Absolute Beginner's Guide to Programming (2nd Edition)

Absolute Beginner's Guide to Programming, Second Edition will help the reader understand what programming really is. The reader not only gets an overview of the job of programming, but also learns which specific skills are needed for certain jobs.

The reader will understand

• How a computer interprets a program's instructions and gain insight into what goes on "under the hood" when a computer runs a program.
• How programming can and does relate to the Internet and learn about the skills required for adding security to programs.
• Compiled versus other kinds of programs such as interpreted languages like JavaScript and HTML, which are more formatting and hyperlink languages.
• Job potential in the programming market.

Absolute Beginner's Guide to Programming, Second Edition offers "hands-on" programming for the "absolute beginner." There are several texts for specific languages, and two offerings (IDG and Sams) that attempt to take an overview-to-programming attitude, but this is the only one that takes today's programming environments and explains why each is important and for whom they are important.

Greg Perry has personally taught thousands of people how to program in the classroom and lectures, as well as impacted the computer world through the sale of more than two million computer books sold internationally.

He has been a programmer and trainer for the past 20 years. He received an undergraduate degree in computer science, followed by a master's degree in corporate finance. After working as a supervisor of financial systems for a Fortune 500 company, he turned to teaching at the college level, where he remained until he began to write full-time and lecture at programming conferences.

Some of his other book titles include Sams Teach Yourself Visual Basic 6 in 21 Days, C by Example, and several books in the 24 Hours series, including Sams Teach Yourself PCs in 24 Hours, Sams Teach Yourself Office in 24 Hours, and Sams Teach Yourself Windows Millennium in 24 Hours. He has also written articles for several magazines, including PC World and Data Training. He is fluent in several computer languages and speaks a little Italian as well.