They way I first learned was on an Atari 8-bit. I had friends that also had the same computer. We wrote programs and showed each other what we made or learned.<p>I would hope that something similar is still possible. The most obvious is learning javascript and making browser plugins with the ubiquitous "View source" as inspiration (though much less so with React etc, but you can still mess with the properties/css).<p>Ideally it would be good to get set up to auto-deploy a website (e.g. Netlify) based on code pushes, even if the setup is done for them. This way they can have a hobby website that they can keep changing and the results are immediately show-n-tellable to anyone on the internet. For backend, maybe something like Firebase or equivalent.
My brother wants to learn programming.<p>I am mulling this over, but I think I will recommend python and django. He can learn to old school web apps, focused on serving http from the server. Then he can move into more interactive stuff with javascript.<p>If there was a library/framework similar in scope to Django/Rails with a lot of documentation I would recommend that one. Even though Javascript seems like a good language that you can achieve a lot of with, lack of one big framework makes it hard for new programmers to learn the ropes.<p>I am curious about opinions of others. My brother did program a bit in python, creating a text game that gave him a lot of interest in programming, but other than that has very limited knowledge.
I would prefer Databases instead of Frontend and I would master vim right after I started to touchtype. Also I would start my SICP journey way earlier. And please do not give me an access to OS Windows!
I learned how to program on personal 8-bit computers using BASIC as a teenager in 1980.<p>There were no data structures besides arrays, and there was no theory. The internet was not available to mere mortals and books and magazines were expensive. There wasn't any other option at the time, and the only classes were in high school or university.<p>Half of what I learned was by reading source code to other programs that were shared (printouts from friends with access to universities, or from magazines).<p>I don't think I really learned how to program until I was in my late 20s and fell into doing it professionally. (At the time I thought I was a better programmer than I actually was.)<p>So, I do wish I learned to program in a better language, with data structures and a smattering of theory/discussion about algorithm efficiency. Probably a tutorial that progressed towards making something fun and interesting, like a simple space invaders-like or text adventure game.<p>But I would not change the part about reading source code.
I wouldn't change a thing. I learned programming by watching youtube videos on how to create a soundboard app for iOS. I ripped audio files from Napoleon Dynamite, hooked it up with near zero knowledge of what I was writing, and launched it on the Appstore under my Mom's name since I was like 13. Made ~1000$, got a cease and desist from Fox, and deleted the app. Later that year I learned about open source apps, basically ripped off a pong game I found, and subsequently got a cease and desist from Atari.<p>Since then I've fallen in love with code, become a senior dev, and developed morals when it comes to using others' code. But still, I wouldn't change a thing.
I learned js in 90s and C in 2000s in HS. I would write <script> inside html files to code at first.<p>If I had to do it all over I would start with robotics and competitive programming and something with databases. Robotics is mathy and library heavy and deals with real objects. Code golf is super math and easy to get into a tight loop and teaches you to research algorithms. Databases are just so useful and are a better way of learning APIs i think compared to restful stuff.<p>I don't think the beginning matters really. You have you love it to do it for decades, and if you love it you'll get good at it. Dont have to look back and think "aha that path was optimal"
I would probably start with JavaScript and TypeScript, because you can build so many things with them. You can be very productive and employable with them. But then I would probably want to dig deeper, and start learning C, Zig, with a side order of WASM, along with data structures and algorithms, operating systems, processor architectures, memory hierarchy, network layers and protocols and all that. I would still keep mastering my web knowledge though, eventually including Remix, Qwik and similar JavaScript frameworks and the paradigms they introduce. I wouldn't miss Martin Klepmann's Designing Data-Intensive Applications book either.
I took a few core CS classes throughout university in the late 90s/early 2000s - database design (Oracle), general programming (C++, Java), unix (Solaris) that were foundational. But for the most part, I focused on building domain expertise. Writing software was just another tool in my toolkit. Most of what I discovered was through pragmatic application, just-in-time learning.<p>20 years later and all I do is write software. If I could start over, I'd spend a few years on the fundamentals. Learning programming for the sake of programming. Understand how computers actually work, detached from my work goals.
Stop trying many programming languages. Eventually you'll become a "jack of trades, master of none."<p>Pick one or two, then try to master them for different purposes, say Dart/Flutter for frontend, and Go/Rust for backend.
Always have an objective. To me if you don't have a reason to code you won't learn. Theory and exercises are ok but nothing beats getting something done.
Start with assembly, C and systems to better understand the “why”. As a freshman in college my first stab was learning Django and trying to make apps. I really missed understanding things early on that make things work