What's your coding background?

One of the major parts of ROM hacking is obviously being about to write new scripts, but scripting might come easier to some more so than others. Now while all coding languages have a unique syntax, the way that computer logic works is always the same. Due to this, I feel that people who have previous knowledge in another coding language have a bit of a head start compared to someone who has never coded before.

I personally have a computer science minor, so in college we mainly used C++ and Java (intro classes used HTML and Raptor), and then at my first job out of college (since it was very Microsoft Office focused) I learned how to do macros in Microsoft Visual Basic for Applications.
With this background, I definitely feel that I understand what needs to be done next in a script, but with any language I need to use it more to become more comfortable with it (I still would consider myself a newbie at scripting).

So I'm interesting in knowing what YOUR coding background is. Are you a master of Java, Python, R, etc? Or is XSE your introduction to the coding world?

Now I haven't learned with proper lessons yet like in College or Highschool (because I haven't reached that age yet) but I have self taught myself HTML, Javascript, CSS. I also know the basics of Java and C.

I think next year I will be learning C++ (8th grade) but I don't think I will like it all that much because of me using a mac (I don't think Mac has anything that can compile and run C++ without using Wine or something). Learning something I can't use is something I don't like doing.

I had a programming fundamentals class I aced (100% score) this year in Uni in which I made a asteroids clone in C#, but that's just a fundamentals class (and it's just C#).

I'm not worried though, logical thinking and complicated maths (though we might not really need that last one in a rom hack) come easy to me ^^

27thColt said:

Now I haven't learned with proper lessons yet like in College or Highschool (because I haven't reached that age yet) but I have self taught myself HTML, Javascript, CSS. I also know the basics of Java and C.

I think next year I will be learning C++ (8th grade) but I don't think I will like it all that much because of me using a mac (I don't think Mac has anything that can compile and run C++ without using Wine or something). Learning something I can't use is something I don't like doing.

Click to expand...

GCC can, among many, many others. Pretty sure XCode or whatever comes with a C/C++ compiler.

Anyway, scripting is more like assembler than any other language. The logic is pretty basic and something anyone can learn. What programming experience will really help you with is learning ASM.
I started learning x86 assembler when I was around 10 years old, learning C and C++ soon after. I spent quite a while coding in those languages, but I eventually decided to learn JavaScript and PHP because of their web presence. I have since picked up a number of other languages including a few Lisp dialects, some Java (I dislike it though). Obviously CSS and HTML are easy to pick up, but they're not languages. I also know things that I don't really count as proper languages like Bash.
I learned Python while I was supposed to be doing an introductory course at uni, but their pace bored me so I decided to learn the language instead of attending class. It's ridiculously easy to learn a new language if you are familiar with the paradigm; I managed to pick up ARMv4 assembler in 2 hours after joining here.

I have no experience in any coding outside of ROM hacking ><. Scripting with Pokescript was my first experience of anything resembling coding.

I started out with learning some basic visual basic(lol), then I breifly learned HTML, C++, C, C#, Java, and java script over the course of 5 years.
Never really learned too much into any of them, but I have only practiced VB and C#.
Then i tried a little pksv never got the hang of it till acouple of years ago when I switched to XSE and got some tips from wind 1158. Then I gained a basic knowledge of ASM in the last 6 months.

I very first began working with "code" using Microsoft's and IBM's Batch file scripting language when I was 9 or 10 - back when this website was still using HTML 3.6(was it called?), I would constantly go back and forth between it and Notepad trying to make a program.

When I was 13 I picked up Microsoft Visual Studio 2010 Express and started writing in VB.NET, later delving into C# around 14. When I was 15 I discovered C and finally got a vague picture of how computers actually operate; this is when I started programming imperatively nearly exclusively from the declarative BASIC I used to write. Around 15 I also learned PHP and later Python that year, and since I've been 17 I've got the hang of OOP in C++ and Python. :)

I'm not really that interested in assembly because I don't see a lot of purpose for me in it... yet, anyway. I really like doing desktop development, web dev, and ROM hacking everything except my own routines, pretty much. I'm really eager to make a name for myself in the ROM hacking community here, while still expressing myself through my code the way I wanted to all those years before.

If I ever work with assembly, it will most likely be with x86-64 for developing a kernel, bootloader, or some other extremely low-level independent application. :p

I've actually worked with making Minecraft Mods & Plugins in Eclipse, so I know a little bit about coding. Also, I've practiced making new scripts for characters, & they've came out pretty well, except for the fact that the line cut off by the text box a couple of times due to me not knowing whether or not the maximum characters on a line is 22. Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but that's my experience with coding.