Suggestions for Encryption Algorithms and Languages?? [ I'm new at this ]

I am looking to get my feet wet with encryption. When I say encryption
program I am talking about something to get me off to a quick start.
Something very simple, far less than the 40+ bit encryption code.

What I need is an easy to understand language choice. I've used BASIC
a long time ago but is there another language that is better and more
supported?

There seems to be hundreds of languages so it's hard for me to just
pick one.

I also wanted it to be a freeware or shareware programming language
with a compiler and maybe an editor that has colors and error
checking. I'll need it to be usable in a windows/xp environment.
Maybe a one that compiles into a self supportive EXE?

As I said I am just starting by trying to code a very simple
encryption program. If anything fits this bell then please give me
some information.

Thanks.

Message was cross-posted to the following Newsgroups in hopes of
getting more replies.
comp.lang.basic.powerbasic,comp.lang.misc,comp.lan g.java,comp.lang.c++,comp.lang.c,comp.lang.c.moder ated

re: Suggestions for Encryption Algorithms and Languages?? [ I'm new at this ]

Robert Blass <blame@messenger.xcxkirjutas:
I think there is no quick start to encryption. One has to know exactly what
one is doing, otherwise there is no guarantee that the encryption actually
is worth anything. Luckily, there is no need to develop encryption
algorithms by yourself nowadays, there are libraries. For C++ there is the
Crypto++ library, for example; this should cover a lot of needs, although
even a casual usage of this library may appear quite cryptic by itself ;-)
As for developing C++ on Windows platform, there are free editions of
Microsoft Visual Studio, not to speak about the multitude of other options.
However beware that the learning curve for C++ might easily be much higher
than for some other languages.

hth
Paavo