Where should I start if I want to develop applications?

Question

I have absolutely no coding/application developing experience on any platform but have wanted to develop applications for mac os x and iPhone for quite a long time. If anyone knows where I could start to learn coding language, how to make applications, or things like that i would appreciate it. Again I am a complete beginner and know nothing related to coding/application developing and if you can, maybe post a link to some video tutorial or even written tutorial on where to start :).
(By the way, I have an apple developer account but it seems that all the videos from apple assume you have some prior coding/developing knowledge and i dont understand a thing.

Answer 1

Start with programming. Don't get too tied up in the specific language or platform yet, because (as you've seen) it can be a trap. iPhone programming in particular is a very specialized form of programming that typically scaffolds on previous programming experience.



Begin with a clean, relatively easy language like Python. (You already have it on your Mac, but it may be a bit old. Download a newer version at

http://www.python.org/download/mac/



Use Python to learn the basics of programming: variables, conditions, loops, functions, and objects. You can also use Python to build graphic interfaces, games, and web applications. The Mac version of Python allows you to interact directly with the Mac OS, so you can do quite a bit before you have to learn a more complex language like C or C++.



My book on game programming in Python features a tutorial on Python for beginning coders as the first four chapters. It then moves on to game development, which may or may not be what you're interested in.



Python and all the tools you need (including editors and debuggers) are entirely free. Better, your programs will also run on other machines, so you can share them with friends.

Answer 2

The world of programming can be a scary and intimidating place. This is why you should start out small. Sure you could start off with C++ but you probably will spend so much time debugging you won't learn or do much coding. Also I wouldn't recommend Objective C 2.0 (Mac Only) which is what iPhone apps are written in. The reason being is that is a variation of C++ and will stay have you puzzled. This is why I recommend a scripting language such as Ruby or Python. Both have their own website where you can download all necessary files and begin programming. Ruby is good for application but unfortunatley cannot be compiled (which means you can't run your app on any computer that doesn't have ruby or a ruby interepreter). Python is another good choice although I haven't used it much. I know this sounds all very complex but once you start you will realize it's really not that hard after a while. Here is one excellent resource for programming Ruby http://pine.fm/LearnToProgram/. It's what I used when I first started. Just make sure not to start with C or any variation because you will have no fun and get discouraged. I know app developing for the iPhone is tempting but it will be more fun when you have expirience and can truly make useful and money making apps. Best of luck on your programming.

Answer 3

Start by learning a language. Just about any language works for getting to understand the fundamentals. C or C++ might be a good choice. Code up a few simple programs - the tutorials will get you into that.



Then get some experience in the Java language, and also learn some scripting.



Go to w3schools - there are a lot of choices.



Also you can find free tutorials online for just about anything.



Good Luck