# computer programming for noobs



## igotmor (Jul 22, 2011)

I've just recently become interested in computer programming and the sort when seeing all the stuff I can do on just my iphone. I also slightly admire everything the hacker groups are able to do nowadays. It really just seems like an interesting thing to pick up but i know almost nothing about computers besides the basics probably a 10 year old would know (maybe a little more). I just wanna know where to start...  what programs to learn first, what book or site or whatever to guide me, im not looking to learn much game creation wise... Hoping someone could help me get started on this so when I'm home I don't waste all my time on league of legends or something like that!


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## Troncoso (Jul 22, 2011)

If you've never messed with any language before, pick up an intro to programming book that uses python. That's probably the easiest language to use. So, I would start there and if you have questions as you move along asks those here.

Just for the record, research the different languages to find the one you'd most like to learn. I only such python because it's so easy.


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## igotmor (Jul 22, 2011)

got any suggestions on which book to start with for the intro to programming with python?


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## Troncoso (Jul 22, 2011)

That's what it's called. Intro to programming. they have them for several different languages. If you don't find one in a couple days I still have mine laying around somewhere.


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## igotmor (Jul 23, 2011)

could you post a link to the book on amazon or something so i know exactly what book your talking about? that'd be cool


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## Wolfeymole (Jul 23, 2011)

You could consider this Igotmore.

It is not my intention to insult you either.

http://www.dummies.com/store/produc...Dummies-4th-Edition.productCd-0470088702.html


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## igotmor (Jul 23, 2011)

Wolfeymole said:


> You could consider this Igotmore.
> 
> It is not my intention to insult you either.
> 
> http://www.dummies.com/store/produc...Dummies-4th-Edition.productCd-0470088702.html



no offense taken, but i heard from a few that this book isn't the best book and it just tries to get you to buy the libertyBASIC program.


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## Wolfeymole (Jul 23, 2011)

The (whatever) For Dummies books have been going for years and have proved invaluable to a lot of people.

Don't believe all you hear mate.


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## S.T.A.R.S. (Jul 23, 2011)

igotmor said:


> ...but i know almost nothing about computers besides the basics probably a 10 year old would know (maybe a little more).


 
Computer programming is not easy stuff.If you don't know almost anything about computers like you said,I would suggest you to first learn about them in general.Here is what you should start with:

-hardware (basic)...
-software (operating systems,programs)...
-also be sure that you know english language very well,but I am pretty sure that you know it good already...

After all this,waste at least a month on these things too:

-learn how to format HDD...
-learn how to install,repair,reinstall,delete an operating systems...
-learn how to install,repair,uninstall many types of programs...
-especially learn about the text file extensions,image file extensions,audio file extensions,video file extensions,executable file extensions especially,DLL extensions and so on...
-start understanding how an operating system works and how to fix bigger problems such as when operating system won't boot...
-learn what is BIOS and what it can be used for...
-learn about special image files such as ISO,IMG,MDF,MDS,CCD and how to burn them to blank CD disks
-learn what BOOTABLE disks really means...
-and so on...
-finally start to understand what an operating system is,what a computer program is,what is main and what isn't...
-also learn what is a system registry...
-also learn how to use MS-DOS and other programs for command-lines such as Command Prompt...

These are just some of the basic things you should know before you start learning programming.Programming is a huge logic and understanding,but you will NOT understand the programming and it's logic if before that you do not know almost anything about computers like you said.In order to learn programming and actually understand it,you must understand computers (hardware and software) and informatics in general.

I saw many people who want to be biggest programmers ever and they do not even know how to burn ISO file to a blank CD disk...

So that is why I am telling you to learn all those things first before programming...

Take my advice.It is going to be a long trip,but worth it. :good:



Cheers!



UAC - User Access Commands


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## igotmor (Jul 23, 2011)

That makes perfect sense S.T.A.R.S. so I took a computers class last year and it turned out it was all suposed to be self taught and it turned out the teacher knew jack squat about computers so I just kinda messed around on youtube the whole time. So what I really need here is sources to learn all these things, whether on the web or books to read.


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## Wolfeymole (Jul 23, 2011)

Here are some nice practice questions with regard to a CompTIA A+ exam.

See what you think you already know.

http://www.proprofs.com/certification/comptia/a-plus/exams/index.shtml


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## igotmor (Jul 23, 2011)

ok I just started one of the tests and right away I felt like a 3rd grader taking a calculus test after the first 5 questions. I am probably overstepping my bounds here by saying I just wanna try computer programming. I guess I just need to start to learn about computers in general before anything involving programming of any sort. Hopefully you guys can set me down the right path.


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## Wolfeymole (Jul 23, 2011)

This is it igotmor, one must learn to walk before one can run.


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## igotmor (Jul 23, 2011)

I understand perfectly but I'd like to stress here that I need a source to learn what I need to learn. I don't know how fast I would learn to walk in a forest alone not knowing what to look for.


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## S.T.A.R.S. (Jul 23, 2011)

If you want,I can teach you all of these things through Skype using video conversation.I have done that many times with many clients.I am free from tomorrow so we can start whenever you want.Only not today,I must finish something.

My skype contact name is: freeman.gordon4

You can also contact me on one of the 2 following E-mail addresses:

E-mail address 1 (personal): marin.j@hotmail.com
E-mail address 2 (work): UAC-UserAccessCommands@hotmail.com



Cheers!


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## igotmor (Jul 23, 2011)

I appreciate the offer very much but one of the points I'm doing this is to replace my videogame habits so I wanna be able to do it on my own time whether it's in the middle of the night or whenever (also I'm across the world right now so the time change wouldn't work in favor of using skype). So I'd rather you give me links to helpful websites or books or even I you could explain things through emails I could read throughout the day.


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## Okedokey (Jul 23, 2011)

Stars, might not be a good idea to put your contact details there, i would recommend just sending them via pm.


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## Troncoso (Jul 23, 2011)

igotmor said:


> I appreciate the offer very much but one of the points I'm doing this is to replace my videogame habits so I wanna be able to do it on my own time whether it's in the middle of the night or whenever (also I'm across the world right now so the time change wouldn't work in favor of using skype). So I'd rather you give me links to helpful websites or books or even I you could explain things through emails I could read throughout the day.



Well these guys are scaring you more then they need to. What you need to learn about computers is in every beginner's programming book. It's the first chapter before you even start programming.

Haha. And sorry about the misguidance. Here is the book I was speaking of

For real though. Don't fret knowing about computers. It was mean of wolfey to put up A+ cert stuff to make you feel stupid. To start out with programming you don't need to know even a percentage of what you need to know to get an A+ cert. So just grab that book and read it. If you are actually interested in the stuff, you will soak up the information. If you aren't interested...well....don't try and force yourself to like it. Haha. If you have any questions about computers that you feel like you need to know after the first chapter then ask us.

edit: and one last note, what s.t.a.r. is telling you that you need to know in that long post: a. is not necessary to BEGIN programming and b. will mostly be learned in the process of programming.
       I'm not saying not to learn the ins and outs of a computer or that programming is easy, but if it's something you want to try and aren't even sure if you would like it, then try the actual programming first to see if it's going to be worth the time and effort to learn everything that goes along with it. Regardless, as a beginner what you do need to know is in the books, so don't worry.


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## Wolfeymole (Jul 23, 2011)

bigfellla said:


> Stars, might not be a good idea to put your contact details there, i would recommend just sending them via pm.



I absolutely agree.

You are obviously not aware that spam bots trawl the net looking for just such information that you have just provided Stars.

To Troncoso;



> It was mean of wolfey to put up A+ cert stuff to make you feel stupid.



It was not my intention to make igotmor appear stupid in any way and I resent your accusation.


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## igotmor (Jul 23, 2011)

ok well thanks to everyones suggestions. I think I'm gonna start to look at the book Troncoso suggested and take things from there.


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## Troncoso (Jul 23, 2011)

Wolfeymole said:


> I absolutely agree.
> 
> You are obviously not aware that spam bots trawl the net looking for just such information that you have just provided Stars.
> 
> ...



Haha. I was just kidding, I meant no harm by what I said.


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## Dystopia (Jul 23, 2011)

igotmor said:


> ok I just started one of the tests and right away I felt like a 3rd grader taking a calculus test after the first 5 questions. I am probably overstepping my bounds here by saying I just wanna try computer programming. I guess I just need to start to learn about computers in general before anything involving programming of any sort. Hopefully you guys can set me down the right path.



Nope. All you need is something simple. The course I took, you didnt need to know anything besides how to use a program and your keyboard. really straight forward. Type some code, run the program, find bugs, thats all. One of the biggest things you need is a very close eye, you need to be able to pick out little things that dont look right.


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## mihir (Jul 23, 2011)

Dystopia said:


> Nope. All you need is something simple. The course I took, you didnt need to know anything besides how to use a program and your keyboard. really straight forward. Type some code, run the program, find bugs, thats all. One of the biggest things you need is a very close eye,* you need to be able to pick out little things that dont look right*.



Which comes from practice. 
Best way to learn programming is experimenting and an interest in it. 
Do not read the entire chapter about something and then try it out.
Try something out as soon as you have read something new.


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## S.T.A.R.S. (Jul 24, 2011)

bigfellla said:


> Stars, might not be a good idea to put your contact details there, i would recommend just sending them via pm.


 
LoL the guy doesn't have enough posts so I was not able to send him PM. xD

Igotmor take my advice.Learn basic things about hardware and software before going straight to programming.Because if you go straight to programming,you won't be able to understand many things.
For example...if you want to make your code to run something from some other EXE file as a process,you will not even know and understand how to do that if you never did something like that in a simple command prompt.
Or for example...if you want to make your programs to be compatible for more Windows nd not just one,you will not understand and know how to do that if you do not know almost anything about Windows.Not just one edition,but many of them such as Windows 2000,XP,Vista,7 and so on...
Or how will you know and understand to make even a simple program to copy the entire folder using your own commands if you have never done anythng similar in DOS or a simple command prompt because in programming you must make your OWN commands and not use the existing ones.
How will you understand if your program is optimized enough with Windows if you do not know the hardware...
And so on...

I don't know why people keep saying that you can go STRAIGHT to programming.Yes of course you can,but you won't understand a LOT of things.
There are so many people who want to be great in these things and they do not even know how to burn simple MP3 musics on a CD or convert FAT32 to NTFS lol.Hell they don't even know what a file system is lol.I met many people in my life who DID go straight to this,but gave up after few days because they did not understand anything.Then I asked them: "Were you able to copy all the contents of the development environment and .NET framework on your hard disk drive?"
And they just answered: "What contents???"
They did not know even what I was talking about lol when at the end I discovered that they do not even know how to install the programming environment lol.Usually they screw up Windws and that at the end results to a HDD format lol.

It's up to you what you wanna to first.You can take my advice and go step by step,OR you can skip ALL the important steps and go straight to programming which is a bad idea.Sooner or later you will realize that it was a bad idea lol.
Anyway it's your choice lol.

As for Skype,don't worry about that since I sleep every third day lol.
I don't sleep much lol xD


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## NyxCharon (Jul 24, 2011)

Meh, i learned java first. In java a basic understanding of hardware is good, but it's not really needed. It's pretty easy to jump right in there and do "hello world"

I can't stand python, but that's because of the forced formatting. I like being able to make my code look how i want.


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## Thanatos (Jul 24, 2011)

try 'Ruby'. I have programmed in both python and ruby, and i like ruby much more.


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## igotmor (Jul 24, 2011)

Ok well S.T.A.R.S. Where is the best place to learn all these things? (assuming I didn't Skype with you).


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## igotmor (Jul 24, 2011)

I have to admit at one point I tried to jump into java with a book and after reading to page 50 while sitting in front of a computer I just straight gave up because I was so lost.


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## NyxCharon (Jul 24, 2011)

igotmor said:


> I have to admit at one point I tried to jump into java with a book and after reading to page 50 while sitting in front of a computer I just straight gave up because I was so lost.



Jumping into any language at first will cause that. You have to keep the idea of abstract concepts in your head. At first your going to understand nothing, but as long as you copy the code right, and then progress to riding your own basic code, it'll work, but you wont know how. Then, as you gain more experience, those abstract concepts you have in your head will be replaced with concrete ones, and it'll continue that way for as long as you program.


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## Thanatos (Jul 24, 2011)

C++ is so much easier than java.


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## S.T.A.R.S. (Jul 25, 2011)

igotmor said:


> Ok well S.T.A.R.S. Where is the best place to learn all these things? (assuming I didn't Skype with you).


 
First thing I would suggest you to learn is how to format the HDD completely and then install OS and all the neccessary drivers on it.Once you start programming,you will probably srew up your system many times so reinstallation of OS will be needed in the beginning.


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## Troncoso (Jul 25, 2011)

S.T.A.R.S. said:


> First thing I would suggest you to learn is how to format the HDD completely and then install OS and all the neccessary drivers on it.Once you start programming,you will probably srew up your system many times so reinstallation of OS will be needed in the beginning.



I'm not sure what kind of programming you do but I've never seemed to run into that problem...unless perhaps we are talking about altering the windows source code?


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## Casey (Jul 25, 2011)

Troncoso said:


> I'm not sure what kind of programming you do but I've never seemed to run into that problem...unless perhaps we are talking about altering the windows source code?



Sounds hardcore. ^.^!


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## S.T.A.R.S. (Jul 25, 2011)

LoL that's why I always have my entire HDD cloned on the external HDD so that I don't have to install anything the next time ^^.The longest period of NOT reinstalling Windows to me was 7 years.It would be 8 if my damn HDD did not stop working lol xD

That's why tomorrow I will make clone of my clone so I have 2 lol.Fu!!ck that lol.You never know what might happen hehe


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