7 Steps To Learn Programming

Beginner guide to learn programming

Programming is an art that drives machines and humans. It is the power through which we can order machines to do our work. The one who controls everything in today’s world is a programmer. We just need to be creative and use our brains wisely to become good programmers. Programming doesn’t mean coding only, there are lots of things you need to know to become a good programmer. In today’s world, everything is controlled by a program and a program is a part of programming. To know more about programming you can go here.

Here are a few steps you can follow if you want to learn programming.

1. Be clear about why you want to learn programming
   Before diving into programming, you first need to be clear about why you want to learn programming. Firstly, ask questions to yourself….. Am I interested? Am I passionate? etc. Don’t lie to yourself. You might just want to learn to do some tricks to show to your friends or you might hear someone saying programmers are paid higher or to just understand programming jokes. After that make sure you are clear and determined in learning programming. If you are clear then move to the second step otherwise please end here.
2. Start training your mind to think logically
   Programming is just about logic. It teaches you to think logically and solve problems. A programmer must know how to apply logic to sequence code. Let’s take an example: if you want to multiply two numbers let’s say 2 and 3. Now, what should you do? Start to think and find the logic to solve the problem. You can do it by adding 2 three-time(2+2+2=6) or by adding 3 two times(3+3=6). It is the logic beyond multiplication. So, train your mind to think logically.
3. Choose the language
   You need to choose a programming language to move forward. There are numerous programming languages such as java, javascript, python, C, C++, etc. For a beginner, I recommend learning C or C++. It would be the best choice to start. It will make your computer fundamentals clear and you will know how the memory actually works. Most of the universities also starts with C.
4. Learning syntax and other important concepts (variables, datatype loop, condition, etc)
   Every programming language has its own syntax. But every language uses the same logic. Let’s see examples to print an output C vs C++.

C language
printf(“Hello using C”)

C++ language
count<<” Hello using C ++”

Look the syntax is different but the output is the same. You first need to understand the concept of variables, data types, loop, condition, etc. Almost every programming language implements these concepts only difference is the syntax that each language uses to implement it.

5. Data structure and algorithm
These two are important for learning programming. An algorithm is a step-by-step procedure, which defines a set of instructions to be executed in a certain order to get the desired output. To make it more clear let’s take the above example of multiplying two numbers. Now, let's use programming concept to do it. First, you need to define two variables to store two values and again define another variable to store the result then display it. Now let’s solve it using an algorithm.

Step 1: Start
Step 2: Declare variables num1, num2, and product.
Step 3: Read values for num1, num2.
Step 4: Multiply num1 and num2 and assign the result to a variable product.
Step 5: Display product
Step 6: Stop

Now you need to implement the above step to create a simple program. Look how algorithms make it simple.

Let’s do using C language

#include <stdio.h>
int main() {
    int num1, num2, product;   //Step 2 of algorithm
    
    printf("Enter two integers: ");  //Ask value from user
    scanf("%d %d", &number1, &number2);   // Step 3 of algorithm
    // calculating Product
    product = num1 + num2;  //Step 4 of algorithm      
    
    printf("Product=%d",product);  //Step 5 of algorithm
    return 0;
}

A data structure is a particular way of organizing data in a computer so that it can be used effectively. It helps to develop your thinking in terms of code.
The most crucial ideas that any programmer should understand are data structures. Even a basic program will struggle to manage huge amounts of data if it lacks data structures. Assume you write a program to find your contact number. A majority of self-taught programmers skip the fundamentals of Computer Science. They jump directly to the development process and the most in-demand skill in the industry. Most of them use the concept of the loop to retrieve the data. These programs will work but it can only handle tiny amounts of data, such as 100 or 1000 records, but they can’t handle millions or billions of records at once. The most popular technologies can change overnight, but the fundamentals like Data Structures and Algorithms stay. So, it's necessary to learn data structure if you want your program to handle larger data. Algorithms are important to implement data structure more accurately and get the desired result.

6. Develop small projects
After following the above step now you are qualified to develop your own project. It's time to test your knowledge. Start with a small and simple project. Making some projects is the best way to check your coding and problem-solving skills. You can work on a project to develop a simple calculator or your to-do list. It will help you to gain experience. We will come to know about various real-time problems. You will definitely learn a lot of new things while developing your own projects.

7. Participate in competitive programming platforms
Competitive Programming is a mental sport usually held over the Internet where many participants from all over the world try to program according to provided specifications. Some websites to involve in competitive coding are HackerRank, Codeforces, Codechef, TopCoder, etc. Involve in such platforms which helps to enhance your skill. You will find complex problems there. While solving those problems, it will develop your habit to think logically.

Now, I think you are ready to be deployed in the market of programming. Now, you can sell your skill and can earn a handsome income. I think these steps were helpful to you.