this post was submitted on 15 Aug 2025
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Programming
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I really would not recommend specializing in C# at this point in computing history. You can do what you want obviously, but Python is much more likely to be what you want. C++ or Java might be okay if you want a job and are okay with a little bit dated / not ideal languages, or you could learn one of the proliferation of niche backend Linuxy languages, but C# has most of the drawbacks of C++ and Java without having even their relative level of popularity.
IDK what issue you're having with VSCode, but I think installing the .NET SDK and then using
dotnetby hand from the command line, to test the install, might be a good precursor to getting it working in VSCode. But IDK why you would endeavor to do this in the first place.I was going to try python, but I'd eventually like to learn unity as well so i decided on c#. Plus I felt python was too new and would skip a lot of core programming skills id just like to know. Im not super interested in doing it the new way with all the helpers, or I wont feel like I learned anything. I wanted to learn 20 years ago but never got into it, so I just feel like starting at the very bottom. Makes no sense I know.
I do have the .net sdk and it seems to try to compile a simple program, it just throws errors even on an example program that shouldn't have any. Im sure its something dumb.
Okay, you definitely want to learn C then. C# and C++ both add a ton of helpers. C# has a massive runtime environment that's opaque and a little bit weird, and C++ has a massive compile-time environment that's opaque and very weird. It's sort of pick your poison. If you learn C and get skilled with it, you'll be well set up for understanding what is actually going on and having strong fundamentals that will set you up well for whatever higher-level language you want to learn in the future.
Put another way: C# will hide just as many of the fundamentals and hardcore details from you as python will, it'll just do it in a weird and counterintuitive fashion that will make it more confusing and with more weird C#-specific details.
I would actually just cut out the middleman and start with the Unity editor then. It actually might be a really good introduction to the nature of programming in general without throwing a bunch of extra nonsense at you, and in a really motivating format.
What's the program and what's the error? I'm happy to help if something jumps out at me. I'm voicing my opinion otherwise on what might be better ways to attack this all in general, but I'm sure me or people here can help sort out the issues if you really want to take this approach and you're just getting stuck on something simple.
I second going straight to unity in this case. I startet my programming journey with unity tutorials and my own hobby projects. This gave me a good grasp of many of the fundamentals when I started learning programming at university. It wasn’t comprehensive but it was way more effective than any attempt I had before then due to the motivation and great tutorials available in that space.