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Best programming language to pick up for applications?

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iMark:
Hey guys,
So I want to be able to make applications and auto bots (I want to make software that do some tasks for me without me having to do much, e.g copy and paste this here, take out these sections, then replace this etc... or click here then click here, that sort of thing) while I am also interested in applications which have a GUI and have multiple features.

I currently know the follow languages: HTML,PHP,CSS
I am also experienced and knowledgeable in the following: VB.net/Visual Studio and Java(I made a few games in Java)

I am wondering what would be the best language to learn to do this and where would be the best place to learn it online (in the form of a website,book,audio or video).
I was considering continuing with Java as it is a powerful language which has so much possibilities and is integrated with basically anything. Java is used in many industries such as the phone application industry and gaming industry, a few programs are also made in Java only.

I am also not interested in learning a terminal language as I will most likely never actually have a practical use for it myself. I have considered learning things like C,C++ and C# but i do not know which one to start with, many have recommended to start with C or C++.

Thanks for reading my topic and I look forward to your replies.
-Mark

Jibz:
For quickly writing automation tasks like clicking buttons, copy-pasting, etc., you might look into AutoHotkey, which I believe some of the coding snacks on this site are written in (I don't have enough experience with it myself to evaluate it, but the results others get seem quite good). I believe it can be used to create GUI as well.

Edit: Oh, and welcome to the site! :up:

iMark:
Thanks for your reply! I will look into it.
What about programming in general? What would be the best to learn for general use, e.g to make stuff here and there.
What language do you code in personally? Also thank you for welcoming me to the forums, I have been browsering for a while and finally decided to join after reading a very lenghy, detailed,honest and mature post from the administrator.

Renegade:
I have considered learning things like C,C++ and C# but i do not know which one to start with, many have recommended to start with C or C++.
-iMark (March 07, 2015, 07:23 PM)
--- End quote ---

If you want ease and speed, you want C#.

If you want freedom and power, you want C++.

If you want to wish that you'd instead stabbed yourself in the eye with a plastic funnel and poured a gallon of hydrofluoric acid into your skull, you want C. (C isn't easily replaced in some cases, but if you need to ask about C, then you need to stay away from C.)

Autohotkey is incredibly fast to write in many ways. You can do things in AHK that would take you 5x as long in C# or 10x as long in C++. I've seen guys here post AHK code for problems and it's short, as in very short. I think about how long that would take me in C# or C++, and there's just no comparison.

I don't use AHK, so you should ask around for more info there. I don't know its real limits, or if it has any.

I mainly code in C# because I'm lazy and am only interested in getting the job done, and C# is good enough.

Different languages have different strengths and weaknesses. People will argue forever about this and that, but at the end of the day, the absolute 100% guaranteed #1 best language to use is the one that you are comfortable with and that you can get the job done with. Even if it's Eiffel or Scala or F# or Lisp. :)

Since you already know PHP, VB.NET, and Java, you might want to stick with one of those.

But, since you know VB.NET and Java, I'd say run with C# as you'll feel very much at home and you'll have world class tools at your fingertips for zero effort. Your learning curve there will be near zero as well.

So I want to be able to make applications and auto bots (I want to make software that do some tasks for me without me having to do much, e.g copy and paste this here, take out these sections, then replace this etc... or click here then click here, that sort of thing) while I am also interested in applications which have a GUI and have multiple features.
-iMark (March 07, 2015, 07:23 PM)
--- End quote ---

Check this out:

http://www.codeproject.com/

Absolutely one of the best sites like it out there, if not the best. (I don't know of anything better.)

Just search for what you want to do and it's likely that you'll find something similar or something that does a part of what you want to do. Search specifically though with specific tasks, e.g. "how to pan an image through a view port" or "how to make a browser".

iMark:
Thank you for your detailed and to the point reply.

How big are the differences between C# and C++? In terms of how easy to code (and pick up) and power? Would it be better to start with C++ for the extra power? (and what sort of things can C++ do that C# can't? I have seen a few games made with C#, not sure about applications though)

I will most likely go with either C++ or C#, I am choosing not to continue with Java for now as it does not have much application uses. Yes Java can make game applications, applications on mobiles and some  stuff on websites but when it comes to windows desktop applications, I don't really see anyone using Java. I already understand many of the basic concepts of programming from VB and Java (such as loops, if statements, for statements, variables, methods etc).

Regarding the site you introduced me to, it  looks pretty cool, they seem to have nice articles but not much of them are related to what i searched. However by going to the atricles tab, i was able to browser all different types of articles which I found interesting.

I personally use StackoverFlow for asking questions due to the large community. I would normally get a few replies within a few minutes to an hour and they generally get to the point and continue to assist me further if needed.

For learning to code I use W3Schools or CodeCademy. They both let you get straight in to writing code yourself. For Java and Visual Basic I went to a few classes and I learnt them from there.

What would be the best place, book, series etc that would be able to teach me C# or C++? I support the fact that actually going to a class is better and you will be more focused and motivated to learn. However I am not able to do that right now.
I want to learn one of the two listed above and be able to get into making a few games and applications.
Thank you for reading and I look forward to your reply.

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