Python/Beginner Programmers
< Python
Getting Started
See Python/Getting Started to get Python installed and clear up some very basic info.
Roadmap
Here's what you need to learn, roughly in order.
- How to use a Text Editor (IE, ViM)
- How to test/run your program
- How to distribute your program
- Python Expressions
- Python Simple Statements
- Python Code Flow Statements
- Python functions and function syntax
- Python objects
- Python Modules
- Build up your repertoire of knowledge.
Why is programming hard?
To be honest, programming isn't hard anymore than building a skyscraper is hard. Once you understand the common pitfalls, you can pretty much do anything you'd like.
Pitfalls
Beginning programmers often fall into one of these pits, and then they give up in frustration. Understand the pitfalls before you fall into them, or so you can climb out of them.
- Complexity: How do you effectively manage complexity? By making things simple.
- Coordination: How do you work effectively as a team? Note that you really are a team: your past self and future self are not your present self. Oftentimes people end up fighting themselves rather than working with themselves.
- Understanding Code: How do you know if you really understand something or if you're guessing? How do you correct misunderstanding quickly?
- Experimenting: How do you effectively experiment with code?
- Source Code Control: How do you manage source code?
- Testing: How do you effectively test your code?
A little bit of knowledge in each of these areas goes a long way. As you think about each of these areas, your ability to program will grow and your ability to manage large projects will increase.
