Coding For Dummies, All New Edition

Paul McFedries is an experienced programmer, tech expert, educator, and author. He’s spent a lifetime teaching complex technology topics to everyday people by focusing on straightforward, simple solutions and techniques. He’s the author of HTML, CSS, & JavaScript All-in-One For Dummies and Web Coding & Development All-in-One For Dummies.

• Introduction 1About This Book 1Foolish Assumptions 2Icons Used in This Book 3Beyond the Book 3Part 1: Coding Basics 5Chapter 1: What Is Coding? 7Programming: Making a Computer Do Your Bidding 8What Is a Programming Language? 9The Role of Programming Languages 10Understanding How Code Is Written and Executed 12Why Learn to Code? Let Me Count the Ways 15Real-World Uses of Coding 19Chapter 2: Coding Concepts You Need to Know 23Storing Stuff in Variables 24Dealing with Data Types 27Constructing Expressions 29Making Decisions with Conditionals 33Automating Repetitive Tasks with Loops 36Organizing Code into Functions 38Introducing Objects 41Documenting Code with Comments 43Debugging Code and Handling Errors 44Chapter 3: Getting to Know Some Programming Languages 49Ranking Programming Languages 50Assembly: Close to the Machine 50Python: No Experience Required 53JavaScript: The Glue that Binds the Web 55Sneaking a Peek at a Few Other Popular Languages 57Grokking the Difference between Interpreted and Compiled Languages 68Part 2: Learning Python: The Beginner-friendly Language 69Chapter 4: Getting Started with Python 71Getting to the Command Line 72Installing Python 75Running the Python Interpreter 80Running Your First Python Program 84Chapter 5: Getting Comfy with Some Python Fundamentals 89Declaring Variables 90Exploring Python Data Types 91Constructing Expressions 93Messing Around with Strings 97Chapter 6: Storing Data and Controlling Your Code. 105Storing Stuff in Lists 105More Ways to Store Stuff: Tuples and Dictionaries 111Conditionals in Python 115Python Loops 119Adding Comments to Your Code 123Example: Build Your Own Survey Bot 123Chapter 7: Reusing Code 127Making Your Code More Efficient with Functions 128Getting the Hang of Variable Scope 131Avoiding Wheel Reinvention with Modules 134Reuse Heaven: Installing External Libraries 141Reusing Data by Writing and Reading Files 144Example: Building a Quotations Archive 147Chapter 8: Expanding Your Python Skills 153Waxing Pythonic 154Comprehending List Comprehensions 155Introducing Object-Oriented Programming (OOP) 158Working with APIs 165Handling Program Errors 170Debugging Your Code 174Example: Cat Fact Cards 176Chapter 9: Building Some Useful Python Projects 179Project 1: Anagram Guessing Game 180Project 2: Text Analyzer 193Part 3: LEARNING JavaScript: THE LANGUAGE Of the Web 207Chapter 10: Getting Your Feet Wet with JavaScript. 209JavaScript: Controlling the Machine 210What You Need to Get Started 211Basic Script Construction 211Adding Comments to Your Code 212Creating External JavaScript Files 213Getting to Know the Console 214Chapter 11: Getting the Hang of a Few JavaScript Fundamentals 219I Do Declare: Variables in JavaScript 220Code Looping in JavaScript 221Harnessing the Power of Functions 224Getting the Hang of Variable Scope 227Chapter 12: Tackling Some JavaScript Objects 231Pulling Strings 231Dealing with Dates and Times 236Working with Numbers: The Math Object 240Working with Arrays 244Chapter 13: Unleashing JavaScript in the Browser 251Getting to Know the Document Object Model 252Specifying Elements 253Traversing the DOM 257Manipulating Elements 260Modifying CSS with JavaScript 264Building Reactive Pages with Events 267Chapter 14: Debugging JavaScript 271Examining Your Debugging Tools 272Debugging with the Console Window 273Pausing Your Code 275Stepping Through Your Code 279Chapter 15: Putting JavaScript to Work 283Project 1: A Photo Gallery 284Project 2: Get a Random Quotation from an API 286Part 4: the Part of Tens 293Chapter 16: Ten Things to Know about AI and Coding 295Understanding How You Can Use AI 296Learning What AI Can and Can’t Do 296Crafting Effective Prompts 297Learning to Code Using AI 298Avoiding AI Dependency 298Reviewing the Major AI Coding Tools 299Vibe Coding Is Fun 300Best Practices for Integrating AI 300Avoiding Common Mistakes 301Understanding Code Before Using It 301Chapter 17: Ten Vital HTML Tags and CSS Properties 303Ten HTML Tags You Need to Know 304Ten CSS Properties to Memorize 306Ten CSS Selectors to Swoon Over 308Index 313