Howdy Isaac --

If you're willing to go for that 2nd language already,
I recommend Python, which comes on your MDK CDs.  If you've
got the full install for that, you'll find IDLE under
Applications | Development.  IDLE is a GUI shell allowing
you to interact with Python in a command line environment,
which is great for learning, and is something C and Java
natively don't have.

With some additional work, you can install modules that
take you into a more graphical programming mode, but
for starters you could just learn the language, which
comes with a tutorial.

Python is written in ANSI C and extensible thru that
language, so you'll still have reason to come back to
your C knowledge.  The concepts you pick up will help
you with Java and other languages too.

I've used Python with Povray to get some fun graphics,
e.g. see http://www.inetarena.com/~pdx4d/ocn/numeracy0.html

Kirby

At 03:32 AM 8/27/2001 -0400, Isaac Curtis wrote:
>Hey All,
>
>As I think I said in my other email, I am just finishing Kernighan & 
>Ritchie's "The C Programming Language" 2nd edition and I also lifted a 
>copy of "Learning the Bash Shell" (O'Reilly) tonight that I'm starting to 
>get into.  My question/request is that I'm very excited to be learning 
>these new things but I don't really know what to do with myself now.  I'd 
>like to have some relatively novice-level code to read and maybe some 
>suggestions for beginners projects to help flex my new muscles.
>
>1.  What are some open-source programs that someone of my experience level 
>could look at and try to tinker with that will help me to understand more 
>about programming?
>
>2.  Since I'm starting to learn bash as we speak, what are some tasks that 
>would be helpful and a little bit challenging for me to try to figure out 
>how to automate with a script?
>
>3.  Last and *certainly* not least, what are some fun things I can do with 
>what I know?  Call me a newbie, but I don't yet see the gaming application 
>of C.  I used to write neat text-based games in QBasic when I was a little 
>kid and I'd like to learn how to do more complex ones and maybe even 
>graphical ones with my new bag of tricks.  Any suggestions on where to 
>turn for a start?  Any current games whose code I could look over?
>
>4.  Ok, so this is the real last one:  Once I start pushing my C a little 
>further I'd like to expand into another language.  I know the two most 
>common suggestions will be Java and C++, and I know that everyone will say 
>eventually I need to learn both.  Well, which will give me the most 
>immediate satisfaction?  Does it make more sense to learn one before the 
>other?  Just looking for a few suggestions, I know these debates can get 
>pretty testy.  If it makes any difference, I'm really aching for something 
>I can apply to some sort of game programs, even very simple ones.
>
>Thanks as always for your time,
>Respectfully,
>Isaac
>
>
>
>"While the popular understanding of anarchism is of a violent, anti-State 
>movement, anarchism is a much more subtle and nuanced tradition then a 
>simple opposition to government power. Anarchists oppose the idea that 
>power and domination are necessary for society, and instead advocate more 
>co-operative, anti-hierarchical forms of social, political and economic 
>organisation."
>
>  - L. Susan Brown, "The Politics of Individualism", www.infoshop.org/faq
>
>
>
>
>Want to buy your Pack or Services from MandrakeSoft?
>Go to http://wwww.mandrakestore.com


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