I was interested in coding and was wondering, what exactly do you need to create apps and do you need to have a background in programming? I have no background in programming and if you need one this will not become a enjoyable hobby for me.

Learn C or C++, then you should be able to grasp it by looking at the examples in devkitPro and looking at other open source homebrew projects.

I'm 13 so that's probably not going to happen. Thanks anyway though!



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/21/2011 11:02PM by technoman.

Plenty of people start at your age or earlier: The earlier you start, the better. I tried to start back then, but I never really bothered.

tpw_rules is 13 and probably better than myself and most other people in some areas. This kid writes Z80 assembly, Python, linux scripts, and C/C++ like nobody else can.

I became a moderator here when I was 15 and started programming when I was 7.

SquidMan/trap15 and Icefire who are the same age as me both specialized in areas of programming and reverse engineering years ago that I'm just barely beginning to scratch the surface of now.

Comex who needs no introduction is also the same age as me.

tl;dr You're actually late if you start programming today. But better late than never. The longer you wait the worse off you'll be if you ever decide you want to get into programming.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/22/2011 03:34PM by Arikado.

Ok. Whats a good book to start with? Also if this involves a lot of math I'm-a gonna hate this cuz me and math are like oil and water.

Yeah, programming has a lot of maths in it from my experiences (which are limited).

Do I have to understand base 5? Also right now my math curriculum is Saxon's Algebra 2. The only thing I really have in advanced mathematics is the use of sine, cosine and, tangent in stuff like force vectors and rectangular coordinates; and deriving and using the quadratic formula.

No idea what Saxon's Algebra 2 is. Base 5 shouldn't be necessary I don't think.

I've never used anything beyond probably 5th grade (USA) mathematics unless I'm programming a 3D world or I'm writing a very low level of abstraction. You'll be fine.

Good starting point? Probably Python 3.

Cool, what exactly is Python 3? I kind of wanted port a better N64 emulator, but in the meantime will that pretty much get me to program a pong-style game?

As for you SifJar this is Saxon's Algebra 2:



Best homeschool math book there is.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/24/2011 09:18PM by technoman.

Oh, ok. I'm not American, didn't realise you were talking about a text book (which I assume is an American one). And you (almost definitely) won't be porting a N64 emulator for a LONG time. Certainly not a better one, the guys behind Wii64 are highly skilled programmers working VERY hard for a VERY long time.

Python 3 is a scripting language for computers. Its simpler than e.g. C++, but should help you learn the basics of programming, then you can move onto C++ or C. You really need to be programming in C or C++ for the Wii.

The alternative would be to learn Lua, a much simpler scripting language, which has a Wii port already. From what I gather, Lua is pretty simple to grasp. But you definitely wouldn't be programming a N64 emulator in Lua. Ever.

Lua is awesome, A friend of mine KillerLUA, is awesome at Lua. He works on Garry's Mod game modes.

I highly recommend this guide for learning C++. It explains concepts very well and does not require any prior programming knowledge. I only wish that I had found this when I was your age.

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jbc007
I highly recommend this guide for learning C++. It explains concepts very well and does not require any prior programming knowledge. I only wish that I had found this when I was your age.

Thanks this should get me going nicely. Is there a .pdf version of it though? During the week I'm not really allowed online.

Quote
technoman

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jbc007
I highly recommend this guide for learning C++. It explains concepts very well and does not require any prior programming knowledge. I only wish that I had found this when I was your age.

Thanks this should get me going nicely. Is there a .pdf version of it though? During the week I'm not really allowed online.

LOL.

No there isn't. You may be able to find a book about coding if you want.

you could just save all of the pages locally on your computer. All you have to do is on each page right click and select save page as...(may be different on your browser, I'm using firefox). Give each page a reasonable name, such as week2day5 for example. then you can look at them from your computer without having to be online. good luck.

Thanks. I can't wait to get started! :D