[how] vBulletin Coding, where to start ?

**Brandon Sheley** · 09-02-2006, 10:54 PM

what do you suggest for someone who wants to learn the proper way to code as far as vbulletin mods and hacks ?
I know there is some documents at vb.com or .org, I don't remember where I seen it. I'd like to learn more and maybe make my own hacks someday,, where Should I start ?

Thanks,
-loco

**Code Monkey** · 09-02-2006, 11:21 PM

I think the best way is to learn PHP first and don't worry about vBulletin till you get a grasp of it. Focusing all your learning through vb will help you learn bad habits that might be out of the norm in the PHP community at large.

Hang out at Sitepoint. Buy their php tutorial book. Make hello world scripts. Learn to speak the new language that goes with the coding language. That's half the battle. People can't answer your questions if you're speaking gibberish.

Then when you have a grasp on things and you go poking about vBulletin code you will know how to read the map and find your way around.

You also have to ask yourself. "Am I a logical thinker?" That is very important to coding. Anyone can remember function names and write a 1000 lines of code. But only someone with good logic ability can write the same code in 300 lines. Just an example, not always possible.

Coding can be fun and misery all at once. Know what your getting into and have fun.

**Brandon Sheley** · 09-02-2006, 11:27 PM

ya, i seen you talk about this "logical" thinking,, This is very important to me, I want to learn and code the right way,, not the lazy messy way..

One of the first sites I ran was an anti-yahoo site, and we had some visual basic coders, I remember them talking about some messy coders back then and that it was a bad practice..

thank you, I use to go to SP all the time, then just sorta stopped..
as for buying the book, I'll see if I can find it online..

thank you

**Code Monkey** · 09-02-2006, 11:36 PM

First four chapters are free at Sitepoint. Download them.

You don't want to learn to write spaghetti code because it is a nightmare to maintain. You will begin that way but the goal should be to learn OOP and create maintainable objects.

**Brandon Sheley** · 09-02-2006, 11:42 PM

whats OOP mean ? I've heard of OPP from some rap song..lol

**Code Monkey** · 09-02-2006, 11:47 PM

Object Oriented Programing.

**G_Man** · 10-17-2006, 05:26 PM

** runs to sitepoint **

Thanks for the question Loco and the reply CM.

nJoy · 11-12-2006, 01:24 PM

Yes Sitepoint.com contains good collection of books especially for the webadmins / programmers. Like CM said get the chapters and read through to get a feel how easy to understand. I have purchased few books from them. All written nicely.