Programming Advice

Thanks again guys. This is all really good stuff. If I didn't you reply to you specifically, it is only due to my lack of omnipresent capabilities. Time is of the essence. 

I once brushed close to a chance to become a pre-sales SAP technical consultant. I would have made big bucks, but I came in second and someone else got the job. Can't say I'm sorry, although the money would have been nice! Back in the 90's at least (and maybe still today, I don't know) SAP was a money tree that needed pruning. Once you had an in ... you could prune away.

Don't worry Christopher, we've descended now to arguing our own favourites, or nearly. I know a smart guy who taught himself C from the worst, most totally technically incompetent book ever published on the language.

Determination counts for more than resources. Pick something and go for it. If your choice is x86 assembler you'll be slow starting, but if you become any good the asmfish developers will be interested in talking to you.

(Says he who at different times has read or written 6502 assembler, VAX assembler, Motorola 6800 assembler, PA-RISC assembler and Itanium assembly language, but has escaped x86 in all of 8, 16, 32 and 64 bit forms.)

No need to argue. I have my own internal argument going on. I like the idea of Python or Java and the idea using my stuff on Linux, since I feel like sticking it to Microsoft in any way I can, but trying to be practical about the tools I have and I really think I will a C language eventually. 

Java and C# are siblings. It's just a slightly bigger adjustment goint to C from Java than it is going from C#.

After some consideration and further reading elsewhere, I think I should just continue with Python, since I've already started. While I consider myself good with the abstract, due to my job and hobbies, I am drawn to the idea that Python is middle of the road for being imperative and declarative. I know it is considered extremely flexible and my guess is that I won't be looking to do anything high performance for some years. I might as well learn how to code in the mean time. 

I just discovered something may make me take back what I stated in my previous post. 

I discovered labVIEW and G

It is based on Java. It seems to have potential use for what I want and certainly in a related job field. 

Is anyone here familiar with this language?

Christopher,

I have never heard of G. Don't overcomplicate things for yourself by learning a field-specific language before mastering the basics of programming.

I have found this introductory guide to G on the internet and it doesn't really seem suitable for a beginner such as yourself but to each his own.

I feel like all the advice we gave you before is still valid. Go to project euler and complete a few problems with Python, Java or a C-based language, think up a small project, design it and write it up.

3.1748021 ** 3 == ' the number of men used ' and 4 ** 3 == ' the number of squares of the board '

# Chess is the name of the game

I was only interested in G since it is somewhat related to my current occupation. From some things I have read, G both intrigues me and makes me want to investigate it for use with Chess and other data analysis. I do agree that a basis in Python or Java is probably best for now. I eventually want to learn Python, SQL, Java and G. First things first.

I was interested in a simple GUI for Python that has a simple "RUN" function and not one that requires an entirely separate education in file paths, file types and syntax, to program a hotkey, just to see if a few lines of code I have written are correct or to see what they will do...

I have been learning Python on Code_Academy for free, but I have had no luck using Notepad++ or Microsoft Visual Studio 2017 ( free version ). I am guessing that the syntax I am using is different and the only suggestions for doing so that I could readily find were for free standing editions of Python and not one shared through Microsoft. I am completely frustrated. I am baffled that no one who has had anything seriously invested in this language, never sought to simplify it. This is like being forced to get a PHD in "How to Learn ", before I can even attempt to get a certification for 3 month course in anything ... 

What do you mean when you say you have had no luck? Debugging is life. 

GUIs for cross-platform languages are never simple.

If Microsoft have provided a GUI for Python, it is probably native to Windows and familiar to users of other languages on Windows.

I have not programmed on Windows for several years, and done nothing with a GUI for Windows since version 3.11 or something, so don't even fully understand your complaint.

If you want a native Windows GUI Visual Basic might have been the better recommendation for you.

Unfortunately any new programming environment has a learning curve, and if it's your first one it will have its moments of frustration.

What I mean is that they must be teaching me a different version of Python than the one in Microsoft Visual Studio. Also, I kept trying everyone's recommendations for how to run my code in Notepad ++ and none of them worked. There kept being some conflict.  I chose the file path to python and then try to get the right file out of the library, in Python, so that it will try to run only my code in the IDE and it keeps messing up.

What I mean is that they must be teaching me a different version of Python than the one in Microsoft Visual Studio. Also, I kept trying everyone's recommendations for how to run my code in Notepad ++ and none of them worked. There kept being some conflict. I chose the file path to python and then try to get the right file out of the library, in Python, so that it will try to run only my code in the IDE and it keeps messing up.

If you're looking for help and not merely venting (which is OK, no criticism) what do you need a hotkey for? What is a hotkey?

The most configuration I would expect you to need (with a non-Microsoft delivered Python binary – ActiveState I think have one, or python.org itself? – would be to associate ".py" and perhaps ".pyc" with Python and off you go.

Clearly you're trying to do something more complex, and as noted I don't understand what.

The last Python script I've used (not written by me) required me to learn how to add a module (or whatever Python calls such things) and since then it has just worked. (I'm predominately using OS X, although there are Windows machines around I haven't needed that script on them yet.)

Um, OK.

I'm one of those heathens who doesn't like IDEs. I would uninstall one or other version of Python (or perhaps both) and reinstall one only and try from there.

Keep an eye on the age of the information that you're looking at, but there should not be major differences.

If you stay outside Microsoft Visual Studio I can probably install Python and if you provide a sample script try it myself. Best I can do (or, OK, will do: not touching MS Visual anything, sorry).

There are two versions (as distinct from two builds) of Python out there: the old 2.x series maintained for backward compatibility and the Python 3.x series which is current.

As you're learning, you should definitely be using 3.x.

What differences there may be between Microsoft's build and anyone else's I don't know, but Windows always makes me wary.

I noticed some syntax problems with the most simple thing, which tells me I have been learning 2 for free and that I have been trying to use 3 to experiment.

https://www.visualstudio.com/vs/features/python/ looks like 3.x (3.6 currently) and should be good, if you want Visual Studio.

https://www.activestate.com/activepython has probably been around longer than Microsoft's version

https://www.python.org/downloads/windows/ is from the official site; may or may not differ from ActiveState's version. Not liking IDEs I'd go with that one.

https://notepad-plus-plus.org/ OK, so Notepad++ is an IDE too.