Hi,

I know that there are books out there and internet tutorials too for a beginner like me to learn programming but do you know what all these tutorial's downside is ?
I’ll tell you what their downside is and you can upside it and cash in on it.

These tutorial books and websites, never compare each language's function for function or program for program.
What I mean is this.....
I have seen many websites that compare languages so beginners can see which language seems easier for them to learn and which ones too messy and difficult for them so they can forget about these ones.
But, their comparing comes in the form of one simple little program :
"Hello World" which simply outputs on the screen “Hello World”.
Why not go a bit further ?
Why stop here by only providing an example of a function that “outputs a text on the screen” ?
Why not write all the other functions too in each language so we can compare the languages’ neatness ?
Consider this…..
A beginner wants to learn Martial Arts.
He is confused whether to learn Karate or Kungfu.
So, he goes to 2 instructors and both of them demonstrate a single punch.
The Kungu punch seems to him easier to learn and use compared to the Karate punch from the demonstration and so he decides to learn Kungu.
But, the reality is, Kungfu’s other hand movements and even leg movements are harder to learn and master than Karate’s but the beginner never got the chance to find any of this out because the 2 instructors never demonstrated more than 1 move.
Sooner or later, the beginner finds it too hard to struggle and quits.
He is back to square one now.
Whose fault it is ?
The 2 demonstrators because they did not do a good job in the demonstration.

The same is happening in the programming world.
We find tutorials that compare languages based simply on one single program :
Hello World.
That is not really enough to judge a language’s “neatness”, “complexity”, “easy-to-learn-ness”.
You must go beyond the basic “Hello World” if you really want to show beginners each language’s “neatness”, “complexity”, “easy-to-learn-ness”.
And to tell you the truth, there is not a single book or website that goes beyond the “Hello World”. Pathetic, if you ask me !
So, who will be the first to open a tutorial website according to my suggestion and cash in on this market ? I am sure memberships can be sold here.
Hell, I for sure will consider it if it is low cost because I am sick and tired of searching for a proper “language comparing” website or book.
There should be a website where each languages punch for a punch and kick for a kick is compared and not compare a kick to a punch and punch to a kick.
What I mean is, it should not compare one language’s one function with another language’s different function.
If one language’s “output function” is demonstrated then that should be compared with another language’s “output function” and not an “input function” or “loop” or “Boolean Expression”.
Every single function’s code in a language should be compared with the codes of functions belonging to all the other popular languages.
I, as-well as the majority of beginners would definitely like to see this done to computer programming languages C, C++, C#, JAVA, BASIC, DELPHI.
Also the same goes for Server-Side web-programming languages PERL, PYTHON, COLDFUSION, PHP, RUBY, EIFFEL, SMALLTALK.
Finally the same too for Client-Side web-programming languages JAVASCRIPT, JS, VB-SCRIPT.
At the beginning the comparison tutorials can start off by creating small programs that plainly does the same things. From these demonstrations beginners and even professionals (who are interested to learn other languages) can easily see the differences between the syntaxes belonging to each language and easily pick-up the differences.
Afterwards, the comparison tutorials can slowly over the months turn towards developing fair sized programs/softwares. In the first 3 months the comparison tutorial can show how to write the following softwares in each different language :

1. a mini word-processor like notepad and then
2. a mini word processor like wordpad and then
3. a mini auto-responder
4. a mini ftp client
5. a mini email client

In the 2nd 3 month period :

6. a mini webserver and then
7. a mini ftp server and then
8. a mini mail server and then
9. a mini mailing list server and then
10. a mini web browser and then

Note : I use the word “mini” for each of these programs/softwares which means creating such programs/softwares that has their basic feature only and not advance.
Writing advance features for each type of program/software will take too long and the coding will get too messy. Best to leave it the basic features and functions of each program/software.

Anybody knows of a website or a book that already does what I am looking for ?
If any professional reading this then why not run such a website and make money selling subscriptions ?

Anyway, I am thinking of getting into web programming and computer programming.
I have decided to learn Php for the web programming language as many have recommended that over Perl.
Plus, I have read howthingswork.com and it seems Php is more neat than Perl. I tried learning Perl once and the messyness that is really hard to learn put me off.

Your analysis is faulty. The languages were not developed to give a 'student' a choice, like karate, kungfu, or judo. They were each developed to solve certain problems. There is no way to compare certain languages like snobol vs pascal, cobol vs assembler, PL/I vs RPG II. You need to figure out what you wish to accomplish and research the language to see it it fits.

All answers you get will be the person's opinion, which may not coincide with yours anyway. What language is best is largely a personal preference. Since you're here, you'll likel get C/C++ as the most versitile language, but Pascal is a great beginner's language.

You need to stop looking for the perfect solution and look at the best for you current situation.