Where can I learn about programming and what the languages / apps / servers are used for?

I've heard so many terms - Apache, Rails, Java, Javascript, Perl, .Net Framework, Visual Basic, Python, Dreamweaver, C++, blah, blah, blah. How does a new or non-programmer type learn what all of the terms really are and how they are used (together or separately)?

Where can I learn about programming and what the languages / apps / servers are used for?
frankly speaking most languages are related ie the syntax is similar so you if you can learn to code in one you can easily grasp the syntax in others and the logic remains pretty much the same..my suggestion would be you learn to program in a high level language like C++ or java..from there you can graduate to others..





you can follow this flow





C -%26gt; C++ --%26gt; java --%26gt;javascript --%26gt; python --%26gt; perl...





i cant comment about .net and apache since i have never used them





regarding Visual basic its mostly a graphical interface with some basic programming so my suggestion is get a good book on visual basic or a good website and start fooling about with it..you can easily learn it in a weeks time





These two websites are good to learn VB





http://www.vbtutor.net/vbtutor.html


http://cuinl.tripod.com/tutorials.htm





Dreamweaver is a WYSIWYG editor so even if you dont know HTML you can design nice looking websites restricted only by our creativity..anyway learning HTML is easy...





this website is good for HTML http://www.davesite.com/webstation/html/
Reply:Not knowing your age makes the answer a little difficult, but I suggest a trip to the library and a talk with the librarian.





OR





Talk to someone in the computer sciences department of a local college or junior college.





I was lucky, I "learned by doing", when there were fewer "languages", computers were simpler, and you had to learn how to program in "assembly", AND the how depended in part on the CPU(s) used.