough cough.

I did say "compile just that," meaning you still rely on Mudbot, and I also said "write a library," which is exactly what you're doing when you utilize Mudbot with a C curing system.

Thanks for the ideas guys I appreciate it and I do want to learn scripting for combat reflexes and I want to make a career out of programming. I hope in the end i'll learn them all but for now I need to take it easy and just continue with what advice was given and hopefully go on from there.

For scripting purposes, choose Lua. Why? Because you'll be scripting MUD combat systems, and Lua is THE go-to language for scripting on the smaller scale. Lua, by it's nature, is designed to be embedded into another program, which is why you see a hella lot of awesome computer games (see: World of Warcraft) coded primarily in Lua. If you familiarize yourself with it, and REALLY dig down into the language, Lua could get you a job with creating video games. You don't need an inch of artistic talent (though by all means, it helps!) as long as you can make the art that others create do stuff; like run, jump, or pwn Arthas on 25-man hard modes.

If you want to learn a language that is highly marketable, try your hand at C#/Java, SQL, and C/C++. C# and Java are very similar languages used to do the same thing: client/server application programming. The only REAL difference between them is Java is it's own language and is multi-platform, while C# is based off C++ and is for the Windows OS only, since it utilizes the .NET Framework. If you put either or both of those languages on your resume, you'll be brought in for an interview, since both languages are highly used in Enterprise.

SQL (pronounced 'sequel', like the movies) is a language used to make databases, used for storing large amounts of data. If you have experience and proficiency with using SQL (either Oracle or Microsoft SQL), you'll be able to pick your job. I'm currently interning at Fidelity Investments this summer, and anyone with SQL experience is in HUGE demand.

And finally, C/C++ is still greatly used in the work force. There are tons of legacy applications out there that are written in C/C++, just as Zarquan said, and it takes skilled people to maintain and build off of those languages. Plus, C is the brick and mortar used to build much of the scripting-style languages that we use today, such as Python, Lua, Ruby, Perl, etc. It's a very challenging language to learn, but once you get it, you'll be a MUCH better programmer in the end.

Now, for that one diabolical question: "Which language should I learn first?" Well, for use in creating combat systems for Lusternia, bar-none, choose Lua. It's the language of choice for system programmers, and there are a ton of people on the forums that have experience with the language, so if you ever need any assistance with your projects, you can ask knowing that you'll get a good answer. (Just make sure you ask the right questions the right way to get the right answer ). For use in the "real world", I would start out with Python. Python, while not necessarily as marketable as Java or C, is by far the easiest language to jump into. It has a simple and well thought out syntax, but also allows for powerful programming in OOP and other coding paradigms. It can be embedded inside other programs, made into stand-alone applications, and has the benefit of THOUSANDS of third-party modules from which you can download and extend for your own use. Want to create a pretty GUI? Download the PyQt module (based off the Qt framework, written for C++). Want to embed Python inside the Java JVM? Write your program in Jython. How about for use with .NET? IronPython is your choice. So, while it's not the most marketable language necessarily, Python has the benefit of easily being one of the, if not the, most versatile languages out there.

After that, I would suggest looking into either Java or C#, simply because the IDE's for each language can't be beat. Java has Eclipse for a standard IDE, and NetBeans for a GUI-specific IDE, while C# has Microsoft's Visual Studios, which is incredible for building applications as fast as possible. Personally, I'd choose C# over Java, especially if you have plans on learning C/C++ later in your career, but that's just me.

I have just enough coding knowledge to know what you guys are talking about, but not enough to understand what you're saying. I'm reading along, think I'm keeping up, but when I get to the end I realize I have no clue what just happened. So it's an interesting discussion to watch.

C# isn't just for Windows. There is an open source version of the .NET Framework called Mono, and even Microsoft has an open source version of it for FreeBSD called Rotor.

If you're really interested in writing a curing system in one of the .NET languages (or anything that can be compiled into the CLR) I could put together a tutorial on how to get it talking to CMUD. It's not too bad once you get all the COM and CCW crap out of the way but can be confusing if you're new to it.

Like most others have said, if you're just starting out with programming it would be much easier to begin with something that's supported natively by your client. The most important skill for a programmer is to be able to think in a particular way - and that skill is independant of the language you choose.

The main advantage of using Java, C, C++ etc. would in my opinion be gaining familiarity with the libraries for the language you choose. Learning the syntax of a langauge is only half the battle. Learning your way around the API is just as important, especially if you're looking to apply what you learn while writing your curing system to professional programming.

What compiler do you use for python?

python is an interpreted language... much like lua, or bash, or ruby...

typically, you'd run a python script (if it isn't embedded into another application which handles the parsing for you) by using the command "python "

What d said.

There are python "compilers" out there that let you bundle your code into an installable executable for Windows systems. Is that what you're looking for?

Yeah I think. Like C++ compilers are borland or dev

I'm not a pythoneer, so I don't know about quality, but I found this with the briefest of google searches:

http://www.py2exe.org/

You compile C++ to run it, though. Python, you don't. You just install an interpreter and run it.