help What is the best way to learn a programming language quickly and retain that knowledge?

[r_chase]

Sorry for making another thread, I've been having a hard time learning programming. Long story short, I've tried Pico-8 with little success (made two shitty prototypes) in the past, but I also have a hard time retaining and remember that knowledge. I would love to learn a language that I can remember and translate, such as BASIC and C for instance, but again, I've had issues trying to retain information because I've got other unrelated projects as well.

So, what is the best way to learn quickly and retain for more than a week's worth of time?

[Duewester]

Try microsoft.com/en-us/makecode

It's block style programming that shows the Java (and sometimes Python) equivalent. It's kinda like Scratch.

There are variations of Makecode for the Microbit, Arcade, Adafruit Circuit Playground and others.

Makecode allows you to create a program and literally just drag and drop to a USB device.

[r_chase]

1 hour ago, Duewester said:

Try microsoft.com/en-us/makecode

It's block style programming that shows the Java (and sometimes Python) equivalent. It's kinda like Scratch.

There are variations of Makecode for the Microbit, Arcade, Adafruit Circuit Playground and others.

Makecode allows you to create a program and literally just drag and drop to a USB device.

As much as I would love to try that, I think I'd rather use Scratch with TurboWarp if I really wanted to do block-style programming. However, I do appreciate your suggestion.

[Sinyavin]

Many people take this as rudeness or exaggeration, but... The only way to learn any programming language (be it BASIC or C) is in four to six months to do the following:

 

a) don’t get distracted;

b) remove yourself from all chats in any messengers;

c) go exclusively to programming forums, and only for your own questions;

d) watch political and cultural news on the Internet no more than once every three days (see point a);

e) do not watch TV (see point a);

f) do not play video games, even reduce time for fitness and athletics (see point a);

g) do not drink alcohol (even beer, wine or cider, even one glass) more than twice a month (see point a);

h) MAIN POINT: on any day off, set aside two hours for programming (during this time, again, DO NOT BE DISTRACTED by anything). Take a break for two hours. Then do programming again for an hour, two or three;

i) During these four or six months, study only one programming language on only one platform at a time.

 

And so on for four to six months. There is no other way. Seriously, programming is like a long religious fast in a monastery. It's like studying Wushu and Zen in the mountains.

Edited January 20 by Sinyavin

[Sinyavin]

6 hours ago, r_chase said:

So, what is the best way to learn quickly and retain for more than a week's worth of time?

 

Modern scripting languages are difficult to remember for a long time, and in my case too. I can't say why. BASIC and C remain in the memory for a long time.

[+OLD CS1]

In summary, work it like a class course.  And, for long-term retention, keep using it.

 

Back when I was in college, I would write assignments for whatever class I was taking in every language I knew.  So, I had (well, had, lost it all a while ago,) programming assignments for my college classes in C++, Rexx, COBOL, BASIC, Pascal, Perl, whatever.  I currently write my system management scripts in Rexx, PHP, Bash shell, and Perl.  Probably should pick up Python at some point, but I really do not have time for that right now.

[Krebizfan]

The best solution is to write some simple programs that you want to write. Writing programs locks the syntax in place. Some languages just won't stick no matter what; I have failed with Smalltalk multiple times. 

[BigO]

Use it. Use it. Use it.

[roots.genoa]

5 hours ago, r_chase said:

As much as I would love to try that, I think I'd rather use Scratch with TurboWarp if I really wanted to do block-style programming. However, I do appreciate your suggestion.

Why not, though? Why do you want to learn programming? If you want to create games, maybe you should use tools like Scratch or ClickTeam Fusion indeed.

Now if you really want to code, you may want to learn algorithmics first, and program "in English" before learning an actual programing language (in which case BASIC and Pascal are probably easier than C).

 

In any case, if I were you I would really question my motivation first; the more motivated we are, the easier it is to retain information. That's why I asked why you want to learn code, since your difficulties might show you don't really want to learn code that much, or that it is not your real goal here.

[Sinyavin]

To @r_chase

 

In addition. If you quickly forget information even after typing a code, you may want to buy a few blank, thick notebooks to keep notes on the most important chapters from printed guides. Or keep a log of your actions and a briefing of the knowledge you have acquired in one of these notebooks.

[Sinyavin]

Some people can't work without a paper backup. It's possible that you're just one of these people.

 

 

 

 

[r_chase]

5 hours ago, roots.genoa said:

Why not, though? Why do you want to learn programming? If you want to create games, maybe you should use tools like Scratch or ClickTeam Fusion indeed.

Now if you really want to code, you may want to learn algorithmics first, and program "in English" before learning an actual programing language (in which case BASIC and Pascal are probably easier than C).

 

In any case, if I were you I would really question my motivation first; the more motivated we are, the easier it is to retain information. That's why I asked why you want to learn code, since your difficulties might show you don't really want to learn code that much, or that it is not your real goal here.

I do want to create games, but I also want to create game for the Atari 2600. Maybe I should focus on batariBasic.

 

 

5 hours ago, Sinyavin said:

To @r_chase

 

In addition. If you quickly forget information even after typing a code, you may want to buy a few blank, thick notebooks to keep notes on the most important chapters from printed guides. Or keep a log of your actions and a briefing of the knowledge you have acquired in one of these notebooks.

You definitely have a point there. I really get some notebooks.

[r_chase]

One last note: yes I have tried tools such as GameMaker and yes, I do enjoy them. But I do want to make games for retro platforms such as the Atari 2600 and the ZX Spectrum.

Edited January 20 by r_chase

[Grimm1966]

On 1/19/2024 at 11:27 PM, BigO said:

Use it. Use it. Use it.

I agree with BigO here 100%.  The more you use it the better you will get.  I don't make a lot of effort to know every little bit of information about a language, but instead I have gotten really good at searching for the information on the web.  But you need to know what you need to search for first.  After you work with a language, for awhile, you will find out that you are searching for information less and less.

[BigO]

16 hours ago, Grimm1966 said:

I don't make a lot of effort to know every little bit of information about a language, but instead I have gotten really good at searching for the information on the web.

Having made the transition from bound, paper language references and code samples to the modern online resources, I support this statement.

 

I have learned languages best by wading in the shallow end and panic-splashing in the deep end at the same time. My deep end is a project that is over my head with respect to my current knowledge level. The shallow end is reading through reference material (functions, commands, syntax, etc.).

 

Great search capabilities coupled with boatloads of example code and technical references made both ends of my learning process much easier.