New to Coding

[Steax]

Yeah, the cool part of PHP's online docs are the examples. The core docs are also pretty much fine for defining behavior. The examples then extend that into real-life use, which gives it a good balance between being a strict "specification"-like document and just a bunch of examples. They also tend to explain pitfalls, security issues and trickses on how to mold the built-in functions to something more reasonable.

[Lleu]

What can I do with coding? I want to make games, a graphing program, and bots that play games. That's about all I can think to do. However, I get the feeling that there's a lot I'm missing out on if I just do that. Are there any areas that would be beneficial to explore, especially if I'm considering a career in about three years? I'm learning Python.

[headprogrammingczar]

Everything a computer can do needs to be programmed by someone. Take your average boring accounting program. Someone programmed all the different kinds of taxes, what they apply to, exemptions and other kind of things that an accountant can do without even thinking. Now tax rates change, so someone programmed a way to get updated rates from a government website. Someone had to program the library you are using for network interaction. Someone wrote the specification for HTTP, JSON (it's somehow a very modern program), TCP. The network card sends the information, but someone programmed the network card.

Yes, there's software on individual pieces of hardware too. For instance, the wifi card of a printer. On the other end of the network connection is a different networking library, for any number of reasons. Someone wrote the webserver, which accepts the network connection. They aren't that modern, so it runs another program someone wrote that actually provides the data.

For actual ideas of what to do, pick something that you do often that annoys you. Write a program to do it for you. As you write more programs, you will find parts of programming that annoy you. Write libraries that make those parts less annoying. Don't like some feature of Python? Download the interpreter source and change it (of course, you won't be writing Python anymore...).

[Jplus]

Another thing you can do with coding is participate in the red spider project. See my signature.

[Tomlidich the second]

i am that guy who has the odd question of: how do you stay coding?

i have delved into python and java quite a bit but i end up getting distracted and focusing my attention on something besides learning how to properly code. im still a newbie, even though i started learning fresh outta high school almost three years ago.

[WyldStallyns]

What can I do with coding? I want to make games, a graphing program, and bots that play games. That's about all I can think to do. However, I get the feeling that there's a lot I'm missing out on if I just do that. Are there any areas that would be beneficial to explore, especially if I'm considering a career in about three years? I'm learning Python.

Well, C# is a pretty good place to start for making games, assuming you're at least familiar with computer logic. And from what I know, it's what a lot of developers use to make Xbox games, and using Microsoft's XNA framework you can upload what you make to the Xbox Live Arcade (If you have the license for it, costs around $100 a year) There are also plenty of good tutorials around for it. Searching "C# XNA" on Google or Youtube can probably get you to some good tutorials. (I'm not 100% sure how many Xbox games are actually made in C#, if you're interested you could probably look it up) XNA is also used in Windows Phones and Zunes (And unlike Xbox, you can upload games and apps to those stores for free, maybe make a bit of money if they sell)

As far as game bots go, if the game is popular enough there may be entire websites to botting in them. (Just know that most game companies consider botting a cheat and you might get yourself banned for it) I know there are a few sites for Runescape botting with tutorials. It's in Java, which is very similar to C#. (C# was actually created by Microsoft as a response to Java) WoW probably has some bot sites you could find as well, as with most popular MMOs. I'd suggest looking there for specific help.

If you're into The Elder Scrolls series, Bethesda releases the Construction Kit, which is pretty much the same tool they used to make the games. (It's missing a few of the functions that they can't release for legal reasons, but that's not a problem) All it requires is the PC version of Morrowind, Oblivion, or Skyrim, and I believe Fallout and New Vegas have Creation Kits as well. Here's a link to the Oblivion CS wiki and here's the one for Skyrim. Modding for those games is more game design and less programming, but it's still a fun tool and does involve programming if you intend to make more complex mods. I could be wrong, but I believe the code for Bethesda games is a modified version of C or C++.

Also, if you are still in school, take all the computer science courses you can. Having an instructor and other kids your age learning the same thing as you helps a ton. Also, it is often said that one of the best ways of making sure you know something is to teach someone else. Once you start to get something, helping someone else out can both increase your knowledge on the issue, and prove to yourself that you know what you're talking about. This also holds true for just about any subject.

i am that guy who has the odd question of: how do you stay coding?

i have delved into python and java quite a bit but i end up getting distracted and focusing my attention on something besides learning how to properly code. im still a newbie, even though i started learning fresh outta high school almost three years ago.

If you can think of a big project to work on, like a game or an app that you could upload to the ipod/android appstore that you want to work on, it can help you stay focused. If you have a goal, you'll have more motivation to pursue it than if you just follow tutorials and make a few simple programs. If its good enough, there could even be some money in it. Who knows, you might create the next Angry Birds.

If you can find something that you have fun working on, chances are you will keep at it. And if you ever get stuck, the internet has tons of tutorials on just about any language you can think of.