Beginning Programming
This page is intended to help beginners get started with learning programming. Eventually, I'd like to provide a whole series of steps, exercises and tutorials about programming, to help anyone who would like to get involved with software development or game development.
Programming toolkits
- scratch - see scratch.mit.edu
Programming checklist
Follow these steps to learn how to program:
The very basics
- learn what a program statement is (and what a "computer language" is)
- learn what a variable is
- learn what a conditional (if statement) is
- learn what a loop is
- learn what input is
- different kinds of input (key press, mouse move, mouse button)
- learn what output is
- different kinds of output (text, image, sound)
Simple program 1: Write a program that counts how many times someone presses the space bar.
Simple program 2: Write a program that counts how many times someone presses each arrow key.
program 3: Write a program that starts counting when someone presses the space bar, and stops counting when they hit it a second time (like a stop-watch).
Program 4: Write a program that moves a ball to the right on the screen, when the right arrow is pressed.
Program 5: Write a program that starts a ball moving when key is pressed. The ball should keep moving until it hits a wall.
Note: For any of these programs, you can start with the program you used previously, and expand or modify it to do the next task. You should save it under a new name.
Program 6: Write a program that starts a ball moving in a different direction, depending on which arrow key (up, down, left, right) is pressed.
Program 7: Write a program that starts with a moving ball. When the ball hits a wall, it moves in the opposite direction.
Program 8: Combine programs 6 and 7. Write a program that starts a ball in a direction based on the key pressed. The ball should keep moving after the key is released. It should bounce off the wall and go the other direction when it hits a wall.