How old were you guys when you started writing code? What language and what inspired you?

My first programming memories come from writing some QBasic text-based RPG and graphics demos when I was like 12. I remember moving into C/C++ soon after with Borland's C++ compiler and playing around with WinAPI and OpenGL 1.

I created my first program using Logo. It was basically drawing on the screen with commands. While most kids in the class struggled to remember commands, I used to build beautiful drawings in minutes. Then it took me to Basic, C, C++, JAVA and now after around 20 years, I teach software development to thousands of students.

I was 13 and it was java

Started out when I was roughly 13. I was introduced to computers during an early age, and was always fascinated by them.

What lead to me programming was that I wanted a certain plugin for a private Minecraft server I had for friends, but couldn’t find it anywhere. So that’s when I learnt Java, and that’s lead to me learning more languages.

I was 22. Found out my Android phone wasn't going to get updated (ics I think) so I started looking into how I could do it myself. I discovered xda and managed to root and flash a custom rom. From there I was hooked, eventually getting into apps because who has time to learn kernel development? So java was the first language I really learned and I still love it for the most part.

I was 12 years old in middle school, and my tech teacher told me about HTML, so I did some research at home, because I had no idea what it was.

After that, I made a simple webpage, and searched up "is HTML a programming language?" That's when I discovered Python. It was my first programming language. After that, I continued learning as much as I could.

11, QBasic. Then Pascal. Good old DOS times...

12 I think... I started with VB because my father recommended it for me as a noob. I then started my java Minecraft bukkit plugin career a few weeks later and learned a lot. Then switched to c++ and later to c and a month ago I got a 64bit assembly book 👌👌

I was 15 and it was Java but did not pick it up for real until I was 18. I am 27 now. Java is still one of my main languages.

Not counting the first language I learnt in school, then it's VAX Cobol as my first programming language at work when I was 17

@Michelle "Made a simple website in HTML. That's when I discovered Python. It was my first programming language" - I see what you did there :)

@LrdShaper
I didn't make any jokes or references tho??

At age 8 I started learning Actionscript. I remember looking at for loop without learning variables or assignment and understanding it right away! It just became a knack for me ever since then. And it made much more sense than things at school (fuck math I still hate it)

I was 12 in Iraq. They had us write BASIC code for 2 years and Pascal for another 2.
We wrote code on a piece of paper and were expected to write everything correctly.
I think only once or twice were we able to actually run a program on a computer.

I had no idea how this was changing my life though..

@Michelle That HTML is not a programming language :D

@LrdShaper
I never said it was a programming language?? I said when I was 12, I searched it up, and someone said something about Python. .-.

I began programming in middle school (~8 y/o) in BASIC on a Radio Shack TRS-80 (“Trash 80”) that ran using two 5.25" floppy disks (to be fair, you pretty much had to learn BASIC in order to use the thing). I’m not that old, we simply didn’t have much money growing up so I got ancient computers from places like the Goodwill (the kind that were so old and junky people literally gave them away). I was lucky to have a neighbor/babysitter that taught me the foundations of BASIC, and one of the benefits of learning old tech was that the (typically outdated) library books covered everything I was learning!