What was it like to self-learn programming before Stack Overflow? (2016)

I remember back in 2001 I'd been self-taught PHP for about 3 years and was able to be productive, build some stuff that I needed built and was generally comfortable with how things worked. As far as I was concerned I "knew PHP". One day I was stuck on a problem so I actually went to B&N and bought a big PHP book because it looked like it had what I needed in it.

Sat down, found that answer and noticed something else that I didn't know. Was shocked that I'd been programming so long without knowing that thing. Ended up binge reading the entire 600 page book over the course of a week and became a better programmer for it.

Ever since, I force myself to read a book on any language I plan to actually do more than tinker with because that comprehensive information is so much more valuable.

So yea...Barnes and Noble.

My first source of information were the computer provided manuals, with them I got to learn Basic and overall computer architecture.

Then back on those days there were lots of books targeted to get kids to learn programming. With them I got to improve my Basic skills, learn Z80 Assembly and enjoy typing Assembly via hexdumps.

Later I started reading the Input magazine, which had code to type for all major 8 bit platforms.

At the same time I was getting MicroHobby, MicroMania and the newspaper A Capital with its computer section on Friday's.

Then when my English skills improved, Crash and Your Sinclair became part of my magazine collection.

Later I got into the PC and Amiga worlds, then I was reading Spooler, Amiga Format, PC Techniques, Dr. Dobb's Journal, The C User's Journal which became The C/C++ User's Journal, C++ Report, Microsoft Systems Journal, Game Developers Magazine. After having devoured all the programming manuals that came with all Borland products I was using.

During my GNU/Linux FOSS zealot phase I was also a regular buyer of Linux Journal and Linux Format.

Parallel to all those magazines, regular trips to the local library, getting some books when travelling to Lisbon or Porto.

Access to BBS were out of my budget back then, so I only got to access them when I got into the university.

So I started to access BBS, shortly followed by Gopher sites and USENET, before the Web got any meaningful meaning.

Also given that the university had a huge collection of CS books and research papers, all the way back to the foundations of computer science, I also got to visit it regularly.

Other than that there were the computer clubs and demoscene meetings to get to exchange knowledge between persons that shared the same interests about programming.

A lot of things were simpler since there were no external libraries, no network updates, even no real choice of language. You just keep reading and experimenting and building your skills. I kept a 3-ring binder of notes, things I'd written down or photocopied from books.

My next computer was a Commodore 128. This had a better version of BASIC, more memory, and a CP/M option. You could also program directly in assembly or compile down to it, so I learned to read and write 8-bit assembly too. People are still learning new tricks with the old Commodore computers but by and large, you could still learn this machine inside-out in a way that's really impossible with today's more complicated, constantly updated systems.

After that I went to university and had both teachers and internet access, and programming has never been the same since...