Becoming A Programmer: A Beginner’s Guide

170 Pages·2016·1.47 MB·English

by  Paul Mabry

ADZARA MEDIA
Learn Programming Fast
A Beginner’s Primer

Becoming a Programmer

Paul F. Mabry
12/3/2015
Computer Programming is an incredibly useful undertaking but it can be a daunting task
to learn. This book revolutionizes this process and gives the beginning programmer the
necessary but often overlooked foundation needed to learn programming. Becoming A
Programming provides the necessary and essential background information and concepts
which makes learning to program quick and easy without all the needless technical
mumbo jumbo normally found in many of the other ”Learn Computer Programming”
books.
Preface

This book came about as my students were coming to me always looking for a better
way to learn how to program computers or how to learn a programming language.
As you may be aware, if you have been searching for books on learning computer
programming, for the most part programming books are incredibly similar to one
another. The typical learn programming book usually starts with very little
background material and they jump right into the famous “Hello World” code as if
all programming languages were created with this idea in mind.
This book “Becoming a Programmer” was written with the intent to go another
direction, to introduce the programming student to the ideas and concepts of
computer science, which are used by programming language designers to create
computer programming languages in the first place. It is my belief having this
crucial knowledge in place before jumping into writing code is the critical piece
missing from most of the current methods and material used to teach computer
programming.
Introduction
Chapter 1: What is Programming
Chapter 2: The Big Three
Chapter 3: Programming Essentials Getting Started
Chapter 4: Data Structures
Chapter 5: Algorithms
Chapter 6: Operators
Chapter 7: Syntax & Semantics
Chapter 8: Organizing your code
Chapter 9: Software Design & Development Concepts
Chapter 10: Code Style Guide
Conclusion
Acknowledgements
Index

Introduction

Quick and to the point!
I have spent years teaching myself various programming languages, countless hours
after countless hours during the course of three plus decades. I learned how to learn
programming languages. I learned how the traditional “How to program” courses and
books were without fail long, drawn out and frustrating. Each one had to cover the same
“Hello World” pseudo code example, presented in mystery code and unchained from any
meaning. I learned along the way programming languages have many similar
methodologies based on the fact modern computer operating systems perform the same
tasks repeatedly.
This secret has enabled me to learn many programming languages and to learn them
well. For the most part all one needs to do is to learn how different programming
languages operate on and implement the core fundamental ideas and concepts presented in
this book. For the life of me, I cannot understand why programming courses fail time after
time in presenting these universal ideas in context with the code their shoving down your
throat. It is as if they expect you to have already known these concepts in the languages
they are trying to teach.
Learn these concepts in context of learning computer programming then it becomes
a simple matter of learning the particular syntax and semantics of each language! Of
course, there are unique characteristics of each language but learning those means, the
basics of the programming language are similar to countless other languages.
Normally language specific particulars cause us so much grief but this I have found
is because of the methods normally used to teach the language. Rarely taken in context
and these mostly serve only to perplex and stall our progress in learning to properly
program in the language.
Computer Programming is an art and a science, it consist of a formalized set of ideas
implemented in a rigid system of properties, methods, functions and structured rules.
These formalized properties, methods and functions are necessary in order for any
computer programming language to do its job. They are an unavoidable all-encompassing
mandate. The good news these concepts once mastered become a simple matter of
applying them to the particular programming language one is attempting to learn.
Many of these concepts, properties, methods and functions are the basis of the
computer science curriculum in our Universities where a single concept occupies the
entire semester (or the entire year). Fortunately, for us it is not necessary to spend
semesters in a classroom to not only learn computer programming but also learn to master
these concepts. This is your challenge, acquire the computer science and generalized
computer programming knowledge needed to utilize any programming language one
chooses to learn.
It is these properties, methods, functions and structured rules, which allow the
computer to operate, without the construct of a set of instructions the computer is merely
an inanimate object, a boat anchor if you will. Every programming language is in actuality
a set of instructions the computer processing unit (CPU) uses to produce a desired result.
Every book or course on computer programming begins with explanations of some
basics and the ground rules of programming followed by the usual, a supposedly simple
example you will see time after time the “Hello World” application. I prefer to go down
an entirely different path and get right into an important idea, why do you want to learn
computer programming. Which programming language should you learn first? If you want
to learn the through a “Hello World” application example, you have the wrong book.

What programming language should I learn?
One of the most commonly asked questions by anyone interested in learning
computer programming however, the reality is, a simple unambiguous answer does not
exist. There is no one answer fits all for potential computer programming students. What
does exist is an answer to a significant question potential programmers can ask them self
in regards to their motive, rational and desire to learn computer programming. I believe
given the right information anyone looking to learn computer programming can answer
this question as they begin their “learn computer programming” journey.
Why do you want to learn computer programming?
It is of utmost importance to have a clear and concise purpose behind one’s desire
to learn computer programming. Having a picture of why you want to accomplish a
certain task, in this case learning computer programming, can be helpful in several ways.
This sort of clarity can help identify which language would be most appropriate for you to
learn first. Different answers lead to different computer programming languages being the
place to start.
If you want to learn computer programming to build websites JavaScript, PHP or
Ruby as well as the format style language, CSS (Cascading Style Sheets) and the mark
language HTML (Hyper Text mark Up Language) are definitely appropriate choices. If
you want to learn programming to design smart phone apps then Objective C and Swift
for Apple’s iOS Smart Phones and/or Java for learning to build Android apps or if
Windows Phone apps are your thing then learning C# is where to start. All would be
appropriate languages to get started learning Smart App Development.
On the other hand if your interest lies in a more rigorous and professional software
application development career track then consider in context how these types of careers
are categorized and then consider the programming languages in use for these categories.
· Front end /Client side programmer – Mostly the same tools and languages used

in web development. Definitely need to know JavaScript
· Back-end/Server side programmer – Java, PHP, ASP.net, Go, Python, Ruby on

Rails, .Net (C#, Visual Basic, C++)
· Smart Phone/Mobile Development – C#, Java, Objective C, Swift and

JavaScript
· Data Analytics/Science/Statistics Python, R, Java, C# The R programming
language shines here but Python is a favorite with many in this industry
· Financial/Quantitative and/or Mathematical C, C++

· Gaming/3D Development programming Java, JavaScript, PHP, C++, C#

Mainstream Languages

Why do you want to learn computer programming? The main stream
programming languages like C, Java, C#, Perl, Ruby, JavaScript and Python are always a
great place to start and all can do most if not all the tasks I’ve outlined above. They are
mainstream languages for a reason. Modern popular, high-level programming languages
like those just mentioned are well supported, have huge user populations and tend to be
embedded within the various enterprises, institutions and industries that make up a modern
st
21 Century economy.
The C programming language is probably the most widely used of all the
programming languages and hands down the one of the hardest to learn! The C
programming language is much closer to machine language (“closer to the metal” is a
phrase used in programming circles to describe low-level languages) and in some quarters,
C is considered a low level programming language. Remember the low-level languages
are harder for humans to read and write.
Most discussion on the difficult to learn C programming language revolves around
the fact a programmer using C must manage many tasks the other mainstream languages
handle automatically, this makes C programming even more difficult to grasp. The C
programming language might not be your best choice starting out as a computer
programmer. The upside to learning C programming as a first language is the solid
foundation in computer science and programming you have to develop to earn
competency as a C language programmer.
If you are thinking practical then Java, Python and C# are right up your alley.
They are excitingly practical and versatile as well as in high demand. If you are motivated
to learn programming as a possible high paying career move, then either of these
programming languages fit the bill exactly.
Try Python of all the mainstream programming languages it is probably the easiest
to learn. Python is incredibly versatile and cross platform neutral, it can be implemented
on all the main Operating Systems like Mac, Windows, Linux and Unix. Python
programming is highly prized in Data Visualization, Scientific computing and statistics.
Python is an object-oriented language, just like Javascript, C++, C#, Perl, Ruby, and other
key programming languages. For people planning to become software developers,
learning this type of programming in one area will help you easily learn more complex
object oriented languages like C# and Java. As a further thought, I have found having
Python under one’s belt allows the programmer to learn, grasp and identify the syntax and
semantics of other programming languages quickly and easily.
Basic to our motivation choosing a programming language is also to concern
ourselves with acquiring skills in a computer programming language that is relevant to
what we expect to accomplish. If a career as a programmer is on your mind any of the
mainstream languages is a place to begin. If you find a programming language does not fit
your needs move on.