How can I learn to program? • Hacker News Board

Re: How can I learn to program?

#71

Post by Stormbringer » Mon, Apr 18, 2011, 6:06 AM UTC

On the one hand, I would say don't bother. Just chop up the task into small bits and outsource them. There are programming equivalents of the logo design contests, you can get the programming done very cheaply, and there are business oriented non-programming guys having a lot of success doing this in the mobile app space at the moment.

On the other hand, I imagine you building the next big thing as a social webservice. You won't understand security, you won't know why it is important, you won't know why it is hard... this worries me. Even big supposedly tech savvy companies (Google being a prime example) get this wrong (when it comes to my data PRIVATE IS THE DEFAULT dammit, not public!!!)

On the gripping hand, you can treat programming like any other kind of artistic talent. You say you need to understand every aspect of the company... well, will you have art? Will you have splash screens and icons? Does that mean you will go to art school as well as learning to be a programmer? Maybe you need some sound, will you spend 10 years trying to become a concert pianist?

Re: How can I learn to program?

#72

Post by vchien » Mon, Apr 18, 2011, 6:21 AM UTC

MIT open courseware - ocw.mit.edu

Re: How can I learn to program?

#73

Post by tmachinecharmer » Mon, Apr 18, 2011, 6:59 AM UTC

If you are using Windows: 1. Download Visual Studio Express Edition 2. Google for C# tutorials for beginners 3. Follow it.

If you are using Linux: 1. Google for Python tutorial for beginners 2. Follow it.

Learn some web programming by following tutorials on w3schools. You should be able to create simple static web page and host it on localhost.

Why C# and Python? Well both are widely used and are easy to grasp.

Once you grasp basic concepts like 1. if...else.. 2. for 3. while 4. case 5. What are libraries? 7. What is difference between compilation and interpretation? 8. What is the difference between editor, IDE and compiler?

the force will guide you.

And if at any point you get stuck you can always ask question at StackOverflow.com

Then, you can come back and "Ask HN" how do I become better programmer?

Best of luck!

Re: How can I learn to program?

#74

Post by tuhin » Mon, Apr 18, 2011, 10:38 AM UTC

Does a Python version of core programming concepts like Algorithms, Abstractions, OS, etc exist? Basically all the major course of Computer Science which need a programming language to grasp the concepts.

Every University site I have seen has them in C++ or Java. I was so excited to do MIT 6.0 Intro course for Python and throughly dissapointed that other courses are in C or Java. Do I HAVE to learn 3 languages (even if it just skim through) to just get the basic concepts?

I know of books like Learn Python the hard way, Think like a Computer Scientist and like but I guess they do not cover the above topics. Please correct me if I am being ignorant here.

Re: How can I learn to program?

#75

Post by NEPatriot » Mon, Apr 18, 2011, 7:43 PM UTC

I'm going through this myself right now and am using a multi pronged approach.

1. Trying to recruit friends who have also said they would be interested

2. Watching videos from lynda, killerphp, etc.

3. I have an idea of something I want to build and so am learning with a goal in mind

4. Hiring a tutor via e-lance to answer quick questions on an hourly basis

Re: How can I learn to program?

#76

Post by rocamboleh » Tue, Apr 19, 2011, 9:22 PM UTC

Thanks for all the great responses. I'm really excited to get started!

Re: How can I learn to program?

#77

Post by niels_olson » Thu, Apr 28, 2011, 10:45 PM UTC

eliben wrote: post #60

niels_olson wrote: post #28

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Print out espeed's answer. Put copies on your desk, tape them to your refrigerator, tape them over your bed. Put laminated minature copies in your wallet. I started learning this stuff... my god... 10 years ago. It took me over a year to figure out that line 1 was the best first step OS (a question I didn't even ask until 4 years in). It took me four years after that to figure out that line 2 was the best second step…

I think you're overreacting. It's hard to me to imagine that you were somehow slowed in your learning progress by using Windows instead of Ubuntu, MySQL or SQLite instead of Postgres and Vim instead of Emacs. This is because the first and foremost important thing about learning to program is the desire to do so. The early hackers programmed by directly banging hexadecimal machine code into computers without screens.…

I have another, unrelated, career (military physician) and I'm married, with two kids. So I'm doing this on scant marginal time, and the knowledge gained one day decays quickly unless I can get back in there and cement it the next day. A more efficient path would have been very valuable.