Community Question of the Week: What was your first programming language?
From C# to BASIC, our Discord community shares the programming languages that helped them get where they are today.
Each week we pose a question to our game developer community on the Microsoft Game Dev Discord. The beating heart of our online developer community, our Discord server allows developers to connect with each other, share their projects, get support, and network with peers in a thriving discussion space.
This week’s question is: What was your first programming language?
NotBlue: “I started off with C# for Unity game development, and then went on to learn a bit of python, which I’ve mostly forgotten, and some JavaScript for a very simple website. Now I’m learning new things for C# just about every day.”
Drew Van Camp, head of Cosmic Misfit Studio, creator of REVO: “For me it all started with a book on programming from the juvenile section of our public library that my mom picked up one day when I showed some interest in computers. It introduced me to the BASIC language, and I heavily relied on the IBM Basic Compiler ring-bound manual to learn even more. I was simply enamored with my ability to give the computer some instructions and watch it follow them. It didn't take long before I had our family's IBM PCjr filling the screen with all eight colors in a Mystify-like display that predated most screensavers. My goal was to eventually create a flying saucer computer game inspired by Spaceman Spiff comic strips. (Ask your parents).”
Thomas “fehaare” Gravgaard, Lead Developer of Bird Island Studio: “I started with Basic on a Lambda 8300 then on to the Spectrum where it was still basic until I learned Z80 assembler to actually be able to do cool stuff. Then on to 6800 assembler until I learned Pascal at university. The first commercial programming I did (which was not games) was in Turbo Pascal/Delphi.
Later I started in games with writing my own engines in XNA/C# and ended up shipping a couple of Windows Phone games with that technology (Max & The Magic Marker, Tentacles) before moving on to Unity that I have worked with since version 2 where it was only on Mac.
C# is the language I feel most productive in and is therefore my weapon of choice. I gotta have my compiler and my rigid type system.”
Blueamcat, photographer and MSFT Game Dev Discord moderator: “I taught myself HTML and PHP for a fan site I wanted to create when I was 10 years old back in the 90s. I was SO proud of my work and had a blast learning. I didn't keep it up, but I could probably pick up a coding language easily nowadays. Possibly.”
[Playgig]Cliff, Playgig: “STI BASIC, then x86 assembly, 6800 assembly, Z80 (yeah, did that one after x86). With Turbo Pascal I thought I could do anything, then C entered my life, and I thought I had all the power in the world. Some 5 years or so later and C++ compilers started showing up. By about '95 I was almost entirely C++ and even now that's my language of choice
If I were to elaborate: To this day, I still love popcorn like Alan Bradley and have written more than one system called ‘The Grid’ (in reference to Tron).”
Want to join in on the fun? Visit the Microsoft Game Dev community on Discord to hang out with us, we’d love to see you there!
Note: The background art for this article’s cover image: REVO In The Springtime © 2024 Cosmic Misfit Studio LLC. Design by Drew Van Camp and is used with permission.