FEXNA (Currently In Private Beta)

[Crazy Li]

Yea, I was thinking of that as I posted what I said before. They're not all quiiiiite the same. I mean the stuff I learned in Visual Basic helped me learn C#, and that in turn helped a bit with Java, but none of my experience with those helps me with Python XD

Python's just...on one hand it's pretty simple, but it's that simplicity that can also confuse you at times because things are handled so differently. But I feel like it's a good language to learn, since I see Python programs and scripts for Linux all the time, and I prefer to work with Linux over broken windows. I also feel like going back and learning more Java and C#, maybe even revisit VB a little.

Late to this conversation, but I just wanted to note that I too had Visual Basic as my first programming language and then I went to Visual C# (then Visual C++, but that's off track) before trying some Python most recently and I didn't find Python to be that troubling. Then again, I'm not actually doing straight Python, but rather through an editor that's based on Python (Ren'py) so that might be why :p it'd kinda be like saying I was doing Ruby because I was coding in RPG Maker when that's not quite the case. I also learned GML somewhere in there, but not sure what that even counts as xp

[Zepher-Tensho]

Late to this conversation, but I just wanted to note that I too had Visual Basic as my first programming language and then I went to Visual C# (then Visual C++, but that's off track) before trying some Python most recently and I didn't find Python to be that troubling. Then again, I'm not actually doing straight Python, but rather through an editor that's based on Python (Ren'py) so that might be why :p it'd kinda be like saying I was doing Ruby because I was coding in RPG Maker when that's not quite the case. I also learned GML somewhere in there, but not sure what that even counts as xp

Ah yes Python is very simplistic isn't it >w<

I've been meaning to work on it more but I'm still having trouble deciding if I should focus more on C# or Python.

[Crazy Li]

Python would probably be more useful if you wanted to program professionally... though if you're just making the programs entirely yourself (as opposed to working for a company), you can make it in whatever you want as long as it works.

[Zepher-Tensho]

Well I found a book that's encouraged me to use Python:

Python for hackers and pentesters.

Sweet jesus yes.

Don't mistake me, I'm not like "ERMAGERD I CAN BE SUPER HAXOR NOW" no no. I'm interested in being a true White-Hat hacker, and work professionally as one.

[CT075]

sticking to a particular language is not how white hat hacking works

that said, you should just enter random ctf competitions (picoctf is a pretty famous beginners one) since that'll probably teach you more than some textbook could

Edited April 4, 2015 by CT075

[Zepher-Tensho]

sticking to a particular language is not how white hat hacking works

that said, you should just enter random ctf competitions (picoctf is a pretty famous beginners one) since that'll probably teach you more than some textbook could

I never said it was how it works?

The point I was making was that this was the first book I've found that's more than just an intro to a language, and specifically targets pentesting, which is my dream job.

And I plan on taking part in a hack-a-thon next year. It's hosted by FSU's cyber security devision. The chair of our IT program is going to get us access to additional security/hacking training to prepare us as much as possible, alongside the normal classes we take (I'll be starting Information Cyber Security in June)

[Baldur45]

I was wondering are there any other coding languages that you can use to add features to FEXNA? Or is it just C?

[Zepher-Tensho]

I was wondering are there any other coding languages that you can use to add features to FEXNA? Or is it just C?

Well I've looked into Microsoft XNA myself and it only runs in conjunction with Microsoft Visual C# 2010 express. It doesn't use Visual Basic or C++ or anything else.

Mono game is much the same, only you need Visual Studio to run it, but it also uses C# only.

[Baldur45]

OK. Thanks!

[Brendor]

XNA projects are written C# and is a DirectX wrapper which is usually written in C++ but you can hack it directly and use assembly (which would be pointless)

Edited April 13, 2015 by Brendor

[Zepher-Tensho]

XNA is written using C# and is a DirectX wrapper which uses C++ but you hack it directly use assembly (which would be pointless)

Ohh I didn't know that part. All these C based languages all go hand-in-hand very well.

[Brendor]

They're all very similar and yet equally different. In this case I wouldn't recommend trying to make or edit an XNA project in anything other than C# because it uses bytecode instead of processor specific assembly but you *can* if you know what you're doing.

[CT075]

i wouldn't recommend trying to use any c++ or assembly in tandem with C#

it's just asking for unnecessary complications

[Zepher-Tensho]

They're all very similar and yet equally different. In this case I wouldn't recommend trying to make or edit an XNA project in anything other than C# because it uses bytecode instead of processor specific assembly but you *can* if you know what you're doing.

Well I don't know what I'm doing XD

As much as I want to master a programming language I simply don't have the time.

School and work take up most of my day and when I have free time it usually goes towards homework or school-related study.

If I had the time and money I'd probably take some classes in Java or C#.

Also, sadly, my college doesn't offer any programming courses yet. Only networking and cyber security.

[Brendor]

You shouldn't master a language, you should master programming concepts, then learning languages will be an exercise in getting used to the syntax and compilation process. You should at least be familiar with a few different languages because some are better than others for certain tasks so instead of trying to "learn a language", you should instead try to learn about CS in general; then you can employ and manifest that understanding into programming.

[Zepher-Tensho]

You shouldn't master a language, you should master programming concepts, then learning languages will be an exercise in getting used to the syntax and compilation process. You should at least be familiar with a few different languages because some are better than others for certain tasks so instead of trying to "learn a language", you should instead try to learn about CS in general; then you can employ and manifest that understanding into programming.

I get what you're saying, and I've already had an official class in programming concepts. I know the basic tenants of programming, like variables, loops, conditions, case statements, etc. I've very briefly familiarised myself with 5 languages, but I don't know enough of any of them to write anything practical besides calculators and crap.

I want to learn more syntax to do more but I just don't know which is "best". So many differing opinions.

[Brendor]

class

trust me, you won't learn much about programming from school, you have to do stuff on your own and read/watch stuff online (like everything else). I would say Python is pretty good as a "first language" because, it's OOP, has really simple and intuitive syntax, and has A LOT of modules to use and you can use it for a lot of things; however, I'd honestly say you should look at C/C++ first because it makes you think like the computer thinks and it'll teach you a lot about a lot of different topics also C++ is pretty much used in everything so

[Zepher-Tensho]

trust me, you won't learn much about programming from school, you have to do stuff on your own and read/watch stuff online (like everything else). I would say Python is pretty good as a "first language" because, it's OOP, has really simple and intuitive syntax, and has A LOT of modules to use and you can use it for a lot of things; however, I'd honestly say you should look at C/C++ first because it makes you think like the computer thinks and it'll teach you a lot about a lot of different topics also C++ is pretty much used in everything so

I'll admit I didn't feel like I learned very much. I mean, the stuff we covered in the span of 11 weeks can be learned in a few days of reading literally any programming book. That class was extremely obsessed with writing psuedo-code. Over half the work involved writing it, then making a Visio of it, then making a Raptor flow chart, before finally writing the program in Visual Basic.

I know it's a good practice to plot out your program, but I wished there was more emphasis on other stuff. To be fair, this was just Intro to Programming. My major isn't in software so this course was the only bit of programming I got. The software course covers C++, C#, and Java.

[CT075]

tbh i'd say that spending three days doing project euler problems in haskell has done more to improve my python code than the entire three years spent using python before that

syntax is always the easy part

E:

i suppose to be less vague about it, my python code got substantially better after using haskell for a bit because it forced me to stop using loops and if statements if they were easily avoidable (there is no explicit while loop in haskell - properly haskell doesn't have loops at all but you could probably finagle a foreach loop if you tried hard enough. really, though, there is only recursion)

Edited April 14, 2015 by CT075

[Alondite]

So I'm aware that this is a private beta, but I'd be willing to contribute to the project financially for the opportunity to use the software, and to expedite its release. I know that a lot of work is going into this, and I feel like some support should be given for all of the time and effort spent on it.

[Eliwan]

Seeing this topic at the top reminds me.

Are there plans to institute a screenshot button?

[sirmola]

Seeing this topic at the top reminds me.

Are there plans to institute a screenshot button?

Alt+ printscreen works in windows for screenshoting the active window, although it copies the screenshot to the clipboard, so you need to copy it into paint or something every time you take one. This makes a screenshot button vastly less tedious to use, so i hope that it is still included(although i would prefer that it come in a latter version, as that i can start enjoying the core functionality without waiting for it to be programed.). Some versions of windows also have a snipping tool, for added flexibility (mac osx and unix also do, but that is currently irrelevant in this context.)

Edited May 1, 2015 by sirmola

[Book of Ereshkigal]

If you play on anything other than 1x zoom you have resize it, and crop ot anything else, if you're taking a lot of screens for, say, a LP, thats even more tedious than a screenshot button/hotkey.

[sirmola]

If you play on anything other than 1x zoom you have resize it, and crop ot anything else, if you're taking a lot of screens for, say, a LP, thats even more tedious than a screenshot button/hotkey.

Holding the alt key captures only the window (although i belive that the frame is included), plus you can use a batch processing tool to crop that out and resize latter. FIJI and GIMP are both free programs that can do this, although the latter requires a plugin). My point wasn't that it's the best choice (it isn't), but that there are several workarounds to lack of a screenshot button. Heck, there is probably a program that just captures the inside of a window with a hotkey.

Edited May 1, 2015 by sirmola

[Eliwan]

Alt+ printscreen works in windows for screenshoting the active window, although it copies the screenshot to the clipboard, so you need to copy it into paint or something every time you take one. This makes a screenshot button vastly less tedious to use, so i hope that it is still included(although i would prefer that it come in a latter version, as that i can start enjoying the core functionality without waiting for it to be programed.). Some versions of windows also have a snipping tool, for added flexibility (mac osx and unix also do, but that is currently irrelevant in this context.)

Having to tab out of the program, paste, and save the file is a huge interrupt because I can't do it quickly with exclusively keyboard shortcuts (either have to open a new paint window each time which takes a long time if using shortcuts, or use the save as function, which doesn't have a properly made keyboard shortcut, so instead buttons have to be held down for a second before the menu can be navigated at all).

On the other hand, with VBA, I just tap Q and get my screenshot, properly sized and all.

It'd just be really nice to have as a feature, for people that want to do LPs of it. :/

I asked mainly because it's incredibly convenient/useful and I have no idea how difficult it would be to add in.

Holding the alt key captures only the window (although i belive that the frame is included), plus you can use a batch processing tool to crop that out and resize latter. FIJI and GIMP are both free programs that can do this, although the latter requires a plugin).

It includes the frame.

Which... is frustrating to work with, because I've never gotten a batch crop tool to work properly :/

Batch resize, yes, but never batch crops.

Heck, there is probably a program that just captures the inside of a window with a hotkey.

I am unaware of any.