Please Take the Time to Write an Hour of code.

[Howard_Casto]

I normally don't post political stuff but this goes beyond politics.  You are all smart people, you should know how to do some basic programming by now.  If you want your kids to have more opportunities, they should know as well.  Please take advantage of the "Hour of Code"! 



http://csedweek.org/

[lordnacho]

As I'm surrounded by H-1B's, I can only hope this works 

[pbj]

As I'm surrounded by H-1B's, I can only hope this works

Companies love H-1B's.  They can pay them peanuts, work them like slaves, and deport them if they complain.  Don't believe what you've heard about talent shortages in the US.

[lordnacho]

Companies love H-1B's.  They can pay them peanuts, work them like slaves, and deport them if they complain.  Don't believe what you've heard about talent shortages in the US.

The conspiracy theory I heard about the hour of code was just this.  Backed by corporations emphasizing non-existent talent shortage.
My company doesn't look for local talent, cubicles just fill up magically with accents and smelly lunches.

Any devs out there having trouble finding jobs?

[ChadTower]

We frequently have trouble finding anyone local to interview for tech positions.  Spots get posted on Monster, sent out through headhunters, we even have people personally networking.  Positions can take months to fill and the only resumes we see are total garbage.  Keep in mind this is a company inside the top 15 on the Fortune 500.  We end up forced to bring in people from overseas because we can't wait 9 months for someone decent to come along.

There may not be a talent shortage but there is a shortage of talent looking for work in this area.

[bleargh]

The conspiracy theory I heard about the hour of code was just this.  Backed by corporations emphasizing non-existent talent shortage.  My company doesn't look for local talent, cubicles just fill up magically with accents and smelly lunches.

Any devs out there having trouble finding jobs?

Constantly.

Got close to 30yrs experience as a dev, and have a weekly regiment of learning new things so that I'm staying on top of whats new and keeping up w/new tech.

But, for the last two years have had the most frustrating time trying to find new work (or something to at least replace the full-time contract I do have).

Businesses keep telling me I'm exactly what they're looking for, but then balk when they find out I can't be had for the same measly price as an offshore worker (which barely amounts to minimum wage here).  Highest wage I think I've seen offered for "Senior Developer" and "Team Lead" positions the last year isn't even half of what I'm making now (and even where I'm working now is a 40% cut from where I was a few years ago before the economy tanked).

There is a LOT of local talent out there, companies just aren't willing to pay people standard wages for it.  $40-50k for "senior" and "lead" positions just doesn't cut it.

[Slippyblade]

Part of the problem of the "talent shortage" is that companies are wanting a laundry list of experience and skills and are then wanting to pay peanuts for said experience and skills.  It's not uncommon in my area to see ads wanting 5-10yrs field experience, mutliple certs, and a degree for a part-time, no benefits, $9/hr position.  That's the kind of ad that gets placed purely so HR can say, "We place ads, but there's no applicants!" so they have an excuse to outsource or bring in work visas.

[ark_ader]

Well Howard, as it is Grace Hopper's 107 birthday today.  I shall write an hour of code in honour of this great lady and pioneer of computing, who's accomplishments in co-authoring programming language COBOL, provided my first programming job as a COBOL migration technician.

RIP Grace, and thank you for all your accomplishments in the the field of computing.



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grace_Hopper

[pbj]

That's the kind of ad that gets placed purely so HR can say, "We place ads, but there's no applicants!" so they have an excuse to outsource or bring in work visas.

Also a way for them to do salary research.  I had a job that pulled that BS - listings perpetually open for jobs that didn't exist.  Just so they could resume fish and tell people, "we're paying competitively."  After a non-stop exodus of employees they did finally give us all a "cost of living" increase.  I still cited salary as the primary reason I left.   

[Malenko]

I used to do IT for a company that did job placement. They would routinely apply the H1Bs over others because they make more on a placement when they pay the worker less.  One of the reasons I left. They'd lie and say they would find the best person for the job when all they did is find the most profit for the job. Their rep is starting to catch up with them though. Pretty sure Id be unemployed soon if I still worked there, lol

[ed12]

and then they  scream buldy blue muder they cant find coder's...
gee i wonder why.huh?
i am teaching my self rasberry..using chopped linux..
it equates to time and money..why should i give it away for 12.00 phr ?
explain that 1 to me bean-counters

ed

[lordnacho]

Constantly.

Got close to 30yrs experience as a dev, and have a weekly regiment of learning new things so that I'm staying on top of whats new and keeping up w/new tech.

But, for the last two years have had the most frustrating time trying to find new work (or something to at least replace the full-time contract I do have).

Businesses keep telling me I'm exactly what they're looking for, but then balk when they find out I can't be had for the same measly price as an offshore worker (which barely amounts to minimum wage here).  Highest wage I think I've seen offered for "Senior Developer" and "Team Lead" positions the last year isn't even half of what I'm making now (and even where I'm working now is a 40% cut from where I was a few years ago before the economy tanked).

There is a LOT of local talent out there, companies just aren't willing to pay people standard wages for it.  $40-50k for "senior" and "lead" positions just doesn't cut it.

30 years, reminded me of this article
http://www.informationweek.com/strategic-cio/team-building-and-staffing/are-you-too-old-for-it/d/d-id/1006268?print=yes

Which got me worrying about if I should stay coding.  Have about 14 years now, pay has definitely leveled off.  I have to constantly keep up with tech too, inventing side projects just to tinker and put on the resume/portfolio in case I get canned from here. 

Part of the problem of the "talent shortage" is that companies are wanting a laundry list of experience and skills and are then wanting to pay peanuts for said experience and skills.  It's not uncommon in my area to see ads wanting 5-10yrs field experience, mutliple certs, and a degree for a part-time, no benefits, $9/hr position.  That's the kind of ad that gets placed purely so HR can say, "We place ads, but there's no applicants!" so they have an excuse to outsource or bring in work visas.

I can't stand the laundry lists.  If I listed all the languages asked on some posts, I'd look like a complete liar.  it's refreshing to see some posts say experience in one of these languages and who are open to learn their stack. 

[ark_ader]

Constantly.

Got close to 30yrs experience as a dev, and have a weekly regiment of learning new things so that I'm staying on top of whats new and keeping up w/new tech.

But, for the last two years have had the most frustrating time trying to find new work (or something to at least replace the full-time contract I do have).

Businesses keep telling me I'm exactly what they're looking for, but then balk when they find out I can't be had for the same measly price as an offshore worker (which barely amounts to minimum wage here).  Highest wage I think I've seen offered for "Senior Developer" and "Team Lead" positions the last year isn't even half of what I'm making now (and even where I'm working now is a 40% cut from where I was a few years ago before the economy tanked).

There is a LOT of local talent out there, companies just aren't willing to pay people standard wages for it.  $40-50k for "senior" and "lead" positions just doesn't cut it.

30 years, reminded me of this article
http://www.informationweek.com/strategic-cio/team-building-and-staffing/are-you-too-old-for-it/d/d-id/1006268?print=yes

Which got me worrying about if I should stay coding.  Have about 14 years now, pay has definitely leveled off.  I have to constantly keep up with tech too, inventing side projects just to tinker and put on the resume/portfolio in case I get canned from here. 

Part of the problem of the "talent shortage" is that companies are wanting a laundry list of experience and skills and are then wanting to pay peanuts for said experience and skills.  It's not uncommon in my area to see ads wanting 5-10yrs field experience, mutliple certs, and a degree for a part-time, no benefits, $9/hr position.  That's the kind of ad that gets placed purely so HR can say, "We place ads, but there's no applicants!" so they have an excuse to outsource or bring in work visas.

I can't stand the laundry lists.  If I listed all the languages asked on some posts, I'd look like a complete liar.  it's refreshing to see some posts say experience in one of these languages and who are open to learn their stack.

The problem is most of us are getting older.  We have the experience, and the technical knowledge, but we are nearing our expiry date.  We can think that we have upwards of 25 years of future service (maybe more if you factor in the ever moving retirement age) but our skills are being replaced with dumbing down management practices.  I can only think of three possibilities:

1) Teaching - If you have a degree you can get on the ladder but grade schooling is rough and has many disadvantages.

2) Self Employment - Contracting and establishing a consultancy - but you better like getting more certifications and their associated cost.

3) Retraining - Using your skill set and branching in another direction, such as management, research, education (getting a PHd) or government positions.

I'm focused on the PHd and looking forward to working in academia.  If you can afford starting out on your own and setting up a shop is the better bet.  I see the re-emergence of mom and pop stores due to the poor customer service you get with large corporations.  The same goes with small software houses and tech shops.  I prefer to buy from them as they speak my language, and not like at Best Buy, who memorise scripts and/or have no clue with that vacant expression when you say something vaguely technical. 

I think we are living in a specialised world where specialists get the more money.  Figure out what you can do the best and capitalise on it.

[bleargh]

30 years, reminded me of this article
http://www.informationweek.com/strategic-cio/team-building-and-staffing/are-you-too-old-for-it/d/d-id/1006268?print=yes

Which got me worrying about if I should stay coding.  Have about 14 years now, pay has definitely leveled off.  I have to constantly keep up with tech too, inventing side projects just to tinker and put on the resume/portfolio in case I get canned from here.

While I can't say that I've been discriminated because of my age (like crap, I'm only in my early 40s, I'm not that old), I think its more that employers are wanting to have their cake and eat it too.  They want someone with all the experience that only a few trips around the block can give you, but they only want to pay a starter/junior salary for it.

Like come on... how many job postings have we all seen where they're asking for years and years of experience, but are only willing to pay ~$30k salary for it.  I see those everywhere, so much so that its not the exception but the norm.

I've been a "career contractor" for over 20yrs, and while I've kept the business in the black, the last four or five years have been pretty tough.  I just see companies wanting more, but being willing to pay less for it than they did last year and the year before.  And not just "a little less", but "substantially less".

When the economy dropped out a few years back, the market was flooded with people desperate for any job they could get, and employers took advantage of that and hired them up at 25c on the dollar.  I knew several people that were making $100k+ before the bottom fell out, then got hired back into the same job but at ~$30-35k because the company could get away with it.  After a few years of hiring like that, they now appear to have settled into that now being the standard salary for those positions.  Couple that with kids rolling out of college and that are willing to take on a 60-80hr work week for low wages, and it makes me wonder some days why I even bother any more.  I can out-produce those college kids and their 80hr work weeks in my regular 30-35hr work week, but employers don't see that; they don't measure productivity in "getting ---steaming pile of meadow muffin--- done", but by how far you're willing to bend over.

There's a lot of good coders out there in the US+Canada, but finding employers who are willing to treat their people with respect and pay them well for the experience and skill they bring to the table is a hard find nowadays.   

[pbj]

I would stay far, far away from academia unless you're studying something with a highly marketable reach.  We're in the worst funding environment in modern history and colleges are going to violently implode in the near future. 

[shponglefan]

Learning to write code is an admirable thing.  But getting a degree in programming and then watching the tech industry implode was a sobering experience.

[RayB]

I keep hearing "they don't teach programming in university comp sci anymore". True? All I know is that C++ coders are rare and come at a premium up here. Too many kids in the last decade graduating with only javascript and Flash Actionscript under their belts.

[ed12]

where this is true >no c++ teaching<
it is hard coded in now as shells
so simple we open a scrpit like winexplorer >just as it sounds<
load a :vb: file and edit away,u can then just cross compile :this takes learning:,
u have to rember to syntiax ie '/:/}/{/[/]...
this is called work..what do u expect from 2013 ?

ed

[Slippyblade]

Drives me nuts that Java is the intro language in the CS programs at my local Uni.  Never understood teaching Java as an intro language...

"Here's a simple 'Hello World' program.  Ignore almost every line that you see since none of it will make sense till half-way through the semester."

[ed12]

yes Slippyblade
which in its self lends its self to a full line of crap
u see what mfg's are missing here is the smarts to stop thinking about there dam budget $$$ and think. i need brain power here
they have themselfs become yes ppl to the boss

ed

[ark_ader]

Drives me nuts that Java is the intro language in the CS programs at my local Uni.  Never understood teaching Java as an intro language...

"Here's a simple 'Hello World' program.  Ignore almost every line that you see since none of it will make sense till half-way through the semester."

Java and C# mostly as it is the language in demand.  More so than Visual Basic for Applications.  I can get more ---steaming pile of meadow muffin--- done in C# than C++ and Vanilla C (more so when working with C++) where Java was THE language to learn before Sun went down hill.  Most object oriented languages are taught today than elemental languages.  If you could get VB under your belt then you could get a good job writing applications for custom office facilities. 

Teachers like Java or C# as they are easy to present to students.  Try throwing a curve ball like asking them to explain how pointers work - and watch them squirm. Or give them some Math problems and watch their heads fall off.   

Now that is not enough for employers.  You need to have the full suite for web programming, C# and Java, Powershell (easy), MS SQL etc.  Though you learn it and then forget it when away from the environment, but employers want you to be Websters.  You are not supposed to remember everything, just to know where to look for it when the need arises.  That is why I'm going for my doctorate. 

Hopefully this madness will stop and by the time I graduate, I will end up on top.  BTW US colleges are a waste of time.  Better to go to a UK college or University and get a better education on line.   They are cheaper too.   

[ed12]

where i am a fan of java code
i like vb better for the simple reason i can and do cross-compile
like this is not a hard line to enter 'ed
that will get remed in vb
and get skiped over if u cross compile
where in java it is a not a cmd >'< and will error every time

ed

[ChadTower]

That's the problem right there.  There is a glaring fundamental difference between learning languages and learning programming.  Each type of algorithm is best taught in a specific language.  We studied recursion in LISP.  We studied pointers in assembly.  We studied procedural structure in C and object orientation in C++.  You can't use the same language to truly teach all of those concepts.  Each language does some things well and some things poorly for a reason. 

A good coder can pick up any language within a few weeks because they know how to code.  Someone who was taught Java is rarely going to be capable of doing anything other than Java without starting over.

[stu33]

That's the problem right there.  There is a glaring fundamental difference between learning languages and learning programming.  Each type of algorithm is best taught in a specific language.  We studied recursion in LISP.  We studied pointers in assembly.  We studied procedural structure in C and object orientation in C++.  You can't use the same language to truly teach all of those concepts.  Each language does some things well and some things poorly for a reason. 

A good coder can pick up any language within a few weeks because they know how to code.  Someone who was taught Java is rarely going to be capable of doing anything other than Java without starting over.

I agree completely.  I learned PASCAL first, which was basically the mother-hen of all languages.  You couldn't do anything stupid without the compiler saying "Hey dummy, you can't do that".  It really was a great way to learn.  Then C and finally C++.  Most of my development where I work now is C++, with bits of Java here and there.  Having never seen Java, I was still able to learn it in no time.  I credit learning PASCAL first for that.

[bleargh]

That's the problem right there.  There is a glaring fundamental difference between learning languages and learning programming.  (..... snip .....)

A good coder can pick up any language within a few weeks because they know how to code.  Someone who was taught Java is rarely going to be capable of doing anything other than Java without starting over.

ChadTower++

Couldn't have said that better myself.

Running gag here is that I've used (and forgotten) more programming languages than I've got fingers and toes.  While I've been using Perl for much of my work over the last 15yrs, I've learned and used over 30+ different languages on projects over the years.

Back in the 70s when I started to code nobody taught Comp Si, but when I finally got to college (mid 90s) I was pleased to see that each class introduced us to a new language, that specialized in whatever the topic was we were learning; Modula for style, Assembly for pointers, C++ for object orientation, etc.  I'd already used several variations of Basic, written Assembly for four different processors, and was using C/C++ and Rexx regularly, so "learning a new language" wasn't that alien a concept for me (unlike some of the class, who thought we should just use one language and stick with it for the 3yrs we were there)

Compare that to when my younger brother went to University (post-millenium), and he was taught "Microsoft Visual Studio".  Didn't teach the language, taught the tool.  And while he excelled in class, the minute you put him outside of that tool he was useless.  Completely useless.  As in... couldn't even code in the same damned language, but with a different compiler suite.

Personally, I think that Comp Sci courses should go back to teaching programming on Unix/Linux boxes, with a whole suite of compiler tools and languages at their disposal.  Let those students see that there's choice out there, and that any given tool is not always the right tool for the job.  Each language has their own specialties and things that they're awesome at, and a good programmer will know that and will build their larger projects using multiple languages/tools.

[pbj]

Here we go again... programmers trading war stories about all their coding victories.

 

It was hell there in Pascal until Borland unleashed Turbo on us.

[lordnacho]

Turbo tastic

[ark_ader]

I would teach kids C# in the 6th grade and start out with game development for the PC and Xbox 360, with the kids creating a game they could publish on Xbox Live.  Make it an all year event, and start looking at project management, documentation and design, system analysis with debugging classes at the onset.  Then teach them C++ in the 7th grade with mathematics (algebra and basic linear Math) to solve problems.  In order to solve a problem the child then looks at physics, trig and graphic design.  Finding out the child's speciality early on is far better than throwing subjects like history and environmental science at them. 

Math and English is core but it is more interesting to a child when they have to compete with other kids, not to be left behind.  Khan Academy touches on this principle, and it has shown an increase of ability in each child in the class. 

I mean what child doesn't like to play computer games?

Also I think the US degree system should stop the general education modules and focus on more course specific classes. Why do you have to learn maths, English and history again when you have paid to learn a specific subject?

[danny_galaga]

10 PRINT "BITE ME!"
20 GOTO 10
RUN

There yar!

[ark_ader]

10 PRINT "BITE ME!"
20 GOTO 10
RUN

There yar!

That took you an hour? 

[SavannahLion]

10 PRINT "BITE ME!"
20 GOTO 10
RUN

There yar!

That took you an hour? 

He needed to insert a line and renumber.

[ed12]

here

'Thanks to Microsoft - MSDN Library
'
'--
'Ramesh
OPTION EXPLICIT

DIM ICSSC_DEFAULT, CONNECTION_PUBLIC, CONNECTION_PRIVATE, CONNECTION_ALL
DIM NetSharingManager
DIM PublicConnection, PrivateConnection
DIM EveryConnectionCollection

DIM objArgs
DIM con

ICSSC_DEFAULT         = 0
CONNECTION_PUBLIC     = 0
CONNECTION_PRIVATE    = 1
CONNECTION_ALL        = 2

Main( )

sub Main( )
    Set objArgs = WScript.Arguments
'    WScript.Echo( "running enable" )

    if objArgs.Count = 1 then
        con = objArgs(0)

'        WScript.Echo con

        if Initialize() = TRUE then
            GetConnectionObjects()

            FirewallTestByName(con)
        end if
    else
        DIM szMsg
        szMsg = "Invalid usage! Please provide the name of the connection as the argument." & chr(13) & chr(13) & _
                "Usage:" & chr(13) & _
                "       " + WScript.scriptname + " " + chr(34) + "Connection Name" + chr(34)
'        WScript.Echo( szMsg )
    end if

end sub


sub FirewallTestByName(conName)
on error resume next
    DIM Item
    DIM EveryConnection
    DIM objNCProps
    DIM szMsg
    DIM bFound

    bFound = false
    for each Item in EveryConnectionCollection
        set EveryConnection = NetSharingManager.INetSharingConfigurationForINetConnection(Item)
        set objNCProps = NetSharingManager.NetConnectionProps(Item)
        if (ucase(conName) = ucase(objNCProps.Name)) then
            szMsg = "Enabling Firwall on connection:" & chr(13) & _
                    "Name: "       & objNCProps.Name & chr(13) & _
                    "Guid: "       & objNCProps.Guid & chr(13) & _
                    "DeviceName: " & objNCProps.DeviceName & chr(13) & _
                    "Status: "     & objNCProps.Status & chr(13) & _
                    "MediaType: "  & objNCProps.MediaType

'            WScript.Echo(szMsg)
            bFound = true
            EveryConnection.EnableInternetFirewall
            exit for
        end if
    next

'    if( bFound = false ) then
'        WScript.Echo( "Connection " & chr(34) & conName & chr(34) & " was not found" )
'    end if

end sub

function Initialize()
    DIM bReturn
    bReturn = FALSE

    set NetSharingManager = Wscript.CreateObject("HNetCfg.HNetShare.1")
'    if (IsObject(NetSharingManager)) = FALSE then
'        Wscript.Echo("Unable to get the HNetCfg.HnetShare.1 object")
'    else
        if (IsNull(NetSharingManager.SharingInstalled) = TRUE) then
            Wscript.Echo("Sharing isn't available on this platform.")
        else
            bReturn = TRUE
        end if
'    end if
    Initialize = bReturn
end function

function GetConnectionObjects()
    DIM bReturn
    DIM Item

    bReturn = TRUE

    if GetConnection(CONNECTION_PUBLIC) = FALSE then
        bReturn = FALSE
    end if

    if GetConnection(CONNECTION_PRIVATE) = FALSE then
        bReturn = FALSE
    end if

    if GetConnection(CONNECTION_ALL) = FALSE then
        bReturn = FALSE
    end if

    GetConnectionObjects = bReturn

end function


function GetConnection(CONNECTION_TYPE)
    DIM bReturn
    DIM Connection
    DIM Item
    bReturn = TRUE

    if (CONNECTION_PUBLIC = CONNECTION_TYPE) then
        set Connection = NetSharingManager.EnumPublicConnections(ICSSC_DEFAULT)
        if (Connection.Count > 0) and (Connection.Count < 2) then
            for each Item in Connection
                set PublicConnection = NetSharingManager.INetSharingConfigurationForINetConnection(Item)
            next
        else
            bReturn = FALSE
        end if
    elseif (CONNECTION_PRIVATE = CONNECTION_TYPE) then
        set Connection = NetSharingManager.EnumPrivateConnections(ICSSC_DEFAULT)
        if (Connection.Count > 0) and (Connection.Count < 2) then
            for each Item in Connection
                set PrivateConnection = NetSharingManager.INetSharingConfigurationForINetConnection(Item)
            next
        else
            bReturn = FALSE
        end if
    elseif (CONNECTION_ALL = CONNECTION_TYPE) then
        set Connection = NetSharingManager.EnumEveryConnection
        if (Connection.Count > 0) then
            set EveryConnectionCollection = Connection
        else
            bReturn = FALSE
        end if
    else
        bReturn = FALSE
    end if

    if (TRUE = bReturn)  then

        if (Connection.Count = 0) then
'            Wscript.Echo("No " + CStr(ConvertConnectionTypeToString(CONNECTION_TYPE)) + " connections exist (Connection.Count gave us 0)")
            bReturn = FALSE
        'valid to have more than 1 connection returned from EnumEveryConnection
        elseif (Connection.Count > 1) and (CONNECTION_ALL <> CONNECTION_TYPE) then
            Wscript.Echo("ERROR: There was more than one " + ConvertConnectionTypeToString(CONNECTION_TYPE) + " connection (" + CStr(Connection.Count) + ")")
            bReturn = FALSE
        end if
    end if
'    Wscript.Echo(CStr(Connection.Count) + " objects for connection type " + ConvertConnectionTypeToString(CONNECTION_TYPE))

    GetConnection = bReturn
end function

function ConvertConnectionTypeToString(ConnectionID)
    DIM ConnectionString

    if (ConnectionID = CONNECTION_PUBLIC) then
        ConnectionString = "public"
    elseif (ConnectionID = CONNECTION_PRIVATE) then
        ConnectionString = "private"
    elseif (ConnectionID = CONNECTION_ALL) then
        ConnectionString = "all"
    else
        ConnectionString = "Unknown: " + CStr(ConnectionID)
    end if

    ConvertConnectionTypeToString = ConnectionString
end function

ed

[ed12]

that is an hours worth of code..right there
it will take u a month to fig it out...
hints here,winexplorer-set to xvb...copy paste to .txt,then rename to .xvb
from there point winexplorer to it
from there open the scroll boxs u will see it in tools
turn on  gutter lines..
compile away once u are happy

ed

[danny_galaga]

10 PRINT "BITE ME!"
20 GOTO 10
RUN

There yar!

That took you an hour? 

Well, 58 minutes, but I rounded up 

[degenatrons]

Here's a simple Python program to calculate the value of pi.  Increase the number of cycles to increase the accuracy of the result. 
I based this on the Leibniz formula/infinite series.

cycles = 3000000
pi_val = 0.00

for i in range(1, cycles):
    if i % 2 == 1:
        pi_val += 4.0 / (i * 2 - 1)
    else:
        pi_val -= 4.0 / (i * 2 - 1)
print pi_val

It takes ~3,000,000 cycles to get to an accuracy of 6 decimal places i.e. 3.141592
Increase the cycles to keep going but be careful not to overheat your CPU.

I recommend Python to anyone who is starting out, it's free, cross-platform and good for scripting which comes in handy in this hobby.

[ark_ader]

Here's a simple Python program to calculate the value of pi.  Increase the number of cycles to increase the accuracy of the result. 
I based this on the Leibniz formula/infinite series.

cycles = 3000000
pi_val = 0.00

for i in range(1, cycles):
    if i % 2 == 1:
        pi_val += 4.0 / (i * 2 - 1)
    else:
        pi_val -= 4.0 / (i * 2 - 1)
print pi_val

It takes ~3,000,000 cycles to get to an accuracy of 6 decimal places i.e. 3.141592
Increase the cycles to keep going but be careful not to overheat your CPU.

I recommend Python to anyone who is starting out, it's free, cross-platform and good for scripting which comes in handy in this hobby.

If you like lists. 

[ChadTower]

that is an hours worth of code..right there
it will take u a month to fig it out...
hints here,winexplorer-set to xvb...copy paste to .txt,then rename to .xvb
from there point winexplorer to it
from there open the scroll boxs u will see it in tools
turn on  gutter lines..
compile away once u are happy

ed

Your name is Ramesh?

here

'Thanks to Microsoft - MSDN Library
'
'--
'Ramesh

[pbj]

He already posted that code, too...

http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php/topic,115417.msg1293991.html#msg1293991

[ed12]

Ramesh
is the nick that wrote the shell,the code in it is mine
compiled and ready to roll
i admit it is not my neatest work
because as a rule i line up to the gutter
but when i compiled the .txt over it is what came out
hence it is what it is
btw i love vb,once u are onto it
u will never look back

ed

[pbj]

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/desktop/aa364722%28v=vs.85%29.aspx

Stop digging.