Expert: Narendra - 5/31/2005

Question
-------------------------
Followup To
Question -
I'd like to learn how to program. I've looked at various pages on the internet. they say they are for beginners, but then they use jargon that you don't even know what it means almost immediately. I have windows 2000 xp, and I can touch type, and get around my computer quite fast etc. Is there some book or software you would recommend for a complete beginner like myself?
any advice would be appreciated. thanks, Stephen Martin
Answer -
First of all, you have to decide what you want to program.
Do you want to write some code related to internet?
Or do you want to do something related to operating systems like device drivers?
Or do you want to write some games?
Depending on this, you have to decide the programmming language.
Once you decide upon that, then you have to get the corresponding compiler and install it on your system and get a related book and start coding.

Happy Coding:-)

Hello Again Narendra,
first, thank you for your answer you gave. It immediately clarified for me what I need to do- that is, pick the type of programming language I will need to know for what I am doing. Second, I gave you a rating of 10 for all areas of help. Why, because you are smart enough to see the overall picture of what I need to do!
ok. I'll answer your questions.
1] The program I am using is a music scoring program called "Sibelius 3". It is running on a windows, not a mac.
2] I would like to create a "plug-in", which will go through a musical score and make adjustments to it that I want.
3] I have a special booklet on the language used for Sibelius 3 to create a plug-in.  It's called "Manuscript". I did make an example plug in from the first tutorial in the book, but it gets quite complicated from there on and I need to know more about programming to understand what is being talked about in the manual.
4]Well, what I would like the program to do to the music score is a little complicated, but it is basically keeping the notes such as Quarter, eighth notes, sixteenth etc etc the same on the score as in appearance, but changing their values so they last longer when the score plays back [for various reasons]. That is as simple as I can explain it.

OK, if this makes it easier, I'll quote from the introduction to the programming book on the Manuscript language...
" "Manuscript" is a simple, music-based programming language developed to write plug-ins for the Sibelius music processor.
It is based on Simkin, an embedded scripting language developed by Simon Whiteside, and has been extended by him and Graham Westlake. For more information on Simkin, and additional help on the language and syntax, go to the Simkin website at www.simkin.co.uk...

...The Manuscript lanauge that resulted is very simple. The syntax and many of the concepts will befamiliar to programmers of C/C++ or Java. Built into the language are musical concepts (Score,Staff,Bar,Clef,NoteRest) that are instantly comprehensible."

also on page 7 it says..
"Let's start a simple plug-in. You are assumed to have some basic experience of programming (e.g. in BASIC or C), so you're already familiar with ideas like variables, loops and so on."

Believe it or not, I actually did create the plug in correctly, then the information started using a lot of programming jargon I had no idea of what it meant. From what I read, it looks like I need to learn "C" or Basic. But I just wanted expert advice of which would be the way to go.
There are books in our community  library related to programming in C, Basic, and Java.
I hope giving you all of this information will give you some way to see which way I should travel. I have contacted Simon Whiteside, and have had no reply as yet. But I think I really need to have some basic programming first.

any advice would be really appreciated.

Thank you again Narendra.


Answer
So, as I understand from your posting, you need to learn BASIC or C.
I do work in C and can help you with that.
First of all, you have to get a compiler and install it on your system.
I use gcc compiler, which I think is very good.
You can also use it.
You can get it for free at: http://gcc.gnu.org/

Now, get hold of a C book (which you said is available in your library) and start reading and also coding (the examples)
This way you will learn it very fast.

If you want to go for BASIC, I don't know if any free compiler is available.
But, BASIC is easier compared to C.