<p>Hey! One of my goals this summer is to become proficient enough in programming to create my own useful programs that can be used for different tasks (applications, etc.). Where should I start? Are there any preferably free sites that offer good advice? Are there any good O'Reilly books (my university offers these for free online)? Thanks! I figured I would ask on the MIT Boards first :)</p>
<p><a href="http://www.php.net%5B/url%5D">www.php.net</a> //learn php: syntax, functions, etc
<a href="http://www.perl.org%5B/url%5D">www.perl.org</a> //lean perl: syntax, variable types, functions, etc
<a href="http://www.sun.com%5B/url%5D">www.sun.com</a> //learn java: syntax, variable types, class types
<a href="http://www.cprogramming.com%5B/url%5D">www.cprogramming.com</a> //learn C and C++, variable types, functions
<a href="http://www.javascript.com%5B/url%5D">www.javascript.com</a> //learn javascript, easy stuff</p>
<p>and w/e else you want to learn can probably be found on google.</p>
<p>Well since you asked on the MIT forums, I feel obliged to suggest Lisp. Then just get some literature on Lisp and hack away. </p>
<p>On another note, I admit that it's probably better to learn C/C++/Java if you are just interested in hacking together simple applications. However if you are heading towards a computer science degree or something similar in mind, learning Lisp will teach you a great deal about how to think through computer programs effectively.</p>
<p>Lisp seems more friendly towards AI programming. It's such an interesting language and definitely something to look up. I suggest Java or Visual Basic if you want to start writing useful programs. These programs will admittedly be simple, but they are useful. Find a language that interests you.</p>