REAL-WORLD COMPUTER PROGRAMMING FOR KIDS

STEP 34: LETTERS FROM OUR READERS AROUND THE WORLD

Friday, September 18th, 2020

I hope everybody is feeling just hunky-dory today. We have something different for you today – questions from our readers from all over the world (well, at least from all over the United States, a couple from England, one from Canada, and one from Africa – we hope to have an even more inclusive group next time).

Let’s get right down to the Questions which, as was mentioned, came to us from all over the place. And so, without further ado or adon’t, here are the questions (and answers):

~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^I just found about your newsletter. What have I missed? Should I go back and read all of them?

Anne Shirley
Avon Lea, Prince Edward Island, Canada

Thanks for your question, “Anne with an E.” You have missed quite a bit, but you can catch up without much of a problem. Your reputation as a hard worker is known to all.

Moreover, we started off assuming that the reader knew nothing about programming. So, unless you’re already a fantastical programmer, I do recommend that you indeed “go back and read all of them”; in fact, the lessons (I call them “Steps in a Journey”) are best followed sequentially, from the beginning. They are kind of like a Sitcom in that way, where one “episode” leads to the next.

~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^What do you plan for the future with “Real-Life Computer Programming for Kids”? What’s in Store?

Gloria Stivic
Queens, New York

Thanks for that question, Gloria. The plan is to break up the regular Steps with occasional batches of letters from readers (such as this one) and this or that just for a fun diversion (such as the “Bonus” post on how to save your parents up to $20 million per month that we had a while back), but as to the bulk of the content, we are in the process of wrapping up the Windows Forms part of the Journey and heading toward Databaseville, so to speak. After that, we will delve into Web technologies (how to create websites) and then on to Mobile Apps.

~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^
How long will it take me to become a good programmer?

Richie Petrie
New Rochelle, New York

Good question, Richie. Of course, that depends on your definition of “good programmer,” and your own natural talents. Most of all, though, how hard you work at it will determine how long it takes you. If you really apply yourself, you will see quick progress and may surprise yourself at your aptitude. By the time you finish each section of this newsletter, you should be equipped to tackle that kind of project (Windows Forms, then Databases, then Web stuff, and finally Mobile Apps). All the best!

~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^Will I get a diploma for taking this course?

Johnboy Walton
Walton’s Mountain, Virginia

No, you won’t, Johnboy. What you will gain is a foundation of knowledge for accomplishing all sorts of programming projects. If you do pursue computer programming as a profession (or even as a hobby, as I have heard that what you are really interested in is writing), this will give you a solid introduction into an accredited course. That is to say, it will give you a “head start” in achieving the goal of becoming a productive programmer. Goodnight, Johnboy.

~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^How much does it cost to subscribe to this Newsletter?

Pedro Sanchez
Preston, Idaho

Hello, Pedro. Say hi to your friends for us, and to Tina the llama. The cost is $7 per month, or $70 for a year. Since 7 * 12 = 84, when you subscribe for a year you save $14 (enough for the ingredients to build at least a couple of cakes, I would say). Also, by subscribing you obtain access to all of the previous Lessons, or “Steps in the Journey,” too. Plus, when you subscribe you get PDFs of the four books that are going to be written on the four main technologies (Windows Forms, Databases, Web, and Mobile) when they are published.

~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^Why do you choose the Tools you do?

Jamal Wallace
Bronx, New York

Hello Jamal, since we haven’t gotten past the Windows Forms part of the Journey just yet, I’m assuming you mean the following:

WINDOWS FORMS

Visual Studio (IDE)

C# (Programming Language)

... But I’m going to add some of the other tools here, too, as I may as well preemptively or proactively answer your question regarding them, also:

DATABASE

MySQL (DBMS, or Database Management System)

Database Workbench (Database Productivity Tool)

WEB TECHNOLOGIES

HTML, CSS, JavaScript (“languages” and technologies for Web projects)

ASP.NET (Web-centric Application Framework)

MOBILE APPS

Java (Programming language)

Android Studio (IDE)

In each case, I chose the above tools for three reasons:
1) I believe they are quality tools, either the best in class or tied for best
2) I am familiar with them and enjoy working with them, and ... (drum roll) ...
3) They are free to you – no charge; no cost. Nada. Zilch.

The one tool among these that is a little different is Database Workbench (DBWB is the easiest way to work with Databases of any that I have ever tried, although Toad is also good if you are working with an Oracle database). DBWB is different than the other tools because it is, for the most part, a paid product (and well worth the money). But this particular version of DBWB that we are going to use is free, that is to say the MySQL “Lite” version of DBWB. Truth be told, I probably would have went with MS SQL Server as my Database choice (although I also love Firebird), because of its popularity, my familiarity with it, and because it is a natural fit for Visual Studio (since both are Microsoft products), but the “free” factor of DBWB for MySQL (DBWB for MS SQL Server costs $$) tipped me MySQL-wards. So although I understand Database technology and SQL, I myself will be undertaking a bit of a learning curve when it comes to using MySQL as our DBMS (Database Management System).

One other thing I will mention is Android Studio, the IDE for working with Android (phone and tablet) projects. I call it “Androidio,” but the cats behind it don’t like that moniker. I still call it that, though.

Note: Java (a great language, and similar enough to C# that you shouldn’t have a huge adjustment going from one to the other) and JavaScript (used for controlling and responding to actions on web pages) have a very similar name, but have very little in common other than their name and that they are both programming languages (although some would say that JavaScript is “just” a scripting language, not a full-fledged programming language; whatever). You might compare them to Harper Lee (author of To Kill a Mockingbird) and Alvin Lee (guitarist for Ten Years After, who performed at Woodstock).

Can you guess which one is which?

And by the way, Jamal, I’m glad that you found Forrester.

~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^Are there “hidden” costs involved – will we have to buy additional software and/or hardware to follow along with these “Steps on the Journey,” as you call these lessons?

Hushpuppy
Isle de Charles Doucet, Louisiana

Nice to “see you” again, Hushpuppy! Naturally, there are always things you might want to purchase (such as a larger monitor (screen, not lizard) -- or even two monitors), but you won’t need to purchase anything at all. In fact, even this newsletter itself is free ... for the most part. I attach that qualifier because non-subscribers do not get all of the content – and they do not get the PDFs of the four books as they are published.

To expand a little, based on what particular projects you might work on in the future (but not as a part of these Steps on our Journey), you may find that you really want to purchase some additional software (such as Aspose Cells* if you are programmatically creating and manipulating Excel spreadsheet files, for example) or hardware (such as a barcode scanner if you are working on that sort of app), but no, for what we are going to do and where we are going on our Journey, you won’t have to spend one measly cent.

* I am not affiliated with the makers of Aspose Cells (or Database Workbench or any of the other tools I use or mention, for that matter); I simply have used them and found them to be good.

I wish you all the best, Hushpuppy!

~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^Which email address should I use to send in questions to you?

Meg, Joe, Beth, and Amy March
Concord, Massachusetts

You can keep doing as you did – enter your question at the bottom of one of the Steps. If you prefer to keep your question private, though (until it is printed), please send it to us at Idiolectable@gmail.com

~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^How many people are on your team there?

Christopher Robin
Chelsea, London, England

Well, the people at substack, who host this Newsletter, can be considered a part of our team, I guess. But to answer your question in the way I assume you meant it, there are two of us. I, Clay Shannon, write the code (and I am writing this “Step”), while my alter ego “Blackbird Crow Raven” (who is kind of crazy, but “in a good way,” for the most part) writes the Steps (articles, or posts, or lessons, or whatever you want to think of them as; we usually call them Steps). Sometimes BCR’s rantings and ravings and warblings are a little too wacky and zany for my taste, with all the weird stuff he throws into these Steps. I wish he would just “stick to the facts” and let his wild imagination hibernate or something. But, this whole thing was his idea, so I have to just live with it, I reckon.

~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^How much will it cost me total to take this course? I mean, including all the “extra junk” I will have to buy?

Willis Jackson
New York, New York

Whatchu talkin’ about, Willis? That question was already answered above. But you didn’t know that when you submitted your question, of course. I just put your somewhat redundant question here to re-emphasize the fact that the price of the subscription is all that you will have to pay (this assumes you already have a computer that runs Windows – a laptop will do).

~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^Do I need Visual Studio in order to benefit from “Real-World Computer Programming for Kids”?

Tarzan
African Jungle

No, you don’t. But it would help a lot. You can learn a lot just by reading the Steps, without actually following along, or “playing along,” as I sometimes call it. But most people learn better when there’s a “hands-on” element to their learning experience. You can learn by watching, but it doesn’t compare to learning by doing. And remember, there are versions of Visual Studio which are free! You should be able to swing “free,” right?

~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^I am not a baby goat! Why do you say this Newsletter is for Kids?

Victoria Barkley
Stockton, California

I did think twice before naming it that, for two reasons. One is the reason you mentioned (young humans are not young goats, and it is young goats who are actually “kids.”). You might want to re-read the Intro, which talked about why the word “Kids” was used, even though your humble correspondent was fully aware that a Kid is, in actuality, a young goat, not a human.

The other reason I had second thoughts about using that word is that this Journey is not restricted to the young, anyway. Anybody from 8 to 80 (or even above or below that) can go along with us. As Albert Einstein said, if you can’t explain something to a 6-year-old, you don’t really understand it yourself. If your extremely young or old age hinder you, we will help carry you, together. That is to say, we are here to answer your questions. In fact, note the next question that was asked, below.

Google / CC BY-SA (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)

~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^Who are you callin’ Kid, sonny?!? I’l have you know that I am 117 years young, and I don’t miss a single Step in the Journey!

Daisy May “Granny” Moses
Beverly Hills, California

I apologize if I ruffled your feathers there, Granny. I’m glad to hear that someone with your vast amount of life experience is benefiting from our efforts. Think of it as meaning “Kids of All Ages.” Tell Jed, Jethro, and Elly May hello from all of us.

~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^Why so much Refactoring?

Miss Jane Marple
St. Mary Mead, England

Because we are not perfect. We are human. No matter how long we think about a programming project before starting in on the actual coding, there are always some things that it turns out we forgot, or didn’t realize we would need to change. As the old expression goes, the only constant is change. And that’s what Refactoring is – changing your code, and it’s a constant, or ongoing, process. An author once said that books are never really finished, just abandoned. It is similar with some software programs. There are always more things that could be added to them, but sometimes “the perfect is the enemy of the good.”

Just like bugs, which need to be fixed, Refactoring has to be done as we realize better ways to do things in our code. To write a bug-free app that needs no Refactoring, the programmer would have to be a stone-cold genius who knew everything about everything and could foresee the future with perfect accuracy. Of course, we’re talking about a software project of “any real size,” here – it is possible to write a simple Utility (a “one-trick-pony” kind of app) that works perfect from the outset, but even then only once you have gained some experience at coding and have a good idea of what you’re doing and what you’re trying to accomplish.

~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^It seems like there’s no end of things to learn – do you have to be a genuis to be a programmer?

Becky Thatcher
St. Petersburg, Missouri

There is a lot to learn, Becky, I’m not going to pull the wool over your eyes. But if you take it a step at a time, and don’t put too much pressure on yourself to do everything perfectly, or to understand everything immediately, you’ll be fine if you are of average intelligence. Of course, it helps to be a little “smarter than the average bear,” but for those who are “just average,” they can make up for it by trying harder. Think of the tale of the “Turtle and the Rabbit” (or, if you prefer, TheTortoise and the Hare). To answer your question more directly and succinctly, No, you don’t have to be a genius. I’m not one. Don’t worry about it, Becky. Besides, your friend Tom Sawyer tells me that you are resourceful and a very good scholar. That’s all you need – find a way, and do the work!

That’s it for now! Now we look forward to your questions for future editions of this “Letters from Readers” Step along this Journey that we are all taking together.

Until the next Step – Adios and farewell!

The first volume of my four-volume series, Real-World Computer Programming for Kids of All Ages, namely Volume 1: Windows Forms Apps Using C# and Visual Studio is now available in both Paperback and Kindle formats. Volume 1 contains everything that has been printed in this Newsletter so far and through Step 34.

The kindle version of the book can be accessed here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08H7DKKCS/ and the Paperback version can be accessed here https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08H9RB1WG/

Earth-shakingly Important Notice: If you have a basic programming question (suitable to an audience of “Kids”), send it to idiolectable@gmail.com, specifying whether you would like your name and location used if it is printed in a future “Step” of this newsletter. If you are a subscriber to the newsletter, you can also leave a question at the bottom of this Step, in the “Comments” section.

If you do not want to give your real name, a nickname is acceptable (the first “Letter to the Editor” of mine that was printed appeared in Rolling Stone magazine, back in the early 1970s, and I signed it “Sylvester” for some reason which I no longer remember).  

Finally, it’s always interesting to see where people are from, so please provide your City or Town and the State it’s in, too (or Province, or whatever the region where you live is called).

To listen to this Step, the audio of it can be found here: