Know absolutely nothing about programming but want to learn etcetera...
Used computers all my life but know nothing about the codes inside them. I keep coming up with ideas for computer programs which are based on a few simple tasks or calculations which I think a computer could do but I have no idea how to implement them. I think I should get to the level of making a simple card game or something. Then work my way up to making scripts, something that could open up opera browser, search through a site for certain links, open them up and search for pieces of text and put them into a spreadsheet. That would be useful for my stock market research.
For now though I am a complete pleb and don't even know what software I need or how to take the first step. Here are some links I found that I will look at.
http://kickassproxy.me/beginning-programming-with-c-for-dummies-wiley-2014-pdf-golu-t9390415.html
http://it-ebooks.info/book/1256/
C++ or java maybe
There lots of tutorials out there, but I think most of them are pretty bad since they don't really allow you to see results. In fact, many newbies who try to get into programming get frustrated because once they finish all the tutorials and get a solid (if very abstract and theoretical) knowledge of a languages don't know how to put these skills to use. They may know how to print "Hello world!" onto a console screen, but from there to creating actually useful programs is a long way.
From your post I assume what you're looking for is a way to really jump into the deep water without prior knowledge. I actually think this is the best way to get used to programming. My recommendation to you is to start programming in the C# language on the .NET framework. The .NET framework comes with a thingy called Windows Forms which allows you to set up and run a functional window with buttons and everything in mere minutes. Creating stuff in it isn't complicated. You can choose to drag and drop stuff like checkboxes and textboxes onto your design, resize them and set their properties and start programming functions for them simply by double-clicking them.
Now in more practical term, what you're going to need to download is Microsoft Visual Studio. You can either get the freeware Express version, or get the more serious and feature-ful versions through less legal means. Once you download and install it, just open a new Windows Forms project and start toying around, see what you can figure out by yourself before looking up help online.
Of course you're gonna need tutorials eventually. In fact, you might need them because minutes after opening a new project you get stuck and you don't know what you're doing. In that case just close everything, create a new Console project and just google "C# tutorials". There you can learn the actual basics of the language and programming. But I think it's important for you to get a little taste of what is possible to be done with your skills your learning. That way you don't ever get "stuck in theory", if you know what I'm saying.
Learning programming is like 20% learning the language and 80% learning to put the language to actual use. And those 80% are mostly composed of learning how to use different tools that other people made for you. Look up SFML if you're interested in game development, for example.
BTW: I personally think Java and C++ are bad beginners' languages. Java has good documentation and tutorials for it, but it has very limited practical uses. C++ is considered a strong language, but it's very rough and takes a considerable amount of time to learn, ESPECIALLY for a beginner. I'd seriously avoid C++ if I were you.
Python is an interesting choice, since it's both useful AND simple (many servers today, for example, are written mostly in Python), but I personally had pretty limited contact with it so I can't judge it either way.
Feel free to ask questions if you have any.
>>2
Oh thanks this is just what I need. Also I have heard from many sources that programming is more about constructing programs and less about memorizing code, this raises my confidence a little, assuming I am imagining what coding is like correctly.
What code would a space flight simulator need? You'd need the locations of the planets, which could be simplified as points with the equations for gravitational pull, more code could be added later to give them movement. You'd need some equations for the space rocket, current velocity, location, thrust, acceleration determined by both gravity and thrust, and how these things all affect each other. Then you'd need something for the graphics, I'd create something like a graph, like if I am at a location looking in a direction what would be in view. If I had to graph something from scratch I'd have to model some kind of grid maybe, I don't know, every pixel is assigned a row and a column which equal x and y as determined by the math or something.
On top of that you might need some aids for the user, navigation, computer assisted acceleration/deceleration so you don't hurtle into planets at the speed of light. Maybe add some things like upgrades or trading goods. Sound effects would be good too, the low hypnotic amniotic rumble of the engines increasing in pitch as you increase the thrust.
I have been daudling though. I have ADD predominantly inattentive, there is no time limit for this and this is a completely amateur effort, though that is no excuse. I suppose I could put in a herculean effort, more likely I will have to solve some psychological and philosophical problems before I can put in the amount of effort that a normal person would.
> .NET framework
> Windows Forms
> Microsoft Visual Studio
Downloading these things and playing around with them is a simple enough task so maybe I will do that tomorrow (not procrastinating, I'm sleepy).
Maybe a bit off topic. Do you know of any ways in which I could increase cortical (past the blood-brain barrier) norepinephrine (noradrenaline)? I have been looking up monoamine oxidase inhibitors like syrian rue and nutmeg however I can't find any syrian rue in my area and the drawbacks of nutmeg outweigh any benefits. Caffeine raises norepinephrine because it mimics adrenaline but I can't have caffeine because of the levels of stress it causes. Tyramine displaces norepinephrine in storage vesicles, I'm not sure if this is good or bad.