Learning programming from scratch! Plz help.

[Guest ateverson]

I have a pretty good background of web design (Illustrator, photoshop, flash, etc..). However, I don't know the first thing about programming. I thought about going back to school to become a developer/programmer but I'm wondering if there is a different route. If someone like myself wanted to learn programming with zero background knowledge, where should I start?

[Nakor]

Decide what languages you want to learn first off. Check out http://www.w3schools.com. They have great tutorials on a wide range of languages. If you find one you like consider buying a book on it.

[aspnetguy]

After you have gone through some tutorials. Decide which language suits you best and then focus on that until you are an expert .If you feel after you have done lots of self study that you would like to go back to school you can look into it. But be aware that most programming course teach just the basics (which w3schools gives for free). You may want to consider some advanced courses later on.

[Yahweh]

I have a pretty good background of web design (Illustrator, photoshop, flash, etc..).  However, I don't know the first thing about programming.  I thought about going back to school to become a developer/programmer but I'm wondering if there is a different route.  If someone like myself wanted to learn programming with zero background knowledge, where should I start?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

More than anything, you should go to your library and pick up a books on programming, then you can work on teaching yourself.If you don't know HTML, I recommend picking up HTML 5.0 by Elizabeth Castro. HTML is effortless to learn, because its not a programming language, its purely text-formatting (like using BBCodes, but with more options). You can learn HTML in about 2 or 3 days, and become completely fluent in the language after a week. Putting together HTML pages is really simple, the hard part is learning how to design attractive websites.If you already know HTML, then you can move on to server-side languages, such as ASP, ASP.Net, or PHP. I personally recommend ASP or ASP.Net (and probably, out of those two, I recommend ASP.Net as the whole field of web development is moving in the .Net direction, with emphasis on classic ASP diminishing everyday). PHP is alright, but C-like languages aren't the easiest for beginners, and PHP really doesn't have as much power as ASP.Net.I recommend the following:Sam's Teach Yourself ASP.Net in 24 Hours by Scott Michell, which is a good introduction of server-side programming, databases, and web design.ASP.Net Tutorial from Macon State University. Its quite verbose, but you'll learn a lot very quickly.

[aspnetguy]

HTML 5??? Did I miss something. Since when has there been HTML 5?I thought the last veriosn of HTML was 4.01 then it went to XHTML

[Little Goat]

yea, i've never heard of any html 5 either. maybe it's the version of the book.LG

[boen_robot]

Or maybe the name of the book, (successfully) trying to draw attention to the user. I mean, everywhere you hear about HTML 4 and XHTML 1.0. From a newbie point of view, if all speak about 4 and (s)he knows 5, this must mean that (s)he is learing the better stuff, thus meaning better sellings of the book .

[scott100]

yea, i've never heard of any html 5 either.  maybe it's the version of the book.LG

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Yeah that's right i have seen this book around: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/032115068...glance&n=283155 i think the peachpit press books are mint.It's the fifth edition which covers XHTML

[aspnetguy]

Yeah that's right i have seen this book around: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/032115068...glance&n=283155 i think the peachpit press books are mint.It's the fifth edition which covers XHTML 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

uhhhh....so am not crazy...good to know