Hello, dear readers!
The earnings of programmers are legendary. About the opportunity to work as a freelance developer (that is, in pajamas and drinking a cup of coffee or on the ocean) too. They believe these legends and want to get into this area.
What fuels interest is that the programmers themselves insist that the path to the profession is open to everyone, not just techies. The main thing is to know where to find it. Are you interested in him too? Then this article describing programming for dummies is for you!
Is it given to everyone?
Woody Allen once said that most of life is showing off. Everyone wants to write a book, script (program), but few people get beyond their desires, and in vain. If you start, you're halfway there. And there is no need to put off starting until tomorrow, next month or Monday and look for reasons not to implement the idea right now.
There would be a desire. This is confirmed by a publication on Habré, which was written by a blind programmer. Blind, but experienced and good at coding. We live in the 21st century, which means we have a lot of opportunities.
The right start is half the battle
When asked what is needed to learn programming from scratch and then make money from it, the gurus answer: “Mastering the basics, which are subsequently found everywhere in work.” This:
- algorithm;
- function;
- cycle;
- condition.
Having dealt with them, it will be possible to understand how the program works and how to implement its algorithms in practice. You can find this knowledge yourself in books. But even more important is to choose a language and decide on the direction of programming.
What language to start with
In most technical universities, training begins with slightly outdated languages. These could be Turbo Pascal and Turbo C. Programmers themselves practically do not use them now, but these languages justify the purpose of learning. They help students understand the intricacies of working with RAM and help them understand what path it takes to transform an idea into a working program.
In addition, the same C language is a kind of basis for the creation of modern languages and it is very useful for a future programmer to study it.
If you are interested in promising programming languages, pay attention to:
- Python. By the way, this is where many novice programmers start. The secret of its popularity is not in its extensive functionality, but in the ability to quickly start practicing. To get started, just download the file and run it. Understanding the intricacies of the work is also not difficult: there are a lot of books written for Python. By the way, this language is used in many large companies, and those who are well versed in it can always find a job.
- Java. Very popular, applicable on all devices and platforms. Specialists who have mastered it are in demand and will always be able to find a highly paid position. By the way, it has nothing to do with JavaScript.
- PHP. . It is called a “not quite real” programming language, since it is designed exclusively for the web, while at the same time it is rarely used in web applications. The language is at the heart of the most popular “engines”, or CMS. (In this publication I already wrote about that, and here you can see) Therefore, if you understand it, and then WordPress, which is one of the most popular content management systems, you will always find work for yourself. .
There are other languages: Ruby (like Python scripting), C# (functionally similar to Java, allows you to create websites and applications on the .NET framework), C++ (a complex version of C, which opens up a lot of possibilities, which are better to understand with a mentor).
How to study
There are three ways to learn the basics of programming without any skills.
Self-education
In this case, in your free time you will need to read books, for example:
- “Learning PHP and MySQL” by L. Bailey and M. Morrison;
- « Simple Python. Modern programming style» B. Lyubanovich et al.
Then use the acquired knowledge in practice. Then in a year or two, subject to diligent study, it will be possible to master the profession for free. The main thing is to remember why it all began and constantly practice.
This is the most difficult path for beginners, so only a person who lives by an idea, sincerely loves programming and can figure it out himself can overcome it.
Mentor's help
A mentor is an experienced programmer who will guide you on the right path. He will recommend literature, check the code, and give you assignments to practice practical skills. The main thing is to find him. Where? On forums, online conferences. Moreover, find and interest in working with you.
Trainings
To succeed in programming, you need to practice a lot, putting theory into practice. This is what the course is based on. GeekBrains . With its help, you can learn to code for free while watching tutorial videos and doing homework.
A huge plus is communication with like-minded people. This not only inspires, but also helps you develop: difficulties and mistakes appear more often in the team, which mentors teach you to cope with. Knowing about them means being one step ahead of your competitors.
Where to go
Where to start learning? From the choice of direction, which will also prompt the choice of language. Eat:
- Web programming is a promising and fast-growing area that requires only a computer and a browser to work with. Allows you to create and maintain websites. Having mastered it, you will acquire a specialty through which you can earn good money. Do you want to be a web programmer? Learn PHP.
- Development of programs and applications. A complex but interesting direction, which is almost impossible to understand without knowing the basics. The choice of language depends on the area: mobile, for Android () or another platform. Java will do.
- System administration. Everything is simple here: you need to configure programs previously created by someone. In this direction, diversified development is important.
The path to success in all cases lies through the ability to improve and self-develop.
Therefore, subscribe to the blog to constantly receive a portion of useful information and per group In contact with . And also constantly apply your knowledge in practice: “write” for yourself, solve problems online for programmers, and finally, look for where newcomers are being recruited to join the pro team on freelance exchanges.
People who have a desire start learning programming in C++, the following questions are often asked online:
- What programs are needed for programming in C++
However, the answer to one question raises more questions. On this page I will try to answer them and tell you in more detail.
The C++ programming language is very popular and used. Applications written in this language use operating system system calls directly without any layers. This, in turn, saves computer resources and affects performance. Programs written in C++ are famous for their speed.
What you need to program in C++
The most necessary thing is wish. Without the desire to program, you will have to force yourself very hard and soon you will get tired of it. Programming is a mental process, and it can be tiring, even if you're really fired up. By the way, many people lose their desire after reading half of a textbook on a programming language, because... some complex structures or things that are uninteresting to you appear. For example, you wanted to immediately start writing games and learn the necessary commands (classes and functions) for this, but they tell you about smart pointers, function overloading or lambda expressions. If you are not afraid of the fact that you will have to study a lot of everything that may seem unnecessary at first glance, then you are welcome to join the ranks of novice programmers.
For the programming process itself, you need the programmer himself and his workplace (a computer with the necessary software). If you're reading this, you're probably on a computer, so you already have everything you need, except for the IDE.
So, you need:
- Wish
- Computer
- Installed IDE
IDE- an integrated development environment, or, to put it simply, it is a program that has a whole set of useful things: a text editor for code with syntax highlighting, a compiler (it converts your program code into machine code that is understandable to the computer), a debugger and a bunch of other useful things approx.
There are many different IDEs for different operating systems.
IDE for Windows
Visual Studio. The most popular for Windows is Visual Studio (You can download Visual Studio Express for free on the official Microsoft website). It has everything you need and even more, this monster weighs several gigabytes, but is slow on weak computers.
Dev-C++. The best option for programming is the Dev-C++ IDE, it has everything you need to get started, it weighs about 50 megabytes. Simple interface, easy to understand. You can download it.
IDE for Linux
Geany. The best option is Geany. Lightweight, simple, fast and convenient.
QtCreator. The best, in my opinion, IDE for Linux (And not only that, it is cross-platform). There is everything you need + Qt Framework out of the box.
How to start programming in C++
Grab yourself a cup of delicious coffee, sit in front of your computer and launch the IDE. However, if you are just starting out, then you need to read up on how to use your IDE; there is a lot of information on this topic on the Internet. To begin with, it is enough to learn: how to create a program file, how to compile the written program and how to run it. This is a matter of 10-15 minutes.
Well, traditionally, the code of the first program that you can paste into the editor, compile and run:
#include
#include using namespace std ; int main() cout<< "Hello, world!" ; return 0 ; |
There is a lot of educational literature on the Internet, there are websites with lessons, video lessons, etc.
I'd start with books, they describe everything in more detail.
- Programming: principles and practice in C++(Björn Stroustrup) - a book for those who have no programming experience at all.
- Tutorial for Beginners: C++(Stanley Lipman, Jose Lajoie, Barbara Mu) - for those who already have some experience. It contains a thousand pages of detailed description.
Well, the best thing you can do to learn programming is practice. Program more often, come up with interesting problems for yourself and implement their solution in the form of a program. If something doesn’t work out, ask other people on programming forums or stackoverflow.
I think I have answered all 3 popular questions. I wish you good luck in your endeavors.
1. On your own
If you have iron willpower and a burning desire to become a programmer, then you can achieve your goal through self-education. This is not the easiest or shortest path: you will have to understand the information chaos yourself and fight procrastination. But you can study at a convenient time for relatively little money or for free.
The easiest way to start is with interactive online courses. There are many on the Internet, the materials of which clearly explain the basics of programming and set the direction for further development. Pay special attention to those courses that teach using examples of real projects, that is, they tell you step by step how to create a specific program or website.
Platform with free web development courses freeCodeCamp
Remember that you won't succeed without practice. Study in project-oriented courses and try to write programs and websites based on them yourself. Look for lectures on YouTube about projects that you would like to develop. First, copy other people's work and analyze it. Then try to move away from the original, experiment, change individual elements until you can create something unique.
In addition to courses and video lectures, there is official documentation available on language websites, and. Once you understand the basics, look for the latest publications with the subtitle Best Practices for your chosen programming language. Such books contain the best development techniques.
Be sure to set a goal to create your own project and constantly work on it.
This will help you consolidate your knowledge and understand what information you still lack. Your skills will develop along with the project. When you finish it, work on a new one - more difficult.
If you have any difficulties during the learning or development process, you can always turn to programming communities like Toaster and Stack Overflow for any question. For example, they will help you solve a problem, choose a good course, or point out errors in the code.
Questions and answers service on technological topics “Toaster” It is convenient to hone your skills on special platforms where you can compete with other programmers, solving various practical problems using code. Such services include Codewars, TopCoder and HackerRank.
If you feel that your development has reached a dead end, or want to speed up your learning, try the following options.
2. With the help of a mentor
A mentor is a personal mentor who points out mistakes, warns about pitfalls, and helps chart a course of study. A useful recommendation received at the right time can save you from many problems and save a lot of time. Therefore, a mentor will not hurt anyone.
Find out if any of your friends are developers. Perhaps one of them will want to help you. If you don’t know such people, you can look for them in programming communities. For example, on the same “Toaster”. Only mentoring services are not cheap, and no one wants to spend a lot of time on strangers for nothing.
3. Teachers of “live” courses
Distance and face-to-face courses with teachers who teach programmers from scratch have become incredibly popular in recent years. In this format you will also have to work a lot on your own. But you will study according to a professionally prepared program, and the solutions to the problems will be checked by a living person. The disadvantages of the courses include the high cost of training.
Popular Russian-language online platforms that provide systematic training for programmers: “Netology”, GeekBrains and Loftschool.
If you prefer to study in person, you can look for educational centers that teach programming in your locality. Unfortunately, such establishments are most often found only in large cities. An example is the STEP computer academy, which has branches in several countries.
4. At the university
If you have a lot of time on your hands and you are sure that you want to spend your life programming, you can study computer science at university. But keep in mind that traditional educational institutions lag behind progress, so you will have to master modern programming languages and other technologies on your own.
On the other hand, the university will provide fundamental knowledge of mathematics, algorithms and other areas that will help you become a highly qualified programmer. Over the years of diligent study, you will develop the right type of thinking, thanks to which you will grasp everything on the fly in the professional field.
How to choose a direction and language
In the IT industry, there are several areas, each of which uses its own set of languages. We list the main directions in order of increasing complexity:
- Web development. Popular languages: JavaScript, PHP, Python, Ruby.
- Mobile development. Popular languages: Java, Swift.
- Development of games and programs for desktop computers. Popular languages: C++, C#, C.
- Big Data, machine learning. Popular languages: Python, R, Scala.
What to look for when choosing
To make the right choice of direction and, in particular, language, consider the following factors: the difficulty of mastering and the number of training materials on the Internet, your personal preferences (what exactly you want to develop) and the demand for the language in the labor market.
Graph of the demand for languages on the international labor market / research.hackerrank.com You can easily check the demand for a language in your region on job search sites. Just open the section for software developers and see the number of available vacancies.
If you can't decide
If you're confused, take a look at JavaScript, the language in which almost the entire web is written. Many organizations and programmers advise beginners to choose this language as their first language.
For example, the founder of the educational resource freeCodeCamp Quincy Larson JavaScript for beginners. Larson makes a very simple argument:
- JavaScript is relatively easy to learn. And to write something and run it in this language, all you need is a code editor and a browser.
- JavaScript is the most in-demand language on the international labor market and has great prospects. Large companies like Google, Microsoft and Facebook are investing in the JavaScript ecosystem.
- JavaScript has a very wide range of applications: from websites and browser games to mobile applications.
In addition, a large developer community has formed around this language. The high interest in JavaScript provides a huge number of courses, books and other educational content.
What else should a programmer know: mathematics and English?
Any programmer would benefit from a deep understanding of . For fields such as game graphics development or big data, a mathematical mind is a must. But when it comes to web development and creating simple programs, in most cases you can do without mathematics. Although there is no consensus among professionals on this matter.
But understanding English, at least at the level of fluently reading documentation, is mandatory for all programmers. Official documents and most educational materials appear primarily in English. often become outdated before the translation is even published. In addition, knowledge of English opens up prospects for working with the whole world.
How to get your first experience and first job
To find your first job as a programmer, you must have a portfolio. This is a project you created, or better yet several, that demonstrate all your developer skills. Most courses include developing projects that can be included in your portfolio.
A very valuable item on your resume will be work experience, especially team development. But where can you get it if you are looking for your first job?
- Complete several orders on . This could be Freelansim or Upwork. Offer your services for free, then the first customers will come to you.
- Find like-minded people and create a common project with them. People unite for such purposes at almost every educational platform where there are programming courses.
- Select courses whose organizer helps with job placement. For example, at GeekBrains, after training, you have access to internships from different companies, including paid ones. GeekUniversity and STEP guarantee employment to their graduates.
Before doing this, don’t forget to search the Internet for lists of tasks and questions that are often asked to job seekers.
These tutorials are for everyone, whether you're new to programming or have extensive programming experience in other languages! This material is for those who want to learn the C/C++ languages from its very basics to the most complex structures.
C++ is a programming language, knowledge of this programming language will allow you to control your computer at the highest level. Ideally, you will be able to make the computer do whatever you want. Our site will help you master the C++ programming language.
Installation /IDE
The very first thing you should do before you start learning C++ is to make sure that you have an IDE - an integrated development environment (the program in which you will program). If you don't have an IDE, then here you go. Once you decide on the choice of IDE, install it and practice creating simple projects.
Introduction to C++
The C++ language is a set of commands that tell the computer what to do. This set of commands is usually called source code or simply code. Commands are either “functions” or “keywords”. Keywords (C/C++ reserved words) are the basic building blocks of the language. Functions are complex building blocks because they are written in terms of simpler functions - you'll see this in our very first program, which is shown below. This structure of functions resembles the contents of a book. The content can show the chapters of the book, each chapter in the book can have its own content consisting of paragraphs, each paragraph can have its own subparagraphs. Although C++ provides many common functions and reserved words that you can use, there is still a need to write your own functions.
What part of the program does it start at? Each program in C++ has one function, it is called the main or main function, program execution begins with this function. From the main function, you can also call any other functions, whether they are ones we wrote or, as mentioned earlier, provided by the compiler.
So how do you access these Standard Features? To access the standard functions that come with the compiler, you need to include the header file using the preprocessor directive - #include . Why is this effective? Let's look at an example of a working program:
#include
Let us consider in detail the elements of the program. #include is a "preprocessor" directive that tells the compiler to put the code from the iostream header file into our program before creating the executable. By connecting a header file to a program, you get access to many different functions that you can use in your program. For example, the cout operator requires iostream . Line using namespace std; tells the compiler to use a group of functions that are part of the std standard library. This line also allows the program to use operators such as cout . The semicolon is part of C++ syntax. It tells the compiler that this is the end of the command. You'll see in a moment that semicolons are used to terminate most commands in C++.
The next important line of the program is int main(). This line tells the compiler that there is a function called main and that the function returns an integer. Curly braces ( and ) signal the start (and end) of a function. Curly braces are also used in other blocks of code, but they always indicate one thing - the beginning and end of the block, respectively.
In C++, the cout object is used to display text (pronounced "C out"). He uses symbols<< , известные как «оператор сдвига», чтобы указать, что отправляется к выводу на экран. Результатом вызова функции cout << является отображение текста на экране. Последовательность \n фактически рассматривается как единый символ, который обозначает новую строку (мы поговорим об этом позже более подробно). Символ \n перемещает курсор на экране на следующую строку. Опять же, обратите внимание на точку с запятой, её добавляют в конец, после каждого оператора С++.
The next command is cin.get() . This is another function call that reads data from the input data stream and waits for the ENTER key to be pressed. This command keeps the console window from closing until the ENTER key is pressed. This gives you time to see the output of the program.
Upon reaching the end of the main function (the closing curly brace), our program will return the value 0 to the operating system. This return value is important because by analyzing it, the OS can judge whether our program completed successfully or not. A return value of 0 means success and is returned automatically (but only for the int data type; other functions require you to manually return the value), but if we wanted to return something else, such as 1, we would have to do it manually.
#include
To consolidate the material, type the program code in your IDE and run it. Once the program has run and you've seen the output, experiment a little with the cout statement. This will help you get used to the language.
Be sure to comment on your programs!
Add comments to your code to make it clearer not only for yourself but also for others. The compiler ignores comments when executing code, allowing you to use any number of comments to describe the actual code. To create a comment, use or // , which tells the compiler that the rest of the line is a comment, or /* and then */ . When you're learning to program, it's useful to be able to comment on parts of the code to see how the output of the program changes. You can read in detail about the commenting technique.
What to do with all these types of variables?
Sometimes it can be confusing to have multiple variable types when some variable types seem to be redundant. It is very important to use the correct variable type, as some variables require more memory than others. Additionally, due to the way they are stored in memory, floating point numbers, the float and double data types are "imprecise" and should not be used when a precise integer value needs to be stored.
Declaring Variables in C++
To declare a variable, use the syntax type<имя>; . Here are some examples of variable declarations:
Int num; char character; float num_float;
It is permissible to declare several variables of the same type on one line; to do this, each of them must be separated by a comma.
Int x, y, z, d;
If you've looked closely, you may have seen that a variable declaration is always followed by a semicolon. You can learn more about the convention “on naming variables”.
Common mistakes when declaring variables in C++
If you try to use a variable that is not declared, your program will not compile and you will receive an error message. In C++, all language keywords, all functions, and all variables are case sensitive.
Using Variables
So now you know how to declare a variable. Here is an example program demonstrating the use of a variable:
#include
Let's take a look at this program and examine its code, line by line. The keyword int indicates that number is an integer. The cin >> function reads the value into number , the user must press enter after the entered number. cin.ignore() is a function that reads a character and ignores it. We have organized our input into the program; after entering a number, we press the ENTER key, a symbol that is also transmitted to the input stream. We don't need it, so we discard it. Keep in mind that the variable was declared as an integer type, if the user tries to enter a decimal number, it will be truncated (that is, the decimal part of the number will be ignored). Try entering a decimal number or a sequence of characters, when you run the example program, the answer will depend on the input value.
Note that when printing from a variable, quotes are not used. The absence of quotes tells the compiler that there is a variable, and therefore that the program should check the value of the variable in order to replace the variable name with its value at execution. Multiple shift statements on the same line are perfectly acceptable and the output will be done in the same order. You should separate string literals (strings enclosed in quotes) and variables, giving each its own shift operator<< . Попытка поставить две переменные вместе с одним оператором сдвига << выдаст сообщение об ошибке . Не забудьте поставить точку с запятой. Если вы забыли про точку с запятой, компилятор выдаст вам сообщение об ошибке при попытке скомпилировать программу.
Changing and comparing values
Of course, no matter what type of data you're using, variables aren't very interesting without the ability to change their value. The following shows some operators used in conjunction with variables:
- * multiplication,
- - subtraction,
- + addition,
- / division,
- = assignment,
- == equality,
- >more
- < меньше.
- != unequal
- >= greater than or equal to
- <= меньше или равно
Operators that perform mathematical functions must be used to the right of the assignment sign in order to assign the result to the variable on the left.
Here are some examples:
A = 4 * 6; // use line comment and semicolon, a is equal to 24 a = a + 5; // equal to the sum of the original value and five a == 5 // does not assign five, checks whether it is equal to 5 or not
You'll often use == in constructs such as conditional statements and loops.
A< 5 // Проверка, a менее пяти? a >5 // Check, is a more than five? a == 5 // Checking, is a equal to five? a != 5 // Check, is it not equal to five? a >= 5 // Check if a is greater than or equal to five? a<= 5 // Проверка, a меньше или равно пяти?
These examples don't show the use of comparison signs very clearly, but when we start studying selection operators, you'll understand why this is necessary.
Understand how loops work. Loops are one of the most important aspects of programming because they allow individual blocks of code to be run repeatedly until a certain condition is met. This makes it easier to write repetitive actions programmatically and saves you from having to write new conditions every time you want the program to do something.
- There are three main types of loops: FOR, WHILE and DO...WHILE.
Use a FOR loop. This is the most popular and useful of the cycles. It continues to execute the given function until the conditions set in FOR are met. FOR loops require three conditions to be specified: the variable to be initialized, the condition to be satisfied, and how to update the value of the variable. If you don't need all three of these conditions, you need to leave a space with a semicolon in their place, in which case the loop will last forever.
#include
- In the above program, the initial value of the variable y is zero and the loop continues until the value of the variable remains less than 15. Each time a new value of y is displayed, it is incremented by one and the loop repeats. As soon as the variable y is equal to 15, the loop will end.
Use a WHILE loop. WHILE loops are simpler than FOR loops. They set only one condition and the loop runs as long as this condition is met. Here you don't need to initialize or update the variable, but this can be done in the main part of the code of the loop itself.
#include
- The y++ command adds one to the value of the y variable each time the loop is executed. As soon as the variable y becomes 16 (note that the loop must be executed until the variable less than or equal to 15), the cycle stops.
Apply a loop D.O...WHILE. This loop is very useful in cases where the loop operations need to be performed at least once. In the FOR and WHILE loops, the condition is checked at the very beginning, that is, if a false result is obtained, the operation specified by the condition is skipped and not performed. The DO...WHILE loop checks for conditions at the very end, which allows the loop to be executed at least once.
#include
- This loop will display the intended message even though the condition test fails. The variable y is set to five, and the loop must repeat when the variable is not equal to five, so the loop is exited. The message is displayed on the screen once, since the condition is checked only at the very end.
- The WHILE clause in a DO...WHILE loop must end with a semicolon. This is the only loop that requires a semicolon at the end.
