Programming

So.. you think you want to learn how to program a computer. This set of tutorials will show you exactly what you will need to do. First, you have everything you need on your PC to write programs. It is not necessary to go out and buy somebody's program. You already have the tool you need. This tutorial will tell you how to use them.

Why on earth should I learn programming? Because I can create programs to make music, show movies, display pictures and create games. programs can be written to do useful things, like manage the business's budget or solve engineering problems. The beauty of writing my own programs is that I can change them whenever I wish to accomodate real life changes. I don't need to look all over cyber-space to find another program that does things in a slightly different way. I can simply make the changes myself.

What kind of personality is likely to lend itself to becoming a programmer? I don't know whether or not it has been established whether computer programmers become insane or if insane personalities have tendency to learn programming. I personally don't think its necessary to be crazy to be a programmer, but it does seem to help.
I don't wish to minimize the complexity of programming that professionals must master. A professional programmer is required to keep abreast with the rapidly changing devices that require program instructions as well as the newer software tools needed to provide the instructions for the processors. I do wish to introduce some simple, yet useful, programming examples using commonly available programming tools already available in a Windows System.

This presentation is broken up into a set of promming types. Click on the link below the basic introduction shown on this page to see a briefing on the different types of programming. On the introduction page, follow the index to each of the lessons in turn.

Programming is not difficult. It does; however, require learning a new set of rules and the use of a new language. I suggest to read each section once and then perform any exercises until you become comfortable with the examples. Don't try to memorize the lessons. Once over is enough. You will not be able to recall all that is written; however, you will not forget what was written either. You may return to these lessons easily as references. Much that is presented is not necessary information to be able to program but it is intended to help create an interest about the evolution of programming.

The so called "high level" programing deals with complex functions using a text file consisting of commands and arguments in a text file to instruct the system. These sets of instructions are written in a general language that is easily understood. This type of program is the most commonly used because the source code is self documenting. A programmer can see what the program does by reading the instructions like a book. The GWBasic.exe program in most Windows systems is such a program and will be used in our tutorial because it is already available on the hard drive. Instructions and examples will be given in the section on "Basic Programming".

Batch Programs are a set of instructions that exist in a text file and use an interpreter to call instructions written for the "Disk Operating System" (DOS). The words used in the Batch file are interpreted by a program named COMMAND.COM that exists in your windows system. This is a very powerful set of instructions and permit access to and control of the system's memory, the peripheral devices such as the keyboard, the monitor, speaker, com ports, printers and file management on the hard drive. Batch programs may be called by other programs or written as stand alone programs depending on the application. . Instructions and examples will be given in the section on "Batch Programming".

Hypertext Markup should be mentioned here because it is the instructions that tells the processor how to display the web pages that are downloaded into our computers from the internet. Again, all Windows systems have at least one interpreter to display web sites. They are named browsers and the Internet Explorer is an example. Other browsers are Netscape, Mozilla, FireFox and many others. HTML code is flexable and constantly being updated to provide ever increasing functionality. This kind of coding requires constant attention to new features for the professional, but basic web pages of high quality may be coded using only a few instructions. Instructions and examples will be given in the section on "HTML Programming".

There are a number of different types of programs. "Low level" programs may be written for the Intel computer using an application named DEBUG.EXE. Low level programming is without question the fastest and most code efficient programs that can be written. It does; however, require an intimate understanding of the computer archetecture, the processor's native instruction set and memory structure. Some program examples will be given under the section on "Machine language" and "Assembly language" Programming.

Windows operation can be a little confusing. The stable Windows was replaced with the less stable Windows 98. Unfortunately, upgrading was necessary to run the HP Printer drivers. Then there is 2000 and XP. Providing tips and tricks almost requires that different methods be used for the different systems because they are definately not retro-compatable. This section will attempt to present some tips and tricks that may require a little enginuety on the part of the student. I certainly requires it of the author....

This section will also serve as a reference in some of the other sections. Student feed-back as well as Windows modifications will certainly require that this section be modified to accomodate future discoveries and needs.