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Best Websites for Developers?

Posted by chrisd on from the when-curious-i-ask-slashdot dept.

Recently, I've been entertaining the idea of getting into a little Java programming for a side project I'm working on, and I realized that I really don't know where to start. This led to a larger question of what the best books and websites are for pepole new to a language. What about for the experts in a language? So this week, I was wondering what slashdotters thought are the best websites to go to for information on the major languages (like C, C++, PHP, Perl, etc) and the important topics in programming (x, gtk, win32, etc). I obviously have some opinions on some of the better places to visit, but I wanted to see what slashdotters thought. (hence the paucity of links in this story) Where do people find the authorities? My intention is to ask about web sites this weekend, and books next weekend.

6 of 291 comments (clear)

  1. ...what i do by pizza_milkshake · · Score: 2, Insightful
    ...i start with the manuals and if i like the language or will need to for work i find the authoratative books on the subject, buy em used from amazon.com and read em.

    most respectable languages have good online documentation (java, perl, php, python, ruby) -- manuals are great for "small" questions like getting the equivalent of switch/case to work. however, if you really want to master the language -- read a book.

  2. Here's a site for Objective-C programmers by Dixie_Flatline · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Now that ObjC is making a minor comeback with OSX, here's a site that might be pertinent to some people:

    http://www.cetus-links.org/oo_objective_c.html

    And even if you don't know ObjC, it's always a good time to start. Object Oriented! C! Not C++! 3 big wins!

  3. IBM's "robocode" Java tutorial is fun by Ewann · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Check out the robocode website: "Build a robotic tank applet in Java and send it into battle!" Haven't done much of it myself but it was an interesting way to get started with Java.

  4. Are you serious?! by Da+VinMan · · Score: 2, Insightful

    There is no shortage of materials, free and commercial, that you could use to bring yourself up to speed. What are you really looking for here? A job offer?!

    If you really want to be a developer, then learn how to learn how, dig in, and get busy. Those of us who are serious know this for what it is: a plea for attention.

    If there were no good materials from which to learn, I would be more sympathetic. As it is, you're just wasting time.

    --
    Please mod this post only if you think others should/n't read this. I have enough ego^H^H^Hkarma. Thanks!
  5. Perl & PHP by Leme · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Not exactly a "developer" site but I use http://www.hotscripts.com all of the time.

    Take a look at someones else's code relating to what you are working on, improve it, change it, fiddle with it, you'll end up learning faster (at least I did) by looking at someones elses code to get ideas.

  6. C++ recommendation by xerofud · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I've been reading Bruce Eckel's

    "Thinking in C++" (available online)

    Can't recommend it highly enough (if you need to code C++).

    For Scheme (and Computer Science in general), the book Structure and Interpretation of Computer Programs is hard to beat, and available online at MIT Press homepage, as is the book "How to Design Programs" (www.htdp.org). I also enjoyed reading Gary Knott's "Interpreting LISP" which can be downloaded off the web. For a nice intro to designing programming languages, check out the lecture notes available at:

    http://www.cs.brown.edu/courses/cs173/2001/Lectu re s/