You have an interesting and fun road ahead. Be warned that it is a long and winding road.I am not a programmer and I need some advise,
Use Raspbian. It's the standard for the Pi. You will get the best support with any questions that come with Raspbian.What operating system should I use?
As a beginner to programming I would suggest you start with Python.What programming platform/language would be the best for it?
I think that there is a reason why "it is difficult to point to a true beginners tutorial on using C". It is, at least in my opinion, a difficult first language for a beginner, and remains less than ideal for a 'casual user'. I have learnt and written substantial applications in many languages, from Apple II BASIC and 6502 Assembly Language through various other BASICS, C, Fortran, PDP-11 Assembler, 80n86 Assembler, and various special-purpose data manipulation languages. C was probably my favorite language when I was using it all the time, but, as a (now) only occasional programmer, I prefer languages that are either interpreted or have a programming environment that allows you easily to exercise bits of your code while you are developing it. I do most of my programming in VB.NET, using Visual Studio.DavidS wrote: ↑Wed Nov 14, 2018 8:36 pmThe question of language, you will need to learn one at least. In the modern world everything takes on the structure of C, so that may be a good option. Though it is difficult to point to a true beginners tutorial on using C. The best one I know is the first 8 chapters of The C Programming Language, 2nd Ed, ANSI C, though that is a book that costs $20 (almost as much as a Raspberry Pi).
I would argue that C is about equal to BBC BASIC. I think the main trouble is the way it is taught, it is not taught for beginners instead it is assumed the person learning C is familiar with programming. The language is not the problem.pfletch101 wrote: ↑Wed Nov 14, 2018 9:06 pmI think that there is a reason why "it is difficult to point to a true beginners tutorial on using C". It is, at least in my opinion, a difficult first language for a beginner, and remains less than ideal for a 'casual user'. I have learnt and written substantial applications in many languages, from Apple II BASIC and 6502 Assembly Language through various other BASICS, C, Fortran, PDP-11 Assembler, 80n86 Assembler, and various special-purpose data manipulation languages. C was probably my favorite language when I was using it all the time, but, as a (now) only occasional programmer, I prefer languages that are either interpreted or have a programming environment that allows you easily to exercise bits of your code while you are developing it. I do most of my programming in VB.NET, using Visual Studio.DavidS wrote: ↑Wed Nov 14, 2018 8:36 pmThe question of language, you will need to learn one at least. In the modern world everything takes on the structure of C, so that may be a good option. Though it is difficult to point to a true beginners tutorial on using C. The best one I know is the first 8 chapters of The C Programming Language, 2nd Ed, ANSI C, though that is a book that costs $20 (almost as much as a Raspberry Pi).
Python does not have properly typed variables. Remember this is one of the reasons that the 8-bit style BASIC's became frowned upon (most of which came from MicroSoft), that and the lack of parameterized procedures. Good habits from the start are better.Python (which I have only started using fairly recently) is very good from this viewpoint, and also offers the ability to plug in modules which make many things that are difficult (particularly for a beginner) in other languages quite easy to accomplish. I think that the odds of a beginner making progress and not getting terminally frustrated are better with Python than with most other potential 'first languages'.
Then go back to the good recommendation, BBC BASIC (in its modern form). It does not have the bad of Python and is a good beginner language, that does NOT have the bad of some other BASIC implementations.Heater wrote: ↑Wed Nov 14, 2018 9:42 pmOur opening poster, horizon2000, is not yet a programmer. A beginner to programming need a language that is quick an simple to get started with and all the hand holding they can get.
Python is such a language. Writing your first one line "Hello world" program is about as simple as it can get. From there it is simple steps to more complex things. There are tons of beginner friendly introductions to Python around the net and the documentation is excellent.
C is not a beginner friendly language. Not by a huge margin. Just the need to have a compile step is the first hurdle. Having to write a multi-line main function just to get "Hello world" output or do some simple arithmetic, with it's weird include statements, weird syntax, weird printf function etc is another big hurdle. And so on. When it comes to accessing a database from C it's a lot of hard work compared to Python and other modern high level languages.
C++ is the opposite of C. C is simple and eloquent, C++ is complex without reason.C++ is way off the charts of complexity for a beginner. Unless one is using the Arduino where a lot of that is hidden from you and there is a simple IDE. That is not the case on the Pi.
Similarly, whilst any operating system will do for the stated application, a beginner needs hand holding. Going with Raspbian is the way to get lots of the best support available on the Pi.
.
