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Subject: Re: Programing languages.

Author: Dann Corbit

Date: 13:54:38 08/15/05

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On August 15, 2005 at 14:19:21, Juan Pablo Naar C. wrote:

>Hi,
>
>I'm completely new to programming and I want to learn a language to program a
>chess engine, it will be a long work. I'm planning to learn C++ first, its
>basics but my brother keeps telling me that C++ is old and is not used anymore,

Computer languages don't die.  That is a myth.  Most of the code in the world is
STILL in COBOL. [FCOL].

C++ is also one of the .NET languages (fully supported).

>that Visual Basic.NET is easier and shorter to program.

True.  It is easier.  It will not make a good chess engine, though.

>What do you guys think?

VB.NET is for front ends to things (It's a RAD knockup tool, for the most part).
Nobody in their right mind would choose it to do a chess engine if the final
goal were to write the world's best engine.  But if you are already familiar
with VB and you just want to ponder over the intrinsices of writing a chess
engine for your first try, then it would be OK.

If you already have a programming language that you know well, it might be a
good alternative.

Suggestion:
Don't start with chess.  That is not a good first programming problem for a
beginner.

Start with an alpha-beta Tic-Tac-Toe (Naughts and Crosses for the other side of
the pond) program.  You will learn most of the basic ideas that you need to
understand and it will be a lot less frustrating.  Then, once you have done
that, try a chess engine.



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