programming (am lazy...) (wiki, youtube or guides wanted)

Hi there!
For the last year i am trying to learn how to program. (in python because i heard it was easy and i planned to learn a C language (or javascript am not sure yet) after that)
But there is a problem.... I am stupid AND lazy.
I am still stuck at class and def because i just don't seem to get it (many people tried to explain it to me but failed, i know why but that does not help... *)
I lose motivation because of that and start thinking about it and gain motivation only when i imagine myself being poor, homeless or even worse living with my parents (with happens more often than i would like it to happen)
Now that i have some free time (2 month but i somehow managed to sleep and play games for the first 2 weeks) i think its time to try and learn it again (because my second objective is to lose weight and lets be honest that isn't going to happen)
It would really be nice if people who know how to program could help me out by pointing me to some wiki or to a youtube channel where i can get the information i need.

PS: i though about it myself and i am starting to think about taking notes because that could help me remember the commands better


* For the longest time i had this problem that i could only learn something (most of the time) when i knew exactly what is going on. Sadly where i am from we have a school system that for the first 9 years gave me only information that something is happening and not why or how. The first 4 years were easy so i had no problems and from there on my grades started going to shit. Now in my first year in highschool where i was told that everything will be hard and that i will get too much information. I actually had better grades than the 5 years before without dedicating more time to learning because most of that information that i got was information why certain things happen and "the dots started to connect". I just fear that to learn how to program i would need to learn how exactly a computer works and that just seems too complicated.

 

stackoverflow dot com

 

Assuming we are talking about object oriented programming.

Class is like a tool box.
Object is like a tool in the box.
Function is like a feature of a tool.

Get it?

Edit: Though wanted to add that in some languages objects and classes are virtually the same, just the class would be a template for the object. Like class = human and object = Bob

 

you could have ADD and just having the other information keeps your brain engaged

 

Oh i saw my friend who is rather good at programming (the only thing that gives me more motivation than thinking about being a loser at life is my competitive nature!) use that site a couple of times but i never really knew how its called. Thanks for that!

 

For Python I always recommend Dive Into Python 3.

About "def" (well, Python functions), you've probably heard some analogies, but still I'm adding one more:

Think of them as if you were reading lyrics. When you read "[chorus]" and some text below it, you know that the chorus is that piece of text (you declare the function).

When you later read only "[chorus]" without anything else (when you "execute" the function), you know you have to read the "chorus" part, so it's just a lazy way to say "read the chorus again" instead of copying it everywhere.

Classes are a bit more complex. I think you shouldn't touch them until you have a good grasp of programming without them.

 

learnpythonthehardway dot org
it used to be free, but now you'll need to pay $30.00. It's good, has videos, and maybe if you actually buy it you'll feel the need to complete it.

Practice your programming skills using www dot codingame dot com for interesting puzzles.

 

No i don't have ADD. I just have a shitty memory and the best way to remember things is to either understand how they work or where they are categorized to work my way up to the information or by linking it to events (that's how i remember names for example). I remember most biology related stuff by understanding the latin meaning of the word or/and the process by what it is created and chemistry is the same.

 

There are sites like codecademy, but I personally think it's easiest to learn a language by using it. I'd suggest you think up a project, like trying to make a game or something, and then start googling. It helps keep me more motivated and it makes it easier for me to remember the language.

 

That's why some universities force you to pass "algorithm" before being able to start "programming".

 

Thanks for trying! but i understand perfectly what its meant to do (or at least i think i do because i am stupid so i am not sure) the problem is that i kinda need to learn its practical uses and the little things around it ? For example you would not believe what amazement i felt when my friend told me what the things in the () mean because he though it was kinda obvious and for me it wasn't....

 

You also don't need to remember commands. That is pointless. I have programmed for decades and don't remember all the commands.

“Intelligence is not the ability to store information, but to know where to find it.”
― Albert Einstein

The important thing is knowing such commands exist and understanding how to use them. Then when you need it, look for it and use it.

 

Actually that's a good idea. I would just need to find a game that's so easy to understand that i would not make some stupid mistake caused by ignorance and it would work..

 

That's why i wrote that taking notes might help me. I could just look it up if i forget it and don't have to google it so i don't destroy my flow

 

Oh.

Well, it's very similar to math, where you can define a function "f(x) = 2x+10". If you (ehem) "call" that mathematical function like "f(3)" you can replace it with "2(3) + 10". You should know what the "x" is.

So yeah, the syntax should be pretty straightforward (at least in this case), because it's something common. If you didn't make that "association", then it's most likely because you're using the wrong source for learning.

 

I think that a guessing game would probably be an easier game. Have a user input numbers, and the program returns whether the defined number is higher or lower.

 

Your going to end up googling anyways. There is a limit to what you can take in as notes and categorizing them or looking for their niche implications is a pain.

Personally I think Javascript is an easier language for those with less patience because you can see results instantly in your browser. In comparison, something like Python you have to go quite a few steps before you get anywhere outside the commandline.

 

Thanks.... its kinda funny how most f*ck ups happen because someone else thinks he does not need to explain something because its normal to know it... I could tell a story of how i and 90% of the people taking part in a math competition were f*cked because the one that created the questions didn't take into account that that different people shorten some words differently....

 

Dao - Concept - Laws

 

To my mind Python is a very poor choice for the first programming language. Yes it is easy, but for it to be easy you must to understand how things work in computer memory, know basics of programming aka array, stack, list, queue and etc. And also MATH. Like srsly, math and programming is inseparable, and if you want to be something more than 'code monkey' you MUST know math very well.

My piece of advice to you:
Start with C/C++, not "class" related stuff, but try writing a simple programs to understand, how computer memory works, how program compiles, how it runs and so on.

After that start learning object-oriented programming. It is better to begin from understanding wtf is this and why is it needed. You can use C/C++ or Java (not javascript) for exercising. (Java is pretty similar to C++, but there is some important differences).

After that you must learn about various algorithms (aka sorting or searching), their complexity and about various data structures aka stack, queue, list, hashtable and so on. No, really this subject is asked at every job interviev. And you should completely understand and memorize that.

After that, trust me, you'll be able to learn almost any programming language in short period of time.

P.S. The kind of cources "learn how to programm in *insert short period of time here*" is COMPLETE and UTTER bullshit. Programming is a pretty complicated subject, and if you wanna get a job in that sphere, you need to work hard