Learn to Program Using Python

I originally wanted to learn Python because I wanted to make a computer game. I had taken several programming classes in college (C, C++, and Java) but nothing really serious. I’m not a Computer Science major and I don’t program on a professional level.

I didn’t really like the low-level work involved with C/C++. Things like pointers, memory management, and other concepts were difficult for me to grasp, much less effective use. Java, as my first programming class in school, didn’t make any sense. I had never used an object-oriented language before and object-oriented programming (OOP) concepts gave me fits. It probably didn’t help that my Java class wasn’t actually real Java; it was actually Microsoft’s “custom” version: J++. So not only was I learning a language that had little practical use (J++ added and cut many features found in real Java), but the programs didn’t work correctly. Ultimately the class was canceled near the end of the semester and everyone received full credit.

These problems, and issues learning other programming languages, left a bad taste in my mouth for programming. I never thought I learned a language well enough to feel comfortable using it, much less actually enjoying programming. But then I heard about Python on a computer forum and noticed several other mentions of the language at other sites around the Internet. People were talking about how great the language was for personal projects and how versatile it is. I decided to give programming one more try and see if Python was the language for me.

To give me more incentive to learn the language, I decided to recreate a role-playing game from my childhood as a computer game. Not only would I have a reason to learn the language but, hopefully, I would have something useful that I could give to others for their enjoyment.