What are some good books to teach me the basics of programming?

Question

I wanted to take a computer science course with a major in programming and they got rid of the course this year. What are some good books that can teach me some of the basics? Also, what languages should I be learning?

Answer 1

A good online book that will introduce you to the basic concepts of programming and prepare you for more complex texts is 'Think Python' which is a substantially revised version of 'How to think like a computer scientist' http://www.greenteapress.com/thinkpython

Python is what is called an object oriented programming language, and is very simple to learn and to understand. Reading the above will introduce you to the basics of how programs work and their constructs, making any further reading and study a lot easier.

Answer 2

You can start learning C++ with these video tutorials:

http://xoax.net/comp/cpp/console/index.p...

They are perfect for beginners. This one can get you started by showing you how to install a free compiler:

http://xoax.net/comp/cpp/console/Lesson0...

Here are some simple games with code downloads that you can use to get some ideas:

http://xoax.net/comp/cpp/console/Lesson9...

http://xoax.net/comp/cpp/console/Lesson2...

http://xoax.net/comp/cpp/console/Lesson2...

These tutorials can get you started with graphics programming in OpenGL:

http://xoax.net/comp/cpp/opengl/index.ph...

You can go through the tutorials and if you have questions on them or anything else in C++, please post to me here:

http://xoax.net/forum/

Enjoy!

Answer 3

If your interests are in programming for the web, this site is your one stop place for the basics.

http://w3schools.com/