Programming is a great skill to learn. With web development, you can make websites that will be seen around the world. With mobile apps, you can build games or useful tools to fit your own needs. If you're interested in making software of any kind, just follow these few steps and before long, you'll have all the knowledge you need!
First things first: A computer
There are two main platforms for making software: a desktop or laptop computer running Windows (or Mac OS X), and something like an iPad or iPhone running iOS (which is really a version of Mac OS X). Of course, there's more than that - but at the moment we want to keep it basic. So which one should I get? The best advice I can give is to try both out and see which one you like more. Having a computer (or tablet, or phone) running the same platform as whatever software you're going to be making will just make life easier for yourself in the long run.
The best way to learn how to program
This may seem counterintuitive, but don't actually start learning programming by writing your own code!
There's a lot of stuff that goes into programming that isn't really coding itself - stuff like setting up a development environment or reading documentation or simply figuring out what language you want to use. If you skip this step, it'll take a lot longer for you to get where you want because software development can be hard enough without working against the grain.
If you already know how to program, or you don't really care where to start and just want some ideas for what kind of programs are out there, feel free to skip this step! If not, keep reading:
The best way to get started is by playing around with an existing program. This could be any number of things - a game on your computer, the built-in calculator app on your phone, or even the browser that you're using right now (there's JavaScript in the background).
The important thing is just getting familiar with something that already exists.
Getting a simple example set up can be easy as pie, and will give you a place from which every other time you build software it will be one less new thing you'll need to learn.
If you don't have any ideas, here are some things to consider:
The best time to start learning to program is now! If you're reading this article, it means that there's a computer and an internet connection nearby.
You already have everything you need - to learn how to program!
Once you've gotten a feel for the basics of programming through another program, it's time to start making your own!
Even if all you make is something simple like a calculator or a clock, it will be a huge step towards being able to make anything in the future. Your options are endless - once again, just pick out whatever appeals most to you at the moment!
This leads us into our next step:
Just to keep going!
Programming can be frustrating, especially when you're learning - but once it becomes rewarding, it's a lot of fun. Keep practicing and improving your skills as often as you can; the more you know about programming, the better equipped you'll be for future challenges that come your way. With enough practice and patience, there are very few limits to what you can do with software.
So choose what you want to create and pick tools for it and start doing.
I will leave some resources for learning programming.
freeCodeCamp
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8butISFwT-Wl7EV0hUK0BQ
And there we have it! This guide should give even those with no experience all the tools they need to start making programs at their own pace. Just remember that if something doesn't work out exactly how you planned one time, don't get discouraged! It may take a trial-and-error before some things click, but the results are well worth it.
If you have any comments, questions or suggestions, feel free to leave a comment below! I'll do my best to respond as quickly and helpfully as possible. Also note that this guide is subject to change if there are errors or better ways of doing anything mentioned here - if you notice an issue of the sort, definitely let me know so I can fix it.