Programing

[emily7]

How do I learn programming?

[piggynose]

Go on a course!

[Old_Geezer]

You need to decide programming in what, first.

[youngmafbog]

Do you want to code or program? There is a difference. And do you want to do it for fun or commercially?

BTW, only about 5% of the population can program. Take an online programming test to see f you may be suited.

[ToraToraTora]

To learn programming you must have the aptitude so the first thing is to do an aptitude test. Do not assume that coding is programming. Many make that mistake. Think of it like a pianist. Bashing out chopsicks is like coding but playing the theme from the sting is programming.

[ToraToraTora]

OG: "You need to decide programming in what, first. " - no classic mistake. Programming skill is independent of programming language. When I first learned we used flow charts and pseudo code. Emily try this, write a list of instructions in English that will sort an array of 10 numbers into ascending order. Use any sort algorithm.

[ToraToraTora]

Sorry YMB, should have read the thread properly first.

[ZebuSanctuary]

Might I suggest JavaScript (not to be confused with Java).

Let's keep the intro light or else risk putting you off.

Advantages;

JS doesn't require a license.
Enrol on-line for free introductory courses.
In turn you'll be taught HTML, CSS then JS.
You'll be shown how to create interactive web pages.
JS programming will allow you to produce animations.
JS can do repetitive math and science calculations eg. X = 2ⁿ where
n = 0 to 63, thus giving 64 results for X in a fraction of a second.

IMPORTANT - JS lends itself to Object Oriented Programming - So instead of writing out lengthy code again and again, a slight amendment to the JS code eg. changing color attribute from GREEN to RED means your object (could be a car, coat, shirt, boat etc) so your boat switches color from Green to RED once your JS program is initiated. This color change might be instigated automatically after a few seconds or by the user depressing a key on their keyboard or activating a button with cursor on the screen etc.

JS protects data. So if your object was a car, the vehicle registrations could be kept secret. However users would still have access to say how many Green Nissan Jukes were sold in the UK in say the year 2019.

JS is all around you. It's in your browser and all over the Web.

Eg. DEPRESS THE 2 KEYS 'Ctrl' and 'U' Straight away you'll see script commands. This is the JS embedded into HTML allowing me to interact with this page on Answerbank. CSS is the page layout like for example this text box. Photo avatars on the R.H.Side of the page, the 'Answer Now' button etc

Programs can be written using Windows text editor 'notepad' ('notepad++' is even better cus it reduces the amount of words you'll be typing). Alternatively use micosoft word as a text editor.

Most on-line courses will simulate the text editor for you when learning the markup language HTML, CSS and JS.

DON'T DELAY, START TODAY! :-)

[ToraToraTora]

JS is a cobbled together after thought of a language, not one to start with. As I said above learn programming first.

[Xeronema]

Ah the good old days of writing HTML in notepad (you mentioning using notepad++ reminded me of the past). TCL in notepad too (yeah I know, scripting not coding). Thanks for the trip down memory lane, ZebuSanctuary :)

[ZebuSanctuary]

// Thanks for the trip down memory lane, ZebuSanctuary :) //

My trip down memory lane takes me back to programming the Motorola 6800 in machine code LOL

Thank goodness some clever dicky developed high level languages.

[Old_Geezer]

I disagee. I learnt a number of languages that I ended up never using. If you know your aim from learning, best start off with an appropriate language and start from there.

[youngmafbog]

No, a language is just syntax. To program you need to understand the whole environment and what the impact of your code is doing. You need to understand Binary, hex (be able to move from one to another) understand logic gates and many other bits and pieces. This is the fundamental mistake we see time and time again, we get coders in who cant read a dump or heap - useles.

But it does depend on whether you want to do it professionally to just muck about.

I have been programming for decades on mainframes, Unix, Linus Unisys, web servers and many languages and trained many too.

I do know what I am talking about. Some of my code is moving trillions of dollars a day around the world.

Any why use notepadd++, its an improvement on notepad but there are many free IDE's these days which are a million times better.

[ZebuSanctuary]

// programming for decades on mainframes, Unix, Linus Unisys, web servers//

Although commendable, this is back end!

Do you really want to throw a beginner in at this level? Get them in at the front end. Let them experience it from the client side first!

Best to give them hands on straight away. Preparing flowcharts. Exploring Loop commands;
FOR, ELSE, Add++, Count, == etc Setting up for example colour attributes, writing useful mneumonics, Page layout, a little basic animation. See if they take to it. Is it for them?

As sure as eggs are eggs, once you begin to introduce discreet electronic components (diodes) and their biasing arrangements (let's face it a transistor is quite a complex device to get your head around, OK admittedly not so much in its Fully Saturated or Cut Off states) to enable the construction of a NOT gate, NAND gate etc You'll lose half your audience in a fortnight.

The requirements of OP to learn the respective 'Truth Tables' - YES, absolutely! It would be extremely difficult to use the Logic instruction set when programming, without knowing what the respective outputs for given inputs on a '&', 'OR', Inverter, NOT gates were.

// You need to understand Binary, hex //

Yes to a lessor degree. Octal as well. But not to the extent of multiplication or division. Just unnecessary in this day and age.

Inevitably when programming in machine code, there was the constant interchange between hex and binary and the instruction set. However with various high level languages around, do we really need to go back to the labororious, inordinate time consuming days of the Motorola, an 8 bit processor running at 1 Mhz? LOL

[ZebuSanctuary]

// why use notepadd++ //

It costs nowt, it's there on the desktop and readily available. Ideal for a beginner!