So you want to be a programmer? Or maybe you just want to be able to make your computer do what YOU want for a change? Maybe you enjoy the challenge of identifying a problem and solving it. If programming intrigues you for whatever reason, Beginning Programming All-In-One Desk Reference For Dummies is like having a starter programming library all in one handy, if beefy, book.In this practical guide, you'll find out about compiling, algorithms, best practices, debugging your programs, and much more. The concepts are illustrated in several different programming languages, so you'll get a feel for the variety of languages and the needs they fill. Seven minibooks cover: Getting started Programming basics Data structures Algorithms Web programming Programming language syntax ApplicationsBeginning Programming All-In-One Desk Reference For Dummies shows you how to decide what you want your program to do, turn your instructions into "machine language" that the computer understands, use programming best practices, explore the "how" and "why" of data structuring, and more. You'll even get a look into various applications like database management, bioinformatics, computer security, and artificial intelligence. Soon you'll realize that - wow! You're a programmer!

Wallace Wang is a bestselling author with more than 2.3 million For Dummies books in print. He wrote Beginning Programming For Dummies and moonlights as a stand-up comic.