Programming
 

I have built computers and know a lot of things about them, but everytime i have tried to learn to program it has just been a blur.
Mostly how i have been trying to learn is reading the how to type books.

So how did you learn, any tips?
Is it a lot more difficult doing it on your own without a guru type person?

I tried learning it on my own, and I didn't learn very fast because of lack of motivation. I didn't really have a big reason too. Now I'm in my ECE 275 class learning C with a guru person. Seems to be working pretty well.

Programming is in fact dividing a problem into a series of tasks, and ordening that series into a sequence and language a computer will understand.

The root of programming is thus: the problem.
You first need a problem to solve. Then if you have that problem, you need to find a way to tell the computer how to solve it.

So if you would say: I do not know how much 4324 time 6756 is, you could write a program to calculate that for you.

I challenge you: pick any programming language, and by memory write a program that calculates the above and presents the result. If programming is truly a blur to you, you won't be able to do that right away.
You'll probably have to look stuff up, but that's ok, because at exactly that point you are learning something.

(more advanced: have the program ask you for two numbers and let it calculate the multiplication)

Learning is thinking about the actions you are doing. (and why, and what result you think they'll have, etc).

Next: learning complex programming procedures. That will take some practice and many retries over exactly the same example. Try it out, change it, what does it do, and why in this manner. (take loops, backtracking and such for example) These subjects don't prove their merit unless you have (on your own) come across problems that these things solve.

You'll learn programming when there is no easy way of finding out how to do it. (by trial and error, and by really analysing a programming hurdle)

Lastly: the guru will not really advance you in programming unless he/she is willing to teach you. Programming is finding a solution after trying really hard. Having a guru do it for you removes the need to try really hard resulting in forgotten techniques.

Does the guru explain things to you? Ask you if you would do the same (ie make you think about the problem) or just hack away and leave saying 'sure' 'uhuh' and the like. The first type helps, and the second obviously does not except maybe give you some ideas for future use.

Sorry for the long post, but I hope it helps you. I'm a moderate programmer myself, and have many times tried learning a new language, but I have always stranded on the lack of a reason/problem. I hope a new project I've started with a friend of mine will get me started on C++ because I've been wanting to get to know the language for a long time.

Good luck!

he i havent even starting on programing yet but.... i do know a way to kill net connections lol.... and i'm glad to see that other TPFers also made there own comps i recently built my own wit blue lights and shit.....

I learned in classes @ school... it's nice to be walked through stuff the first couple times before having to do it yourself. after learning 2-3 languages, it all follows like cake. :)

Building a computer relates in no way to being able to program.

Solving a problem logically and mapping out that solution is the harder part compared to knowing the language. Although you do run into the problem of knowing how to do something and always screwing up syntax or pointers etc...

Damn the digital snake and its tail which would not redraw...