Learn to code the hard way

November 30, 2013 4:14 PM

I want to learn to program, and I really like the webpage for python, "Learn Python the Hard Way." Are there any other books/websites that work in this type of style for learning how to code? Ones where they really stress the basics and walk you through exercises? Thanks.
posted by MisantropicPainforest to Computers & Internet (13 answers total)

"The Little Schemer" might be what you want.
posted by pmb at 4:59 PM on November 30, 2013 [3 favorites]

This will teach you ruby but 'Learn to Program' by Chris Pine is good.
Website
Book
Make sure you get the 2nd edition if you buy the book.

This taught me a lot. I went from no experience to making simple ruby on rails apps.
posted by hot_monster at 5:01 PM on November 30, 2013 [1 favorite]

For something slightly different, have a look at Reeborg's world.
posted by aroberge at 5:11 PM on November 30, 2013

Best answer: It should be pointed out that LPtHW doesn't actually take you very far from square one (square zero?). It also introduces some concepts in very idiosyncratic ways, and when the tutorial gets to OOP, the author just kind of throws up his hands.

If you're OK with the author not treating the reader as an absolute imbecile, I would recommend the first couple of chapters from Kernighan and Ritchie's The C Programming Language. No, you are probably not learning to be C programmer, but almost all popular modern languages use C's basic syntax. On the other hand, the first two chapters don't introduce anything specific to C, but do offer a very methodical and patient introduction to the extremely basic nuts and bolts of writing a simple program, with plenty of simple, but effective exercises.

The book is widely considered to be one of the best instructional books ever written for any language. It's easy to find PDF scans online, and it's also very short.
posted by Nomyte at 5:15 PM on November 30, 2013 [14 favorites]

Seconding Nomyte's recommendation of the K&R C book; it is a classic for a reason. Much like the language itself, the book is tight, with nothing unnecessary to get in the way. Being able to express yourself in C will make the extra stuff that other C-derived languages add onto it easier to digest.
posted by Suddenly, elf ass at 6:05 PM on November 30, 2013 [1 favorite]

I'm interested in learning Python myself. I may ask my professor this week if I remember. The great thing is after learning the first language or two learning others becomes so much easier. I am going to need an understanding of Python and/or Ruby for writing more advanced scripts for Unix....I'll let you know what I hear back.
posted by Nicholas Geary at 8:01 PM on November 30, 2013

How to Design Programs (HtDP) and CTM come to mind.
posted by Monday, stony Monday at 9:33 PM on November 30, 2013

A motivated beginner could benefit from reading something like Seven Languages in Seven Weeks, which gently (and in a pretty shallow manner) introduces a set of programming paradigms that are in use today. This book could be a good way for a beginner to dip its toes in several radically different design philosophies before committing to a single starter language. Maybe there are people out there who really grok Prolog, but not Java.
posted by Nomyte at 12:12 AM on December 1, 2013

I'm currently chugging my way through the Python tutorial in CodeAcademy. It seems slow but gets you up to speed quite quickly with the basics. It's not really ideal for an experienced programmer in other languages, but doesn'y hold you back. It's a bit buggy (you have to refresh the screen often) but there are embedded forums and Q&A sections.

Of course, it's free.
posted by arzakh at 3:59 AM on December 1, 2013 [1 favorite]

I asked a similar question recently (about IT security) and some folks recommended MIT's OpenCourseware Intro to Computer Science and Programming. It's taught with Python and has some great homework problems that get you writing code pretty quickly.
posted by Dr. Zachary Smith at 10:09 AM on December 2, 2013 [1 favorite]

Nthing CodeAcademy. I used their JavaScript modules and feel like it really "stuck."
posted by getawaysticks at 11:07 AM on December 2, 2013

3rding CodeAcademy. Also I used it on Chrome on two different Win7 computers and did not find it to be buggy at all. YMMV.

I finished the Python course a while ago and am going to do HTML and maybe Javascript before working on some of these projects.
posted by Aizkolari at 11:57 AM on December 2, 2013

Update: I talked to my professor and he recommended an e-book. Hope you find it useful.

Python Coding; http://www.greenteapress.com/thinkpython/thinkpython.pdf
posted by Nicholas Geary at 1:41 PM on December 6, 2013