How to learn programming

[healthstatus]

Let's just answer the OP's question. Whether he/she should learn to code is another question. He/she did mention attending college. I am surprised no one has attacked that yet.

Its the wrong question and we are just trying to point that out. You can get from one room to the next by beating your head against the wall until there is a hole, I would prefer someone show me the door.

 

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[Victor Santiago]

I bet you could.



You don't know how much you don't know. I have written code for a really long time, your parents were probably still in middle school when I started writing code. I am really good at it. I make more money not programming and doing marketing and sales than I did writing code. Programming is not easy, that is why people that are really good make six figures in the US writing code. Some people have an aptitude for it, most don't. You don't handle peoples money and financial information over the Internet without being REALLY, REALLY good at programming, database design, system security, and code security. You won't get people to trust your site without being really good at design, and a good bug free user interface. You can't get from "how do implement that on a website" to knowing all that in a year.



and security, and credit card processing API's. How long will it take them to attract traffic? This is INCREDIBLY hard, if he has no money to hire a programmer, he will have no money to buy traffic.

Of course nobody would trust some random 18 year old boy with theirs credit card and personal information that only learned all this in one year, but he doesn't have to do it. He could use other payment system, like Paypal or some other, and if the company grows, they build their own payment system if they want it.

He doesn't have to do everything from scratch. Like they said, there are CMS's, open-source projects like WeBid where he can start from, and lots of others things that could help him.

8hrs/day during 365 days it's enough time build this product, or at least a prototype. And, if he makes a good prototype in that year, he would have good chances to raise some money with a venture capitalist that could help him with the other stuff and would have money to buy traffic.

I'm not saying that he can do this, because he doesn't even know what python is, but my point is: it's doable.

 

[dknise]

I bet you could.

You don't know how much you don't know. I have written code for a really long time, your parents were probably still in middle school when I started writing code. I am really good at it. I make more money not programming and doing marketing and sales than I did writing code. Programming is not easy, that is why people that are really good make six figures in the US writing code. Some people have an aptitude for it, most don't. You don't handle peoples money and financial information over the Internet without being REALLY, REALLY good at programming, database design, system security, and code security. You won't get people to trust your site without being really good at design, and a good bug free user interface. You can't get from "how do implement that on a website" to knowing all that in a year.

What it really comes down to, is innovative product, or a dime a dozen implementation. For the op its s dime a dozen coding job, but it doesn't sound like he has the capital, knowledge, or experience to get such s huge project going underway just yet.

To the op, never worry about what you don't know or what you need to learn. Life's always that way and you only hit home runs by swinging. You're at the plate and not in the stands, so you'll get your home run.

I learned to code cause I didn't have capital to start a software company. I did it out of necessity and now I consider it the most useful skill I know. Its like math, even if you don't use it directly, the knowledge and applications always help and can be applied. . I'll leave that choice up to you.

PS I think books are the best source of learning programming. Choose books based on authors and their experience.

:coolgleamA:

 

[PatrickP]

I went to college and had 5 friends we all lived in the same house.

I was a business major, there were 3 computer programming majors and 2 accounting majors. Even back then I knew I was not going to finish out college and even if I did I was not going to work for a company.

ALL 5 of them were smarter, studied harder and got MUCH MUCH better grades and had better reputations on campus. I liked to drink, play tennis and ride my bike. I went out just about every night to one of the, literally 135 bars. They went out on the weekends.

But even back then I realized that in the future I would be hiring guys like them to work for MY company.

It was NOT arrogance or a feeling of superiority. It was the same as you KNOWING that you want children. Or KNOWING that you want to and you will get married. In my mind it was not a decision it was just a fact that would happen. Almost as if no matter if I wanted to work at a company I would STILL end up having my own business.

I didn't want to be a computer guy, or an accountant. You can hire them. You can not hire a business owner, unless it is as an adviser or something similar. In the vast majority of cases an employee is NEVER going to make near the money the company owner is going to make.

Flash forward 25 years, sure enough I am a retired multimillionaire and I just looked on Linkedin they are working for other companies. From what I can see from their Corp annual report the best paid one makes less than half what I do per year and I am not even working.

Maybe they want to, which is fine as being a business owner is NOT for everyone. But I would bet dollars to donuts they wish they had the option to retire while still receiving a passive income.

My advice. GO to college, have the time of your life! Get drunk, have fun with girls, take courses on being an entrepreneur BUT make sure you REALLY are a business owner type of guy. Because if you are NOT then you better concentrate on making fantastic grades and getting a internship at a great company.

More and more I think the majority of successful business people had businesses when they were young and have always had a mindset of owning their own business.

Same as a great guitar player an singer. Most likely they didn't say hey I want to sing and play when they were well into their 20s or older.

 

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[jacob]

In learning programming the best way to do it is to start with the basic this will help you learn a lot easier more advance codes. You could start with C++ programming and as you learn complicated codes you will eventually learn other programming language that you need to learn to enhance and improve your programming skills. Try to look for online tutorial or video tutorial this way you could easily see if your coding is correct and also the output.

 

[AlasdairM]

I want to create a site where people can buy and sell products and i take a transaction and listing fee.

Hmmm...sounds like an auction script would do the job. Or if you're not going to use an auction format, then something like X-cart Pro (Gold?) would do. You can effectively set up an online mall where others sell through your site and you take a cut.

 

[Felix II]

I went to college and had 5 friends we all lived in the same house.

I was a business major, there were 3 computer programming majors and 2 accounting majors. Even back then I knew I was not going to finish out college and even if I did I was not going to work for a company.

ALL 5 of them were smarter, studied harder and got MUCH MUCH better grades and had better reputations on campus. I liked to drink, play tennis and ride my bike. I went out just about every night to one of the, literally 135 bars. They went out on the weekends.

But even back then I realized that in the future I would be hiring guys like them to work for MY company.
<snip>

It's like they say, the "A" students are managed by the "B" students and both work for companies owned by the "C" students.

I think there is some truth in this, but not a whole lot.

For one, I've always been an A student simply because I'm a hard worker. I've known many people WAY smarter than me who "believed" they should be getting A's and couldn't understand why the didn't. The answer was simple: Laziness.

Certain social studies have shown that the biggest factor in success is not intelligence or knowledge, but perseverance and hard work.

Typically, people who get A's work harder than those who get C's (but not always).

Of course, most people work hard to get A's so they can get a good job.

 

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[ColtonJD91]

I learned to code in months. If you dedicated yourself to learning, and know the correct resources, you'll be fine. I do side with these guys on the eCommerce side tho. You can't put a $ amount on protecting a potentially unlimited liability. Learn to do basic markup yourself and leave the database work to someone trustworthy and proven.