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Complete fresh start to programming
At an old age I decided to start programming.
I'm fascinated with graphics and web development.
I understand general concepts of programming, like loops, functions etc.
Which is the language to learn? How to start?
I understand there are lots of links available, and also here in SO. But I can't find my arms & legs here and was hoping to narrow it down to 1-2 important links.
You should start with understanding basic HTML and web architecture.
http://www.w3schools.com are a good start for web programming.
Just build an HTML website for yourself. Then move to CSS and JavaScript.
Contact us later for further instructions... :)
Without getting into a religious debate about which programming to use, I would just use a language that you feel comfortable using. Many new programmers tend to use relatively high-level languages like C#, VB.NET or Java. Choosing one of these should be fine.
Once thing I always do when I want to learn a new language is I pick a small project and build it.
For example, when I first started learning C# (way back when) I wrote a GUI tool that analyzed files in the file system and stored checksum info in an XML file. If a file was changed the changed file was highlighted in the tool. It took an evening in a hotel room to write, but I learned a ton.
When I started learning Z80 assembly language (even farther way back when!) I wrote an implementation of Conways 'Life'
You should first choose some language to start with. Trying to learn everything at once won't work. Language choices is a religious issue, but I recommend some widely used, general purpose, high level language such as Java or Python (or similar) - see the TIOBE index. Try to avoid low level (e.g. C) or special purpose (e.g. PHP or MATLAB) languages at first - they have their place, but they're specialized.
Then, get hold on some tutorial on that language, install a suitable development environment, and start coding. Once you're reasonably comfortable with your first language (it might take a year or so of full-time work), then add more languages and technologies under your belt, using the same recipe. Keep doing this, and after 10 years you may be quite a proficient programmer.
It's this simple, and there's no shortcut.
Learning programming:
C# or VB.Net comes with a windows based (free) IDE (Visual studio express) that includes code completion out of the box. (Other languages provide this, but are difficult to set up.) I would say that code completion is necessary for learning the numerous classes that come with a modern programming language.
Python is usually bought up in conversations like this one, and I agree. It's a powerful and easy to use language. I don't have experience, but "Invent your own computer games with python" provides a great start to using the language.
A very easy introduction to (non-web) programming can be found with microsoft's Small Basic. Some control structures are missed, and you can't do much with the programs you create, but it'll provide the easiest intro ever. It's aimed at kids, but could be useful for all beginners.