This course will teach you the basics of programming using the programming language C. C is the forerunner of C#, C++, Java and most higher level languages. It is best not to start object oriented programming until you have been initiated with and are fairly comfortable with, structured programming. This course will start from the simple "Hello World" program and expand through variables, loops, if then statements and constructs, arrays, loops, nested loops and nested ifs, functions, parameters, arguments, structures, and arrays of structures. This class will go a little beyond what you would normally learn from an introductory programming class, and I should know, Ihave been teaching programming in C, Java, C++, C#, and Basic for 20 years. It will go up to but not include object oriented programming, which there would be more than enough for a complete other class. Learn from a practicing programmer with 35 years of professional experience and 20 years of teaching programming and math. All you need is a desire to learn, a computer that is not from the stone age, and patience.
Some people think you have to be brilliant to be a programmer. I can tell you categorically that this is not true. The virtue that I find most helpful if you want to be a programmer is patience. You will inevitably get stuck on an error that you could swear looks right and the computer says it isn't. Guess what. The computer is right and you are wrong. I have been programming a very long time and Ihave yet to figure out something that was not my fault. Even experienced programmers get stuck, they just don't get stuck as often and have learned how and when to get help.
The second virtue you should have if you want to be a programmer is curiosity. Learning never stops in the IT world. However you can learn an incredible amount using a 10 year old computer and free software. Everything I have done and will show for this class was done on a Windows 8.1, 4mb RAM, computer with a cracked screen, a missing Escape key, and duct tape. This is seriously true. If you don't like to try, to explore, to learn, then programming might not be a career for you(although really Ithink of programming as problem solving using a computer language, and problem solving is relevant to everyone). So give it a shot. See if you like it. If you do, you will never be bored for the rest of your life.
