Learn programming 1: Introduction

Welcome to Fun Programming! This is the introduction to a series of videos where I will be explaining creative programming to beginners. I start with a programming language called Processing in the next video. These videos are part of a challenge to upload one episode each day during August 2011. I focus on creating visual effects and not so much in theory. Usually I introduce one new concept on each episode. Most images in this video are taken from the programs we write in coming episodes. In www.funprogramming.org you can read the descriptions of all episodes in one page. Note: This video replaces the original introduction video. It's the same but better :)

Hi. This is the introduction video for FunProgramming.

A series of videos teaching creative programming.

The idea is to learn to create animation and sounds by writing and playing with short programs.

If you want to start learning immediately you can skip to the next video.

In this one I'll just answer some questions.

Who is this meant for?

The idea here is to make you interested in creative programming.

We start at the very beginning drawing one pixel to the screen.

I'm assuming you don't know much about programming.

If you're at least 10 years old you should be able to follow.

If you're younger or want to try something even easier...

... you might want to check out Scratch or Alice.

Those are programming languages where you don't have to type the programs.

You use the mouse instead.

Why learn programming?

I think it's useful to have an idea about how software is created because we're surround by software now.

If you ever work with computers, knowing programming can make things easier for you at some point.

For example: you can program inside Photoshop, Excel, 3DSMax or Live.

Those are programs for editing photos, creating spreadsheets, doing 3D animation or making music.

Programming is useful in many applications.

But even if you just watch 5 or 10 episodes and you never try programming again...

... you will at least have an idea of how programs are created.

I think it would be good if we learned programming in school together with math.

Because math is at times very abstract, but if you write programs ...

... math becomes something you can play with.

Math is no longer something you just need for an exam, but something you use to make music or sound ...

... animations, computer games. So it's something you can see or hear.

While programming you learn to find out what is the cause for certain behavior.

So I think that in a way it teaches how to think!

You wonder why something is happening. You do some tests and discover how it works using logic.

I believe this can be quite useful.

Why Processing?

There are probably hundreds of programming languages.

At least 10 or 20 are currently popular. Like Javascript, Java, PHP, Python, Ruby, C.

Processing has some advantages.

In Processing you can get started in just a few minutes.

It's free software and it works on Linux, Windows and Mac.

And it allows you to create interesting programs in just a few lines of code.

That's a reason why it's often used for teaching.

And also used by artists to create their work.

The syntax in Processing is similar to other programming languages.

The concepts used are the same. There's variables, loops, conditional statements...

So it's a good language to get started and it shouldn't be hard to switch to another language later, if you want.

I think at least at the beginning it should be simple and fun.

Otherwise you may decide that programming is too complicated for you.

Why create Fun Programming?

I think education is basic to improve our lives and to solve problems in this planet.

In many places education could be better than it is today...

... and one time I started wondering: "Why aren't all our teachers as passionate as Carl Sagan?"

So they could make us interested, make us wonder about things, make us think and ask questions.

He was really good explaining science.

I thought they could record such great communicators in video and show those in school...

... together with interesting images.

The students could then discuss things with teachers and other students.

But there are laws, governments and business that make changes to the educative system flow...

... then one day I heard about the Kahn Academy.

It's a project that was started by one person recording many videos teaching math...

... and millions of people were learning thanks to this.

I thought this was great!

Instead of trying to change the educative system, he was creating a new one.

That anyone could access for free using the internet.

This inspired me to try recording such videos myself.

I have never done that before. So I spent two weeks learning how to do it.

I was finding the right spot for the microphone. The right volume, screen recording software...

... editing software. I discovered it's not so easy for me to convert thoughts into good explanations.

Sometimes it sounded great when practicing, but then when I started recording I couldn't find the right words.

That was in 2010.

Somewhere I heard that if you do something for 21 days in a row it becomes automatic and much easier.

So the last day of July 2011 I decided to record one video each day of August.

I knew it would be difficult at first, but with time I would get better at it.

So I did it... but I didn't stop at the end of August.

There are now 65 episodes and almost 400 viewers everyday. So it's inspiring and I continue doing that.

I really enjoy creating small programs that generate beautiful graphics and music.

This is how I learned programming as a kid: doing experiments.

Not trying to memorize things, but playing.

Math then becomes fun and Science easier to understand.

I hope I can transmit this way of learning to you at least a little bit.

So thanks for watching and I wish you fun programming!