<p>Hey. If I am thinking about teaching myself programming, what language should I start with? C++ or Java?</p>
<p>Also, with C++, what version should I use?</p>
<p>I plan to take the AP Computer Science AB exam sometime in the next 2 years.</p>
<p>The AP exam is now taught in Java, so if you want to take that, you'll need to learn Java eventually. I took two years of Comp Sci in school while it was still taught in C++ and took the exam the last year that it was offered in C++. I've learned a little bit of Java and it's not too hard to learn once you know C++ (and I assume the opposite is true as well).</p>
<p>I taught myself C back in like sixth grade for fun. I didn't practice any programming, but I learned how it worked and how to approach different kinds of problems.</p>
<p>If you're new to programming, I'd recommend reading through a C book and then diving right into Java. C++ was created based on C, and Java was created based on C++, but the only significant difference between C and C++ is the syntax, so you don't really need to learn C++ to get Java.</p>
<p>And about the version, as long as it isn't Visual C++ or Visual Java or anything, you'll be fine. And you don't need to learn the most advanced techniques and all. Just get a general book on C (I bought mine in India for mad cheap :P), then use Barron's or PR AP Comp Sci.</p>
<p>By the way, Comp Sci AB is a lot harder than Comp Sci A. You should take A first, and then AB only if you can handle it.</p>
<p>Thanks for the advice guys.</p>
<p>Hey guys, should I download the free Microsoft Visual C++ or use is Borland's C++ compiler better? </p>
<p>When you say Visual C++ isn't good, do you mean if you use the visual functions? What if I just used the Visual C++ compiler without using the visual functions?</p>
<p>In my AP Comp Sci class, we used Visual C++ without creating GUI's - all our programs were text-based, which is what you need to know how to do for the AP exam.</p>
<p>Thanks tanman, thats what I'm gonna do.</p>