I want to be a programmer but I don't even know where to start. I have read about what computer programming can be used for and what it does but I have no idea about how to start.
longinus.ozor 0 Newbie Poster
Schol-R-LEA 1,446 Commie Mutant Traitor Featured Poster
As it happens, there are many answers to the question 'how do I learn how to program?', and which one is most effective to you will depend on how you think and what you want to do.
What is constant in all of them is that you will need to actually write programs, and read programs other have written. Beyond that, though, there is no one size fits all answer.
My personal recommendation is to consider the language you want to learn carefully. Different languages appeal to different people, and some are simply hader to learn than others. C and C++ are both rather advanced, industrial-strength languages with a lot of rough edges and few safeties (from the perspective of a newcomer, at least); while many people start off with them, I would recommend a simpler, more forgiving language as your starting place. Python is a good choice, IMO; my real preference is for Scheme, but that is a bit too unusual for most people, and likely to confuse.
A good book, preferably an eBook so as to be as up to date as possible, is useful, as are online tutorials. The online version of Think Python is as good a place as any to being, I would say. Others will suggest others, and I can't say for sure that this one will work for you, but I would try it first.
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