Programming is a great skill to have. Learning how to program takes patience. Programming isn't hard-but it sure is frustrating(mostly) and absolutely worth the effort.
There has been an increase in the interest towards learning how to code with the rise of sites like Code.org and Codecademy and other such organized sites and tutorials where you can can learn how to code step by step. The people behind the initiatives teaching how to code have done an absolutely fantastic job introducing thousands(if not hundreds of thousands) of people to the amazing feeling of successfully executing their first program or script.
Unfortunately, a key technique is missing. A technique used by the legends of the industry like Bill Gates and Mark Zuckerberg when they first learned how to program. Even I got hold of the basics using this technique. I must warn you that this technique is error dependent, i.e, progress will be slow and frustrating. Should you successfully master this technique- you will develop the right skills that will allow your mind to wrap around a number of concepts( mainly breaking down problems and solving them bit by bit).
Are you ready? Well, I certainly hope you are.
Replicate. Find a program you want replicate (its best to start with something simple like a calculator or a simple word game).
I was 11 years old when I started programming. The only thing I knew then was that I loved video games and I wanted to know how they are made. A few google searches and suggestions later I settled on Visual Basic. I even bought a book that taught Visual Basic (fondly referred to as VB). Long story short, I didn't understand a word. I shut the book, never to open it again. But, I had painstakingly installed Visual Basic 6 on my computer. Every time I switched on my computer, the VB6 icon on my desktop would remind me of my unfinished pledge. Days passed. Weeks passed. I couldn't handle it anymore. I will make a game I decided. In VB (a stubborn decision of course). But how?
Simple(according to 11 year old me). I searched on Youtube. Not Google. Youtube. Why? I wanted a video demonstration or even better: a video tutorial. The following video captivated me. Completely.
It was decided. I was going to replicate that game as much as possible.
What followed was a week of figuring out how the health bars worked, buttons, function, events and of course, the animations.
This isn't in anyway a systematic approach, but I figured out how the code worked and more importantly how a computer operates.
I learned arithmetic operations after working on the health system in the game, conditional blocks while figuring out the attack system and much more.
Most importantly I figured out how to attack a problem piece by piece-a skill which I prize to this day.
I hope you find a program you will enjoy replicating. Im sure you will find a program you will enjoy replicating.
Happy Coding,
Reuben Mathew
Are you ready? Well, I certainly hope you are.
The No.1 Technique to Effectively Learn How to Code is....
Replicate. Find a program you want replicate (its best to start with something simple like a calculator or a simple word game).
I was 11 years old when I started programming. The only thing I knew then was that I loved video games and I wanted to know how they are made. A few google searches and suggestions later I settled on Visual Basic. I even bought a book that taught Visual Basic (fondly referred to as VB). Long story short, I didn't understand a word. I shut the book, never to open it again. But, I had painstakingly installed Visual Basic 6 on my computer. Every time I switched on my computer, the VB6 icon on my desktop would remind me of my unfinished pledge. Days passed. Weeks passed. I couldn't handle it anymore. I will make a game I decided. In VB (a stubborn decision of course). But how?
Simple(according to 11 year old me). I searched on Youtube. Not Google. Youtube. Why? I wanted a video demonstration or even better: a video tutorial. The following video captivated me. Completely.
It was decided. I was going to replicate that game as much as possible.
What followed was a week of figuring out how the health bars worked, buttons, function, events and of course, the animations.
This isn't in anyway a systematic approach, but I figured out how the code worked and more importantly how a computer operates.
I learned arithmetic operations after working on the health system in the game, conditional blocks while figuring out the attack system and much more.
Most importantly I figured out how to attack a problem piece by piece-a skill which I prize to this day.
I hope you find a program you will enjoy replicating. Im sure you will find a program you will enjoy replicating.
Happy Coding,
Reuben Mathew
No comments:
Post a Comment