I dont know anything about programming, what do I need?

I dont know about those languages. I have no DE's set up. And I am pursuing them as a hobby. Am into a completely different field, MBBS.

Basically I wanna know just enough to understand the stuff when some programmers are talking about something. I dont wanna make programs.

I am starting with C.

So any eBook, online reference guys? And advice?

I'm on a Mac, so if we get any of those DE's for Mac, then please help.
 
Programming as a hobby ... from a MBBS is something very difficult, but not impossible... however you need a strong reason to go after it. As a hobby I am not so sure if you would be pleased with the outcome. I had a nutty life science client who made me learn concepts of mutation and its related biology ones. Now, just the way I dont remember those concept today, is the same way you would loose your programming skills if you dont continue using them tomorrow.

If you are keen, get started with gcc. Many will be able to help you with this, as it is cross os/platform. If you are interested in having a career in IT, then let me tell you this, IT enabled life science is very very very green even in current recession scenario, cause US govt keeps funding them. So if you are making that choice, then thats a wise choice.

~LT
 
^ Actually I wanna go for 'Bio Informatics' after MBBS. I don't walj conventional ways. ;)

Or maybe some speciallisation inside 'Biomedical Engineering'. So, you know. These skills could be indispensable for me.

Of course, after that I'd go for Databases, and web related technologies. And maybe Java. Too ambitious, eh? But definitely possible as you said.

So what is gcc? I'm actually reading an eBook on C
 
bikalpapaudel said:
^ Actually I wanna go for 'Bio Informatics' after MBBS. I don't walj conventional ways. ;)
Or maybe some speciallisation inside 'Biomedical Engineering'. So, you know. These skill could be indispensable for me.
Of course, after that I'd go for Databases, and web related technologies. And maybe Java. Too ambitious, eh? But definitely possible as you said.

So what is gcc? I'm actually reading an eBook on C btw.

Cool. As far as I know, some company in banglaore and Persistent in Pune have things in Life science. gcc is the guy who converts your c text (source code) in things (binary) that can be run by a computer.

~LT
 
C /C++ will help you a lot...
Check QT from nokia (previously owned by Trolltech)

There are linux distributions tailored for your profession I think...
like there is a distro dedicated for 'Bio Informatics'. Fog eg., scientific linux, and the likes...

checking distrowatch.com will help.
 
^ Actually I wanna go for 'Bio Informatics' after MBBS. I don't walj conventional ways.

with a MBBS degree, no one would expect you to know or understand programming language and their associated syntaxes

Your desire to learn a language like C (or perl or whatever) isn't really going to help you in any way, since it would be like (for lack of a better example) teaching a MD in Psychology to administer an injection

You really don't need to learn a programming language, what you need to get is an abstract understanding of how computer systems work

To be more precise, you need a high level overview of things like Systems Analysis and Design, BI & Data warehousing, Databases and how they work, ERP etc.

Now what I have said above is not an exhaustive list of topics by any means, but I just want to point out to you that you should try to understand how Information systems work, not the base level intricacies of hoe to create them
 
greenhorn said:
I think what he needs to learn is computing theory, not the application. Things like Algorithms and stuff

Exactly. Correlate the problem with a solution.

superczar said:
with a MBBS degree, no one would expect you to know or understand programming language and their associated syntaxes

Your desire to learn a language like C (or perl or whatever) isn't really going to help you in any way, since it would be like (for lack of a better example) teaching a MD in Psychology to administer an injection

You really don't need to learn a programming language, what you need to get is an abstract understanding of how computer systems work

To be more precise, you need a high level overview of things like Systems Analysis and Design, BI & Data warehousing, Databases and how they work, ERP etc.

Now what I have said above is not an exhaustive list of topics by any means, but I just want to point out to you that you should try to understand how Information systems work, not the base level intricacies of hoe to create them

I kind of agree with above, but what I have observed is, folks in lifescience usually gets frustrated with conveying what they want from a techie. Hence there remains a gap between what a medic wants and what a techie writes to him. Hence most of the time medic including PhD end up getting the knowledge and writing there own stuff.

~LT
 
linuxtechie said:
I kind of agree with above

Kind of agree ??

How bout its *BANG* ON !

If you notice the poster is not too sure really about what to do. I think he should be asking this question to ppl in the field rather than to techies.
 
Hmm.. I have just started MBBS, halfway through 1st year.

foruamit2004 said:
why not learn PHP/html/xml/ .NET ..you can use them to build your website and have some fun..buy a domain and start crapping there :p..
Thats something in a different league. As far as I believe. And I dont think I would need .NET anyway.

But yeah PHP and similar stuff would be cool. I know HTML, just have to get a bit deeper into CSS and that will hold for a while.

@superczar
Oh. That was enlightening. Informations systems, eh? Will look into it.

I dont really want to be a coder. I dont need to remember it long, I know I wont need it that way. I just want to be able to grasp stuff.

Like you guys said, to explain coders about stuff, if I get into Bio-Informatics.

Keep the advice coming guys! I am finally developing an idea of what I need to do. ;)
 
All you need to explain to coders ?

Acutally you wont be dealing with any, you will be dealing with ppl higher up that will get functional specs off you to write & design programs.

You need to be able to explain to them from a functional perspective what is it you want your system to do.
 
well I think you should refer a good programming book as Let us c and Ansci cand start with the simple programming
 
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