Do you still code?

[Harrison]

Do any of you still do any programming?

What was the first programming language you ever used?

[Harrison]

For me I mainly use PHP and MySQL these days, with HTML 5, CSS, Javascript.

My son has started needing to use Python in his IT classes so I brushed up on that a bit to help him out. I do use some Python for Linux server scripts but not much. I've never really liked it as a language because of it's lack of structure. But I suppose that's what makes it easy for schools to give children a taster of programming after they have all used Scratch in primary school.

I started off learning BBC Basic at school in IT class in the 1980s. I still think it's the best version of basic ever created. And you can still use it to create programs on modern OSs as you can download it for free,

I then explored Basic on the Amstrad CPC and then STOS on the ST and AMOS on the Amiga, before trying out a few other languages that were free on cover disks. Last language I played around with on the Amiga was Blitz basic.

Professionally at university I was studying web development in the late 90s as part of my Graphic Design Degree so was mainly learning HTML, Javascript etc, but I focused more on the multimedia software Macromedia Director and learnt it's Lingo programming language, for which I then got a job making Director projects for Business to Business interactive presentations. I also started using Macromedia Flash from version 3, and from version 4 started using it's new Actionscript lanugage which was similar in functionality to Director but structured more like Javascript, They then added the ability to reformat Director Lingo into Javascript style structure, but as I knew Lingo really well I kept it as it was.

Since the demise of Director and Flash that ended that part of my Graphics Design and interactive multimedia career and those languages that I knew. I still miss working on those packages and there hasn't been anything released since to replace them or offer anything with similar ability or functionality, The internet has taken over, but for creatives there still isn't any design package to offer anything similar,

So what did you start with, and do you use any coding in your work or spare time still?