Programming languages -- point me in the right direction

[trilinearmipmap]

Looking to get into some computer programming.

20 years ago or so I did various languages, 6502 assembler, 6502 machine language, C, etc.

Want to learn some programming again. Not interested in web type stuff at all (boring). Looking to program in something close to the machine level.

I don't have any idea what language is used for serious programs these days. The topics that I would be interested in programming are widespread but mostly I want to stretch my mind.

Can someone point me in the right direction please. Preferably is there some good software to enable me to program, and some sites or forums to support this, and best of all it would be nice if it were free or cheap.

Also in the next couple of years my boy will be beginning to program. In the olden days the "beginner's" programming languages were Basic and Pascal, what language is a good introductory programming language nowadays?

[Delphinus]

Believe it or not C and its variants is still used, particularly in situations where real-time is a concern. Nowadays C++, C# and Java seem to the hot tickets though. But I prefer to take a pragmatic approach: A language is a language, a tool is a tool. You work with whatever fits the situation better. If you're developing for MS then C# and .NET are probably the tools of choice, on Unix, probably back into C++, and so on. Sometimes a PERL script is all you need.

In all probability your son will likely know Java before you know it. All the kids these days know it. We don't do a lot of Java development over here there though although we do have a few products that are predominantly Java based, that sit on top of our core products (which are more low-level).

[rickjames]

C still lives!

Seriously though, if you go through University they will start you out with either C++ or Java. I used C/C++ extensively during school, but if I were to steer someone to one language I would have to say Java. It is way easier to build user interfaces in it then C++, and when you build a program it can be compiled to run on any computer. Plus the compilers and tools for it are usually free. JMO.