Quote:Skills I posses.
Well, I'm very competent with a computer. I find solutions any way I can and have.
In terms of programming or code, none. I mentioned something in my first post but that was looking for a particular line of code and modifying a value.
I don't even know if I'm using the "code" correctly.
In terms of what I want to accomplish.
I don't know "how far the rabbit hole goes". I mean what branches are there? Literally I know nothing.
I know there is probably a million different languages and each takes you down a different route and I'm probably being the vaguest possible. I don't even know what language takes you where.
It's like do I want to take the blue pill and play dolphin. Or do I want to take the red pill and see how dolphin is made. That kind of thing. :-)
If I may ask a personal question, how old are you? I only ask because it could effect what resources you have at your disposal.
We do need to have SOME idea of what you want to do before we can help you.
I would recommend asking more specific questions.
As far as contributing to dolphin goes nearly anything you learn should be applicable. Dolphin is an open source project and as such you're free to make any changes to anything that you see fit (it doesn't mean that they'll be comitted to the official branch though), even something as simple as redesigning the GUI. You don't have to be one of the crazy guys working on the core to make changes to dolphin.
Quote:edit.I'll just pick up a book from the local library and see where that takes me. Thanks
Why even bother with that? The internet is flooded with programming tutorials, forums, code examples, videos, etc. It's like having a 5 million page interactive programming book that covers every nuance of every language for free.
You might want to check out this thread while you're hunting for programming languages to learn: http://forums.dolphin-emu.org/showthread.php?tid=20468
Quote:If your brand new to programming, a good BASIC or Java book can do you well.
I think you'll agree that BASIC is pretty useless in this day and age. It's like learning ancient greek, it was probably a useful language 2,500 years ago, but nobody uses it anymore. While it is extremely easy to learn/use there are other easy alternatives these days that are far more useful like python, VB .NET, javascript, etc.
Quote:and Java isn't really much more challenging.
lolwut? You think java isn't much harder to learn than basic? A language who's entire purpose was to be as easy to learn and use as possible!
Quote:Sounds like the OP wants to be a hacker, and I mean that in the old MIT sense of the word, someone who "tinkers" with something to learn more about it. I consider myself a hacker whenever I mess around with the source code of emulators to get the desired effects I want (e.g. adding scaling filters to Desmume on Linux, nearest-neighbor sucks). Where is your interest the greatest? Emulators? Games? Data processing? Encryption? Networking? Graphics? Sound? You get the idea. Once you narrow it down and after getting grounded in some general computer science, you should have a better idea of what you should study next.
Wouldn't every single opensource programmer on the planet be considered a "hacker" by that definition? I never really liked that word, it's one of those buzz words that everyone uses yet nobody knows what it means.
Edit: I don't really feel qualified to offer any advice beyond getting started with programming (which I think is what he's really asking for). For anything related to developing something specific like dolphin I would want developers to offer advice instead. So I would love it if some developers who are reading this would add their 2 cents so I don't have to keep pretending that I'm the man with all of the answers (although I have gotten pretty good at that these last two years).
"Normally if given a choice between doing something and nothing, I’d choose to do nothing. But I would do something if it helps someone else do nothing. I’d work all night if it meant nothing got done."
-Ron Swanson
"I shall be a good politician, even if it kills me. Or if it kills anyone else for that matter. "
-Mark Antony
-Ron Swanson
"I shall be a good politician, even if it kills me. Or if it kills anyone else for that matter. "
-Mark Antony