Icons used in this book
Icons highlight useful tips, important information to remember, or technical explanations that can amuse you for a moment before you forget all about them. Keep an eye open for the following icons throughout the book:
This icon highlights useful information that can save you time (as long as you remember it, of course).
This icon reminds you to do something or emphasizes an important point that you don't want to forget.
5 Introduction
6 Beginning Programming For Dummies, 3rd Edition
Watch out! This icon tells you how to avoid potential headaches and trouble.
This icon points out step-by-step explanations that show how the computer follows the instructions in a typical program.
This icon highlights information that's nice to know but that you can safely ignore if you choose. (If you want to become a real programmer, however, you need to cram your brain with as much technical information as possible so that you can fit in with the rest of the programmers in the world.)
Part I Programming a Computer
In this part . . . Figuring out how to program a computer may seem intimidating, so this part of the book gently guides you through the wonderful world of computer program- ming. First, you see exactly what programs do and how professionals write programs.
Next, you learn why so many different programming lan- guages exist and why some are more popular than others. You get to know the different tools that programmers use to create, edit, and distribute a program from start to finish.
Finally, this part shows you what to consider if you decide to write a program. You see the pros and cons of using different programming languages and understand how people can write programs even though they may possess very little programming experience.
By the time that you finish this part of the book, you should have a better idea of how to write a program, what steps to follow, and how to convert your idea for a program into an actual working product that you can sell or give away for others to use. Who knows? With a little bit of imagina- tion and a lot of persistence, you may create the next pro- gram that makes so much money that you can start your own software company and make a million bucks.
Chapter 1 Learning Computer Programming for the First Time
In This Chapter ▶ Learning computer programming ▶ Understanding how a computer program works ▶ Knowing how to program a computer
Despite what you may have heard, programming a computer isn't diffi- cult. Computer programming is a skill that anyone can pick up, given enough practice, patience, and caffeinated beverages.
Although computers may seem like tremendously complex electronic beasts, relax. Few people know how an internal-combustion engine works, yet people still figure out how to drive a car. Similarly, anyone can pick up programming skills without worrying (too much) about the specific details that make a computer work.
Why Learn Computer Programming?
The first question that you (or your friends, co-workers, and relatives) may ask is, "Why bother learning to program a computer?" The answer depends on your ultimate goals, but the following list offers some common answers to consider:
✔ For fun: People learn skiing, dancing, gardening, scuba diving, and
flower-arranging because they enjoy the experience. Similarly, program- ming a computer can prove fun because you can, for example, design simple programs that display your boss's ugly face on the computer. More complex programs may make you a million dollars so that you never again need to work for a boss with an ugly face. Figure 1-1 shows a
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Start from the beginning
