Getting started

Programming is not something that is static. As you continue to create progjects, you style and solutions will change. The basics of programming will not change, no matter the language that you are using.

Current programming technology encapsulates Object Oriented Programming (OOP) as the main basis for allowing interaction between the user and the computer. Event driven coding has replaced the old line coding in the early days of computers.

What is OOP? Objects surround us in the real world, yet most people probably don't examine the details of objects as fully as they could. Without objects, what would there be in the world? Think about what an really object is: It is a physical thing that you can touch, therefore it has texture, shape, coutour, weight, size, mass, and color. Depending on the object it may only have one purpose, or it could have several. Programming objects are the exact same, they have their own parameters and characteristics.

When I wrote code using DOS in a language called QBASIC, often times the programs were very limited in scope. Each program did one thing, and did it well. Now with todays technology, applications are required to do many things at the same time, and often are required to duplicate themselves to complete the task given. This is where objects are needed. As a programmer, you must identify all the aspects of what your object is made of. What is the problem that you are trying to solve with your program?

Event driven code is another important thing to learn about. Back with DOS, code executed line by line until the program was complete. This was before users could use a mouse to make selections, and the major of the computer systems were text based. Event driven programming involves code that only runs on an event, like the user clicking a button. Subroutines and functions become a big factor in event driven code, and thinking modularly is very important. Event driven code can stay dormant until it is used, or be used multiple times by the program.