i want to start learning basic programming

Five · June 22, 2015, 12:43:59 PM

right now just for web pages and web design, i think. where should i start, and where should i go from there? i know basics of html and have looked a tiny bit into css, both of which are probably where i should begin, but where do i go from there? and are there any tips and tricks to help make the learning process better?

Mat Cauthon · June 22, 2015, 12:49:10 PM

I think you should check out this website http://www.w3schools.com/
It's pretty basic for the most part, but you'll probably pick something up from it to help your understanding of what you do know.

After html and css, you might want to look into javascript. Not "java", "javascript", they're different things.
Javascript runs things like audio on a website or video embeds, so that's your natural progression after html and css, enhancing what you can make.

Cheat · June 22, 2015, 12:52:06 PM

Yes, Javascript should be the thing you learn after HTML and CSS. Byrne's link is the one I would have suggested, too.

EDIT: Oh, and just FYI, HTML and CSS aren't programming languages. Those are things like Javascript and PHP. I learned C++ after HTML and CSS, then got into PHP. Once you learn one programming language, you can pretty easily jump to another. The syntax may be different, but most everything else tends to work in a similar way.

Solonoid · June 22, 2015, 12:53:11 PM

Codecademy was a great resource that I used a few years ago to get into programming.

I recommend learning Java first, then transitioning into HTML.

It becomes a lot easier to build something from scratch in HTML when you have a firm grasp on syntax and end result that can be illustrated very easily in Java.

I really only ever use CSS these days, but the fundamentals I learned in Java strengthened my understanding of how almost everything works with computers.

You should also study Linux and DOS when you feel like you have a grasp on web based languages, because bridging the gap between your browser and your desktop is important for creating your own resources to be used online.

Don't just play around with everything either, actually try starting something new, and you'll learn a lot more than you ever would editing pre existing code.

Best of luck!

Note: Shorthand habit has me saying Java, but I mean JavaScript

Five · June 22, 2015, 01:06:03 PM

thanks for the replies.

i've used w3schools in the past for HTML and CSS and i liked it, so i'll continue with that until i have a proper grasp of those. after that, i guess it's javascript since all of you recommended that! i'm generally pretty good at messing with existing code and picking up the basics so hopefully it won't be too difficult to build off that and learn how to code from scratch.

and i did know that html and css weren't programming languages, btw