My first steps in programming

I don't remember the first website I ever went to on the internet. I do remember the feel of going online for the first time. It was amazing. I was so excited to be on the internet. Yes, it was a great feeling. I don't know how long that feeling of excitment about being on the internet continued. I do know that the excited feeling has disappeared and now I wonder where it went of if it will ever reappear.

I knew one thing when I got online an that is I wanted to program. At that time I had no idea that their were free compilers. I thought they all cost money. Then day I read about Cygwin's C++ compiler and decided I wanted to install it on my computer. Actually it was a c/c++ compiler. I was so excited. It was a huge download and so I had to leave my computer on all night. I got up during the night to check on the download. I think it got done at 9:00am in the morning. I was anxious to see if it installed and sure enough it did. Unfortunately I never did make a program with the compiler. A cool thing about Cygwin c/C++ was that it had vi as the text editor. I thought that was great thought I could not figure out how to write a programing using vi or save a program to my hard drive. I would have been fun had I figured out how to use the compiler I am sure.

So I had to get another compiler so I could program and I got one borland's bcc55 I think it was called. One thing I remember was that I had to add the bin to my path and I erased all the paths that were in my path environmental variable and added the compiler. Later I read that erasing the path's in your path environmental variable might make your system unstable but, I did not seem to have any problems with windows.

I probably read one or two c++ or c tutorials and that was about it thought I found c and c++ fun.

I don't remember the exact order that I tried other programming languages. I have tried: php, perl, python, abc, open object rexx. You name it I want to programing with it. I have never made it very far with any of the programming languages that I have tried. A tutorial or 2 probably. I start off excited then I get bored and want to move on to anther programming language. What is the point of that the whole reason for learning a programming language is to make programs. I seem to like dabbling in program and not making any real program or progress. And often I am not sure that I want to make a program or use my computer. Though who know I can always decide to buckle down and make a program or I can keep wanted to make programs for the rest of my life without making a program. It does not matter to anyone else but, myself. No one says I have to learn how to program a computer. But, I can if I want to. Or if I don't want to I can give up and do something else.

My fist steps in computing

I want to start off writing about how I got interested in programming. The fist time I heard about a programming language was on the computer chronicles with Stewart Cheifet. Stewart had a man on the show who was talking about a program that would teach a person how to program computer games in C++.

At that time I had no idea how to use a computer except how to use a word processing program that I learned how to use in a typing class. I did not even know what the internet was or had ever surfed the web.

In fact abut 3 years before that I saw a video about the internet and I did not understand the video all, I had no clue what the internet was.

By the time I watched the computer chronicles show I think I had a better idea of what the internet was even though as I said I had never been on the web. I thought while watching the show I someday I have got to learn how to write video games. But, I thought that there was probably no way I could understand how to program because like the internet at that time I had never seen a line of computer source code. So I thought that programming was so hard that I could never understand how to make games. All I knew was that I wanted to try.

Then probably the same year I got a book on html. Why did I get a book on html when I did not have a computer?

Actually I think I got a book the was an introduction to programming before I got the book on html. The programming book is called Absolute Beginner's Guide to programming, Second Edition by Greg Perry. I enjoyed reading the book and I think I understood everything except maybe Java. After reading the book I thought that programming was something I could do.

The I got the book on Html called HTML by Example. Which was a book about how to create websites using html 4.0. Putting up websites did not look that hard.

Next I got a book on C++ called Sams Teach yourself C++ in 21 Days written by Jesse Liberty. I probably read some chapters of the book before I got my computer. IF I read the book I probably understood something. At this point I did not know what the start menu or desktop were. That all changed with the next book I got.

I read The complete Idiot's guide to PCS, seventh Edition written by Joe Kraynak. I know I read this book. After reading the book I understood about the start menu, desktop, chekdisk or was it scandisk, disk defragmenting. Now I knew enough to use a computer. I also read most of and edition of Upgrading and repairing PCS. It was Upgrading and Repairing PCs, Fifth Edition written by Scott Mueller. I really enjoyed reading about computer hardware; processors, CD Rom drives, monitors, ISA, PCI, how to put in new cards, sound cards, video cards, plug and play, A fun book.

I tried to remember the order I got the books but, I probably remember wrong. The order does not matter. The point is that by the time I got my first computer I new enough about computers to be able to use it on my own without having to call someone up to help me with computer problems. When I got a computer I was so excited.

My dreams for this blog

Its no secret I like to program or more precisely I like computer programming languages. I want to make games but, have yet to make anything of value. I keep going from programming language to programming language until recently. No I think I am more focused on actually wanting to make a program but, I still have not make that illusive program.

I want to make computer games with python, lua, and pharo. I also want to learn how to create websites. So I hope to write about those things on my blog. I don't think my posts will be exciting but, write I will.