Computer Programming Advice.

[Hugh Manatee]

Hello all, a bit off topic this one but I know there are some PC gurus on here. My teenage son spends a lot of time on his computer. The amount of time he spends on the thing; he should be an expert by now but, alas he is only interested in playing games!

He is keen to start programming. My computer programming skills began and ended with getting all the BBC and Spectrum computers in Dixons to show the same rude picture.

What tips and programs would people offer or suggest? I think suitable subjects would be:

Game programming. Basic stuff at first maybe including Doom wads?
Security. Write a simple non invasive program that will display the phrase, "Big hairy monkey balls" on my screen whenever I open my laptop.
Then write a program to counter this intrusion!
Building PCs and how all the components go together.

I use PCs but really know little about how they work. Can anyone offer me any advice?

 

[mustang1]

Imho if he wants to programming, then he would have started? But if he just needs a little bump in the right direction, get him to type "begin programming" into Google and download what's needed. Just start without reading too much thought into it.

 

[midlife]

Slightly off topic but I've always fancied getting a Raspberry Pi and playing with that. Taking me back to my Basic, Fortran, Pascal and C days

Shaun

 

[Bobby Mhor]

I'm trying to learn some stuff using Raspberry Pi..

trying


trying but I've done enough to do some weather stuff and ADS-B (plane radar) but I've got to pester my son when I get stuck.....a lot.
I ashamedly use other folks code but try to tweak occasionally

 

[Markymark]

Programming covers such a huge spectrum. Commercially it tends to be small parts of very large boring applications.

If it's to learn, imo, the most rewarding way to learn will be small real world projects taken to completion. The easiest and most common would be either games or websites.

Skills learnt from these about best practice will translate to other applications.

Or, as mentioned above, if hardware is involved then Raspberri Pi or Arduino are both great places to start.

 

[martint235]

Programming covers such a huge spectrum. Commercially it tends to be small parts of very large boring applications.

If it's to learn, imo, the most rewarding way to learn will be small real world projects taken to completion. The easiest and most common would be either games or websites.

Skills learnt from these about best practice will translate to other applications.

Or, as mentioned above, if hardware is involved then Raspberri Pi or Arduino are both great places to start.

Painful experience of this. From the moment I first touched a Commodore PET my career was sorted. I WOULD be a programmer. School was ok, Uni was a bit of a nightmare due to the lecturers who thought they knew everything, first job as a tape monkey wasn't too bad either. And then I became a programmer. God it was mind numbingly boring. The same bit of spec, day after day, for months at a time. I still work in IT but wouldn't go back to development.

 

[jefmcg]

I'd suggest writing apps would be a good place to start. Pick an platform (depending what he uses himself) find a getting started guide (like this one) and follow it.

Though Raspberry Pi is an excellent idea. Last time I was working with one, it was a simple program to check a remote site for new images, and then display them on a giant TV screen in a random order. We shipped it to Dubai where it was used at the launch party for a water slide, with nearly live images being displayed.

Very nice, simple tool and fits inside a mint tin.

 

[annedonnelly]

I suppose as a teenager he's a bit too old for https://www.codeclub.org.uk/

There are a lot of online "learn to program XYZ" courses but I'm not sure how good they are if you're a complete beginner & have no support on hand.

 

[Bimble]

Give these resources a try:

• https://www.codecademy.com/learn/python - Python is a relatively easy language to start with and will help with basic programming concepts
  
• http://www.learnpython.org/ - A similar resource, but with a more comprehensive layout and info all thrown on the screen at once (we all learn differently)
  
• http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/0/computing/28975331 - Some good resources linked from here that should help guide both you and your son

 

[marknotgeorge]

To link a lot of stuff together, the Raspberry Pi version of Minecraft allows you to interact with the game world using Python. I think there's a package that'll let you do the same with the PC version.

If he's into flight sims, there's a lot you can do with the Arduino, some electronics and some basic programming. You can build entire cockpits piece-by-piece with some relatively cheap components. Arduinos start at less than £4 for a Nano from a UK eBay seller.

 

[vickster]

Don't they do such stuff from an early age in schools nowadays?

 

[Edwardoka]

If he's wanting to do game development, he would struggle to find worse than Unity paired with C#, although Game Maker Studio is more entry level and has also seen a fair number of commercial game releases.

Alternatively, making mods/maps for games he likes. Usually there are plenty of sites devoted to doing so for each game.

For electronics, an Arduino is more low-level electronics/better for hacking about with ideas than a Raspberry Pi but you can do more with a single Pi.

Finally, building websites requires cross-disciplinary skill.

 

[Kestevan]

To link a lot of stuff together, the Raspberry Pi version of Minecraft allows you to interact with the game world using Python. I think there's a package that'll let you do the same with the PC version.

^^^^^ This....Especially If he's a minecraft player... The python minecraft system is complex enough to be rewarding/useful but simple enough to be easy to pick up. Plus it's presented in such a way that the little buggers don't actually realise they're programming - Oh and the Pi will introduce him to Linux too which is always useful.

 

[Hugh Manatee]

Thank you so much everyone. I do believe we have a Pi kit. That will be found and I'll look into the links and suggestions you have kindly offered.

 

[fossyant]

My son occasionally mucks about with his PI and is now working on with an arduino to remote control a 'remote controlled car' - he's linked it up to the motors, and is getting proximity sensors for it. It's a slow job as he get's easily distracted with his 'gaming' !!