Learning programming [closed]

Question

I am a senior & am a retired R.N., always good at math (50+ yrs ago, but still am). I have been in a computer users group since the mid 90's, & have become moderately advanced in using computers, including trouble-shooting other people's computer problems. Most of my expertise was gained by reading, asking questions, & trying my own trouble-shooting with the help of books & the internet. Now,I would like to take the next step and learn programming.

What would be the best way for me to learn programming? Attending classes isn't a practical option, and I'm not in a position to spend much money. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you. Margaret

Answer 1

http://www.codecademy.com might be a good try. It's quite easy to get through and for free.

Since you did not specify any programming language, books about algorithms and data structures might be useful for a language-independent start - but that depends on what you want to achieve with programming.

Answer 2

I like this as an option, the book Hello World

Python is a good, general purpose language in which you can rapidly be productive and which you can run on a diverse range of systems. The book is just nice :)

Python then lets you go where you want - you can treat it as a jumping off point for other languages (given that you'll have learn the core programming and object concepts) or you use it to develop most things.

Answer 3

I suggest you teach yourself programming with the help of books and the internet.

At first you might want to start programming in a graphic environment, for the sake of understanding the basics of programming eg. loops, switches etc. The benefit of starting in a graphic environment is, that everything is represented graphically. Have a look Scratch.

After you get the hang of it and it is starting to bore you and you would like something a little more challenging, this is the point where you should maybe contemplate exactly in what region you would like to focus on programming specifically (web, computers, mobile, tablets, robotics etc.), hence the language that you will continue in.

In any case, I believe you should start Object Orientated Programming from this point on. Have a look at Java.

I hope this helps.

Answer 4

Zed Shaw has written a set of easy to follow books for people who want to learn programming. Learn Python the Hard Way is a very good introduction to the Python programming language.

Answer 5

A good place to start might be building websites & learning HTML. Perhaps make a site for yourself & family, or a few for local organizations & groups. Making a web page isnt strictly programming, but when you start extending the website with more functionality - such as submitting forms on the site - that will get you into both client side (inside a web page) and server side (what runs on the server) programming.

Another benefit of starting with web pages is that its more than just code - you have to learn associated skills such as how to upload files, manipulate graphics, and use a command line. And, quite frankly, it gives you something you can show people, and say 'hey, I made that'.

So long as you have an internet connection, there's plenty of tutorials and resource information online on the topic. Though I would recommend getting a few of 'getting started' books so that you have something to work off of. I dont have any specific recommendations - just page through a few at your local book store.

Programming is something you really learn by doing, so regardless of specific technologies you want to learn (making web sites, building Windows software, phone apps...), you'll want to dive into a few projects. And dont get discouraged - you'll face a lot of trial and error.

Answer 6

Attending classes isn't a practical option, and I'm not in a position to spend much money. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.

You might want to take a look at coursera. It is free, at least for now.

Answer 7

The popular consensus around this site seems to be learning the Python language is a good starting point for someone interested in learning Programming from scratch: Ideal programming language learning sequence? (with the usual caveat that everyone has their own opinion and there is no such thing as "Best")

From a perspective of cost; the online tutorials and free e-books for Python seem to be very highly recommended; The Python platform itself is free, and so are many of the most popular tools for it.

• http://www.diveintopython.net/toc/index.html
• http://docs.python.org/tutorial/index.html