Where should an 11-12 year old Start?

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Re: Where should an 11-12 year old Start?

Post by Innerscope »

The only thing he's forgetting is that quotes go around text that you literally want in the variable/outputted to the screen. But when the compiler catches it, he instantly knows what to do... So he's doing well, his mind will probably explode when we get to pointers and references though xD
Or complex data structures for that matter...
But hey, whatever works for you. I'm just here to give you sound advice, take it or leave it. Good luck!
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Re: Where should an 11-12 year old Start?

Post by XianForce »

hehe, you should know, its a working progress... You don't learn everything off day one =p... and I've explained what I'm gonna do, it incorporates your advice ;)
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Re: Where should an 11-12 year old Start?

Post by Brock7 »

I think you should start him off by doing something simple such as programming a new OS or something..then move on to harder things like Visual Basic.
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Re: Where should an 11-12 year old Start?

Post by Netwatcher »

I see you are sure of what u want to do with him now,
So just sign him to a dev forum and good luck ;)
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Re: Where should an 11-12 year old Start?

Post by dandymcgee »

Brock7 wrote:I think you should start him off by doing something simple such as programming a new OS or something..then move on to harder things like Visual Basic.
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Re: Where should an 11-12 year old Start?

Post by XianForce »

:lol: Yeah, for now I just want him to get the basics down, then crush his belief that he'll easily become an epic programmer... Then throw him into Python... God I wish I would've started when I was his age... Too bad I was really poor and didn't have a computer back then xD
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Re: Where should an 11-12 year old Start?

Post by MadPumpkin »

yea i started w/ Flash when i was 11-12 and i easily made an entire game in 2 weeks w/ all custom graphics and MY code not stolen although... i did learn a LOT from Tutorialized xD

yea... i LOVE math "I <3 Trig" is sprayed on my door w/ airbrush

and that's not a joke it really is haha
trig took me a little while to learn... but when i did i was proud of myself because my 7thGRADE geometry teacher told me i wasn't even supposed to know trig haha but its actually very useful in game programming... you should teach him trigs xD
!!TEACH HIM JASS!!! haha
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Re: Where should an 11-12 year old Start?

Post by Ginto8 »

I have no clue how I didn't see this thread earlier... I guess I should browse the forums more. So your brother wants to learn how to program? Sounds cool. Unfortunately, I don't really have any valid starting language recommendations, due to the fact that I started with simple MapleStory private server Java manipulation (not much, really), and then jumped straight into C++ and gradually advanced until I hit the ground running with graphical programming. I have heard that Python/Perl/etc. are good, but what I think he'd need in order to really get him started is something cool. Say, if you made a game in C++ and integrated lua scripting, then started him off with that (Falco, you better finish your game quickly! :mrgreen: ), it would probably be a great motivator. Find something that really interests him (say, pyGame and the like, or maybe even GameMaker/RPGMaker) and help him get started. Then try to make sure he keeps advancing, and his motivation stays. Once he gets into the realm of C/++ (game) programming, you can just about safely say there's no turning back for him :lol: Good luck to him, and sorry for the rather long-winded post. ;)
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Re: Where should an 11-12 year old Start?

Post by davidthefat »

Ginto8 wrote:I have no clue how I didn't see this thread earlier... I guess I should browse the forums more. So your brother wants to learn how to program? Sounds cool. Unfortunately, I don't really have any valid starting language recommendations, due to the fact that I started with simple MapleStory private server Java manipulation (not much, really), and then jumped straight into C++ and gradually advanced until I hit the ground running with graphical programming. I have heard that Python/Perl/etc. are good, but what I think he'd need in order to really get him started is something cool. Say, if you made a game in C++ and integrated lua scripting, then started him off with that (Falco, you better finish your game quickly! :mrgreen: ), it would probably be a great motivator. Find something that really interests him (say, pyGame and the like, or maybe even GameMaker/RPGMaker) and help him get started. Then try to make sure he keeps advancing, and his motivation stays. Once he gets into the realm of C/++ (game) programming, you can just about safely say there's no turning back for him :lol: Good luck to him, and sorry for the rather long-winded post. ;)
LOL Now you mention maple story ps, I messed around with titan ms and it was in c++, its alot easier than odinms iMO,.. but that was like a year ago... I dont even play it anymore
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Re: Where should an 11-12 year old Start?

Post by derbon »

That's an EASY question, the language is called BlitzPlus, its super easy, it has its own API.
download it somewhere at http://www.maneeshsethi.com/
BlitzPlus tutorials at YouTube by amcadam26
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Re: Where should an 11-12 year old Start?

Post by h0ts0up »

I agree with derbon. Knowing a 12 year old, he has a VERY short attention span and would probably give up if he got frustrated enough. Have him work with BlitzPlus and get him into a game or something.
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Re: Where should an 11-12 year old Start?

Post by eatcomics »

I wonder what ginto has to say about that.... :lol:
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Re: Where should an 11-12 year old Start?

Post by thejahooli »

h0ts0up wrote:I agree with derbon. Knowing a 12 year old, he has a VERY short attention span and would probably give up if he got frustrated enough. Have him work with BlitzPlus and get him into a game or something.
I've just turned 13 and when I started with C++, when I was 12, it was the first programming I had ever done. If he really wants to do this then he won't give up. Also people say that there are too advanced concepts in C++ that it would be difficult to understand, he will have to learn them eventually and it would be better to start learning sooner than leave it until later.
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Re: Where should an 11-12 year old Start?

Post by Falco Girgis »

I was doing web design and basic Perl at 12. I started on Dreamcast at 13. You can totally do it. Start out at the library with a book on something like BlitzPlus.
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Re: Where should an 11-12 year old Start?

Post by XianForce »

GyroVorbis wrote:I was doing web design and basic Perl at 12. I started on Dreamcast at 13. You can totally do it. Start out at the library with a book on something like BlitzPlus.
Heh, he already started, I threw him into C++, takes him a bit longer to grasp things than it did for me, but it's working.
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