Computer Programming for Absolute Beginners

Get to grips with the building blocks of programming languages and get started on your programming journey without a computer science degree

Key Features

• Understand the fundamentals of a computer program and apply the concepts you learn to different programming languages
• Gain the confidence to write your first computer program
• Explore tips, techniques, and best practices to start coding like a professional programmer

Book Description

Learning how to code has many advantages, and gaining the right programming skills can have a massive impact on what you can do with your current skill set and the way you advance in your career. This book will be your guide to learning computer programming easily, helping you overcome the difficulties in understanding the major constructs in any mainstream programming language.

Computer Programming for Absolute Beginners starts by taking you through the building blocks of any programming language with thorough explanations and relevant examples in pseudocode. You'll understand the relationship between computer programs and programming languages and how code is executed on the computer. The book then focuses on the different types of applications that you can create with your programming knowledge. You'll delve into programming constructs, learning all about statements, operators, variables, and data types. As you advance, you'll see how to control the flow of your programs using control structures and reuse your code using functions. Finally, you'll explore best practices that will help you write code like a pro.

By the end of this book, you'll be prepared to learn any programming language and take control of your career by adding coding to your skill set.

What you will learn

• Get to grips with basic programming language concepts such as variables, loops, selection and functions
• Understand what a program is and how the computer executes it
• Explore different programming languages and learn about the relationship between source code and executable code
• Solve problems using various paradigms such as procedural programming, object oriented programming, and functional programming
• Write high-quality code using several coding conventions and best practices
• Become well-versed with how to track and fix bugs in your programs

Who this book is for

This book is for beginners who have never programmed before and are looking to enter the world of programming. This includes anyone who is about to start studying programming and wants a head start, or simply wants to learn how to program on their own.

Table of Contents

1. Introduction to computer programs
2. Introduction to Programming Languages
3. Types of Applications
4. Software Projects and How We Organize Our Code
5. Sequence - The Basic Building Block of a Computer Program
6. Working with Data - Variables
7. Program Control Structures
8. Understanding Functions
9. When Things Go Wrong - Bugs and  Exceptions
10. Programming Paradigms
11. Programming Tools and Methodologies
12. Code Quality
13. Appendix A- How to Translate the Pseudocode into Real Code

Joakim Wassberg is a software developer who for the past 30 years has worked in a variety of areas, such as security in financial systems, secure payment systems, and as a specialist and architect of development methods.

Throughout his career, he has always worked with education in programming, from introducing children in a playful way to take their first steps, to teaching senior developers a new technology or development methodology, and from company training to university courses. Since 2014, together with his wife, he has run the company Arthead, which works exclusively in education and educational development.