Im n00b! :(, (realbasic)

[Wiseguy2001]

Games can be a great way to learn to program, trying to come up with you own solution to solve a problem will get you apply what you have learnt away from the hand-holding of a book. Just start small! A simple game like higher or lower, will get you leaning loads of the essentials (random number generation, loops, conditionals, read/ writing to the screen).

Just make sure you enjoy what you do, otherwise you are in for a VERY bumpy ride.

 

[Khanmots]

If you're learning a new language but have previous programming experience, then an ambitious project is certainly a possibility.

If you've never heard of variables, data types, assignment, iteration, functions, arrays or conditional statements, then it's going to be a disaster. We get a lot of posts in here from first-semester CS students who struggle for days with these "dinky tasks", and who wouldn't have a hope in hell of implementing a game, let alone designing it.

*shrug*

It all depends on the individual. As for me, I take that approach with most everything I do, not just programming. For instance, I've never really worked on a car, but I'm considering dropping my transmission, adding a LSD, and swapping my 6th gear out so I have a real overdrive.

Yes, there's a lot of people for whom my approach would be a disaster. However, I'm not advocating that you take the approach that works for me with them... I'm advocating that you take the approach that works with them with them. Teach me the way that you teach someone who needs to take lots of small steps before ever attempting anything of note, and I'll be bored witless and wind up ignoring you. Teach someone else the way you'd teach me and they'll get frustrated and wind up ignoring you.

During my short stint as a supplemental instructor at my uni, I've also had students where you say here's what a pointer is, and they immediately see it as a really neat and useful thing and start using it. Others you need to walk through every possible use step by step. Still others never get it at all. (I had one second-semester CS student ask me how you know that you need to use an 'if' or how you know that you need to use a loop... even on something as simple as read grades from the keyboard until they enter -1 and print the average, she was clueless about how a loop or if statement would help.)

Anyways, I have no clue which camp the OP will fall into. And without knowing I'm not going to advise him not to undertake a project to learn with... I also won't advise him to. I will say that if he feels an ambitious project is best for him, here's some good suggestions.