I've got 3 months to become a programming wizard.
What do?
Become a programming wizard, obviously. Program with whatever language works best for what you want to do. Google is your friend.
>>43344361
install gentoo
>>43344361
>implying you'll apply yourself
>implying you've ever applied yourself
>>43344378
>implying anyone on /g/ has ever applied themselves
>implying anyone on /g/ will ever apply themselves
when you sit for the interview simply run the open cd drive notepad script on the manager's computer and you will be instantly hired
>>43344361
make interactive breast physics
>>43344361
http://learnpythonthehardway.org/book/ Do this.
check the /g/ wiki it has some really good programming books.
>>43344463
>python
HAHAHAHAHAHAHA
get out
>>43344463
This book sucks
>>43344378
>YOU ARENT GONNA APPLY YOURSELF BUT I DO
>look at my memes ecks dee
We can teach you the way.
Your tuition is more feet.
>>43344504
>That book sucks
ftfy
>>43344498
Alright got a good Ruby book for OP then?
>>43344527
>your mom sucks my dick
ftfy
Read SICP and do all the exercises.
>>43344463
This series more than anything else I can think of epitomizes the folly of Ayn Rand's ideology
>>43344539
Babby is mad
Grab the C++ Primer (fifth edition).
And most importantly: find an application to program.
>>43344579
You sound frustrated
I guess I'm missing what this has to do with technology...
>>43344504
why though
is there a better one?
>>43344538
why's poignant guide to ruby is definitely a book
IDK if it's any good, but it's worth a try I guess
>>43344584
Did you really just tell a beginner (assuming they're a beginner) to start with C++?
>>43344592
You sound buttruated
>>43344607
It's okay, but it handholds way too much imo. Also has some really weird, forced memes.
>chunky bacon
>>43344607
The "Learn Python the Hard Way" is just you doing print = "whatever the example is" for like 15 chapters then they eventually get to a little Python later, Think Python is better
>>43344612
You must be new. This is /g/, where one of the languages most commonly recommended to beginners is C, and occasionally people even seriously recommend starting with x86 ASM.
>>43344612
Hell, he said he wanted to become a "programming wizard". He certainly won't become one of he learns faggy python, Java or web development.
If OP was ready to lower his standards, if he just wanted to become decent in any language, I'd recommend him to start with java. But I can't ignore OP's wish.
>>43344600
>"how do I learn programming fast"
>how is this relevant to programming
drink bleach you fucking retard
>>43344545
this but start off with The Little Schemer or The Little Lisper and work your way up.
LISP is by far the easiest family of languages to learn programming quickly. Others are just subsets of what LISP offers but they're harder to learn.
>>43344612
I suggested Python, but /g/ hates Python. I suppose if you ask 4chan how to do anything, you'll regret it.
>>43344653
>java
Just tell him to learn dick sucking b/c java is the same,
>>43344707
An excellent language to start programming with though.
It's also "hard" enough for people who simply will never be able to program to realize they're wasting their time.
>>43344671
wiseanon. Never ask 4chin anything
Learn the HTML programming language.
>>43344765
This, also learn CSS it's one of the complementary high level coding languages and the most pure
>>43344562
Please explain.
>>43344727
More like boring. everyone should start out with C or python.
>>43344765
>>43344780
HTML and CSS aren't coding languages.
>>43344885
Actually Codeacademy said they were, so fuck off.
I started with c++ and it's pretty rough.
>>43344361
Y-you have any more pics like that, OP? Assuming you're still around and all...
>>43344975
>>43345001
Mother of god, sauce?
>>43344463
I own a few books–this one was decent.
If you get a textbook, you'll skimp on doing the exercises. The author grills you into doing the most mundane shit, until it becomes some sort of latent muscle memory.
If you're just beginning, I'd get this. It's alright.
>>43344885
>coding
There's that word again.
Except fuck zeb's book. Go with something better on the /g/ wiki.
>>43345032
I'm masturbating to the image of you licking your feet ;)
>>43345111
>one lesson per day
>codecademy
Shit advice.
>>43345138
In OP's case, do all of them in under a hour.
>>43344498
>>43344498
Do people seriously believe that python is an inherently bad language?
>>43344463
its funny because /g/ bashes python but I've legit been contacted for jobs with 0 real world experience and a few C repos on github that were willing to pay 60k to 80k/year to write python
I know none of you will believe me but it's true.
>>43345163
>/g/ bashes python
I think you're confusing /g/ with a vocal minority.
like >>43344498
clearly nothing more than an epic shitepoast
>>43345163
no, mainly that book is just fucking terrible even for beginners. I expected better from Zed, it's just learn print the hard way.
>>43344607
>why though
>is there a better one?
I got in a pissing match with some dude on here the other day trying to defend THW but I have to say he was right. It teaches a lot of dogmatism, esp. when it comes to OOP, it doesn't even touch on core concepts like recursion, and the last chapter is really basic. It babies people well, which may be a good thing for some, but people who read the whole thing aren't even close to being competent programmers.
Think python and Dive Into Python are both good, think more than dive but the latter being easier.
>>43345197
what would you suggest as a first language.
>>43344787
Objectivism is a philsophical cousin of anarcho-capitalism. One of the central tenets of that ideology is the romanticized belief (especially among the autists you see here) that any person is capable of success with nothing but sheer willpower and effort, regardless of their circumstances. Which is, of course, absolutely retarded, as Zed's "textbooks" demostrate.
>>43345276
python
I'm just saying that book is shit
Go take the MIT intro to computer science
If you've taken basic calculus maybe SICP.
>>43345197
>I expected better from Zed
>expecting anything from Zed
after rails is a ghetto you should have realized Shaw is nothing but a high profile attention whore
>>43345299
But Python would hardly prepare for real programming languages
>>43345001
That is absolutely disgusting.
>>43345318
>But Python would hardly prepare for real programming languages
>would hardly prepare
>real programming languages
>but
what does that even mean?
>>43345318
But Python is a programming language.
>>43345160
> Do people seriously believe that python is an inherently bad language?
For a first programming language, yes. I would suggest doing Clojure since it's a LISP and gives you the freedom to learn all that python offers + recursion + DSLs + Concurrency + Monads (and other pure functional stuff) + it's easy to build things with + the community is the best. Don't do Python. There are many companies that are switching over to Clojure now too.
Python is 2005. There are jobs but it's shitty for learning as much as possible about programming. Learn emacs too and install gentoo fgt.
>>43345367
>Don't do Python. There are many companies that are switching over to Clojure now too.
hahaha
>>43345344
>>43345361
the only reason people teach python as a first language is because it is the least intimidating for casuals.
OP should learn C, Racket, and then whatever he wants because he will already be a wizard by that point.
>>43345367
Man, I shill for clojure every day but this is too much. It's a great language and I love it to death but you have to be retarded to think it's better than python as a learner language.
>>43345367
I've only used vim, but I know emacs x lisp is very popular.
Why shouldn't I use vim to program in lisp or its variants?
>>43345397
People teach Python because it's not intimidating and it's a good language. If it were merely about not being intimidating, there are many toy languages that could be picked before you'd think of Python.
>>43345278
That's nice strawman you got there.
>>43345397
>the only reason people teach python as a first language is because it is the least intimidating for casuals.
How is that not an excellent reason?
Besides, other reasons include
>multiparadigm
>C like syntax (easier jump to most other major languages)
>dynamic typing is easier to learn with
>>43345433
>How is that not an excellent reason?
Because you can develop a lot of bad habits using python.
>>43345446
...like?
>>43345433
>>dynamic typing is easier to learn with
but static typing is better to learn :3
I'm not a programmer by any means but I did take an introductory programming course in junior college and we used Python because according to my instructor, it helps to ease people into the principles of software design. The second semester course uses C++.
Here OP! http://learnxinyminutes.com/
Go oyster.
Or as one anon once said
"http://www.oracle.com/technetwork/developer-tools/jdev/overview/index-100269.html
Now go be upper middle class"
>>43345417
it's not an exceptionally good language, it just has good libraries.
>>43345406
you can use vim if you want but emacs + evil is already better than vim for every purpose
>>43345406
emacs is easier for repls and writing new emacs extensions is easy because they use emacs lisp. Vim has some fucked up vimscript shit that requires full autism to learn (try it).
>>43345278
>Objectivism is a philsophical cousin of anarcho-capitalism.
Why do I know of so many libertarians and anarcho-capitalists who reject Objectivism, and why did Ayn Rand explicitly reject libertarianism?
>>43345488
you're going to have to elaborate on that. what is it bad at?
>>43345467
>pure functional programming is better to learn
>string static typing is better to learn
>pure lambda calculus is better to learn
>soldering nand gates together is better to learn
we're talking about first time programmers tho
>>43345503
Yeah but we have a clojure to vimL compiler now so the situation is somewhat better than it has historically been.
>>43345503
>>43345406
Both vim and emacs are outdated. Sublime Text master race.
>>43345433
>How is that not an excellent reason?
for the same reason most public schools are shit because they cater to people of average intelligence
I will gladly let people teach me shit :D anyone? Anyone at all? No? Ok xc
>>43345512
>what is it bad at?
being a lisp
>>43345524
>Sublime Text
muhfreedumb
>>43345515
I still think starting at a low-level is beneficial for programming.
Understanding where things come from makes things more interesting to learn, at least for me.
Similarly, I'd also perfer it if high school math focused more on proofs than it did memorizing formulas.
>>43345462
http://stackoverflow.com/questions/12335358/python-what-does-a-semi-colon-do
>>43345524
>vim and emacs outdated
>sublime is the only editor mentioned that's no longer supported
Read SICP Read SICP Read SICP Read SICP Read SICP Read SICP Read SICP Read SICP Read SICP Read SICP Read SICP Read SICP Read SICP Read SICP Read SICP Read SICP Read SICP Read SICP Read SICP Read SICP Read SICP Read SICP Read SICP Read SICP Read SICP Read SICP Read SICP Read SICP Read SICP Read SICP Read SICP Read SICP Read SICP Read SICP Read SICP Read SICP Read SICP Read SICP Read SICP Read SICP Read SICP Read SICP Read SICP Read SICP Read SICP Read SICP Read SICP Read SICP Read SICP Read SICP Read SICP Read SICP Read SICP Read SICP Read SICP Read SICP Read SICP Read SICP Read SICP Read SICP Read SICP Read SICP Read SICP Read SICP Read SICP Read SICP Read SICP Read SICP Read SICP Read SICP Read SICP Read SICP Read SICP Read SICP Read SICP Read SICP Read SICP Read SICP Read SICP Read SICP
>>43345597
Read HtDP Read HtDP Read HtDP Read HtDP Read HtDP Read HtDP Read HtDP Read HtDP Read HtDP Read HtDP Read HtDP Read HtDP Read HtDP Read HtDP Read HtDP Read HtDP
Read HtDP Read HtDP Read HtDP Read HtDP Read HtDP Read HtDP Read HtDP Read HtDP Read HtDP Read HtDP Read HtDP Read HtDP Read HtDP Read HtDP Read HtDP Read HtDP
Read HtDP Read HtDP Read HtDP Read HtDP Read HtDP Read HtDP Read HtDP Read HtDP Read HtDP Read HtDP Read HtDP Read HtDP Read HtDP Read HtDP Read HtDP Read HtDP
Read HtDP Read HtDP Read HtDP Read HtDP Read HtDP Read HtDP Read HtDP Read HtDP Read HtDP Read HtDP Read HtDP Read HtDP Read HtDP Read HtDP Read HtDP Read HtDP
Read HtDP Read HtDP Read HtDP Read HtDP Read HtDP Read HtDP Read HtDP Read HtDP Read HtDP Read HtDP Read HtDP Read HtDP Read HtDP Read HtDP Read HtDP Read HtDP
>>43345597
Have you read your SICP today?
>>43345591
How is this an example of python teaching bad habits? Semicolons are not idiomatic, novices are extremely unlikely to run into this sort of code. Give me any language and I can produce bad code in it then yell about bad habits.
>>43345597
Is this good advice for someone who actually wants to have insight into programming rather than be a retarded indian who learned Java from programming videos?
>>43345611
Progsnake is love. Progsnake is life. Progsnake is love. Progsnake is life. Progsnake is love. Progsnake is life. Progsnake is love. Progsnake is life. Progsnake is love. Progsnake is life. Progsnake is love. Progsnake is life. Progsnake is love. Progsnake is life. Progsnake is love. Progsnake is life. Progsnake is love. Progsnake is life. Progsnake is love. Progsnake is life. Progsnake is love. Progsnake is life. Progsnake is love. Progsnake is life. Progsnake is love. Progsnake is life. Progsnake is love. Progsnake is life. Progsnake is love. Progsnake is life. Progsnake is love. Progsnake is life. Progsnake is love. Progsnake is life. Progsnake is love. Progsnake is life. Progsnake is love. Progsnake is life. Progsnake is love. Progsnake is life. Progsnake is love. Progsnake is life. Progsnake is love. Progsnake is life. Progsnake is love. Progsnake is life. Progsnake is love. Progsnake is life. Progsnake is love. Progsnake is life. Progsnake is love. Progsnake is life. Progsnake is love. Progsnake is life. Progsnake is love. Progsnake is life. Progsnake is love. Progsnake is life. Progsnake is love. Progsnake is life. Progsnake is love. Progsnake is life. Progsnake is love. Progsnake is life. Progsnake is love. Progsnake is life. Progsnake is love. Progsnake is life. Progsnake is love. Progsnake is life. Progsnake is love. Progsnake is life. Progsnake is love. Progsnake is life. Progsnake is love. Progsnake is life. Progsnake is love. Progsnake is life. Progsnake is love. Progsnake is life. Progsnake is love. Progsnake is life.
>>43345591
putting semicolons at the end of each line is somehow a good programming habit?
that's like saying noobs learning C should learn about whitespace and to indent properly because python requires it.
>>43345621
yeah that's pretty much the whole point of the book actually
Lol are these for me? If so thanks lol would hands on help be too much?
>>43345621
Indeed it is.
>>43345524
https://medium.com/@mkozlows/why-atom-cant-replace-vim-433852f4b4d1
>>43345621
i read a chapter in and it wasn't worth my time. It's just LISPers propaganda. there's better than this.
>>43345648
I still want to know what the name of this is so I can download it full
Daily reminder
SICP status: Deprecated
>>43345655
>there's better than this?
Like?
>>43345655
>i read a chapter in and i wasn't worth its time
ftfy
>>43345655
you would probably enjoy
>>43345609
>>43345655
>i read a chapter in
nigga what the fuck
Is this a step in learning to "hack" lol yes I'm one of those losers who dream of being a hacker. Lol I'm free for insults if you want
>>43345655
you will be back
>>43345655
The Usual Lisp
i'd dump it but I'm about to go to bed
actually fuck it
>>43345655
It barely teaches you scheme, just enough to follow the book. it's just about concepts.
>>43345621
Only if you watch the lecture series along with it, the book is useless by itself.
HtDP is slightly better but not by a large margin.
SICP uses Lisp, latter uses Scheme. Both will teach you the fundamentals, everything after that is pretty much syntax.
>>43345698
just learn PHP/SQL for that
>>43345702
>i'd dump it but I'm about to go to bed
I was about to say the same thing, but you did it for me.
G'nite, sucker!
>>43345666
reverse google image search
>>43345648
is page 3
>>43345707
there is a 2nd edition to HtDP which differentiates itself in a good way. it's now using Racket which is the Scheme family.
>SICP uses Lisp
uwot you know Scheme is Lisp right?
>>43345713
Ok thank you :) I have absolutely no knowledge in anything like this lol
>>43345707
God damn the second lecture caught me off guard. My body isn't ready for SICP yet.
>>43345741
when you hack 4chan can you make me a mod pls thx
>>43345713
Ok thank you :) I have absolutely no knowledge in anything like this lol cx
>>43345737
Dialect of lisp but whatever. I'm knee deep in everything but functional these days.
>>43345278
> One of the central tenets of that ideology is the romanticized belief (especially among the autists you see here) that any person is capable of success with nothing but sheer willpower and effort, regardless of their circumstances. Which is, of course, absolutely retarded, as Zed's "textbooks" demostrate.
This entire idea is just anecdotal evidence.
I can bring up plenty of counterexamples that are just as valid.
Should I not have started learning c as first language?
I'm finding it ok so far, only really made snake, hanoi and stuff though.
>>43345713
Ok thank you :) I have absolutely no knowledge in anything like this lol cx cx
>>43345776
you're fine. learn a lisp now.
>>43345776
If you're comfortable with learning C, keep at it.
>>43345776
c is great because everything is based off of it. you learn memory management which is masked by newer languages.
c is not great because it's been abandoned and if you want to get anything done you have to write your own code to do it.
i see it as a good starting point, but I also believe everyone should learn at least a half dozen programming languages
>>43345791
Any suggestions / favorites?
>>43345800
>>43345810
Thanks
>>43345822
my favorite is Common Lisp but you may enjoy just working through SICP with Scheme or the "batteries included" environment of Racket
Hey do like anons get on here? Like the legit hackers lol not just people being anonymous
>>43345855
yes
Are they dicks like everyone say or trolls or whatever
>>43344378
The only time I've ever applied myself is pushing my liver to it's highest limits.
>mfw waking up drunk to an SSH server installed on my laptop and five fizzbuzz programs written in assembly
>>43345885
/g/, not even once
>>43344885
>trolled softly
>>43344361
read everything on http://uubmub.com
>>43345815
>try conjuring the spirits of the computer with your spells
lost it badly
>>43345885
best code I've ever produced was blacked out drunk. I wasn't even one time either, I have this super elegant NLP project sitting on my hard drive that I only work on when I'm shit faced and it always blows me away when I read it sober.
>>43345510
Ayn Rand books are like The Bible. They are both beautifully written, contain insane ideas, and are wielded by people who didn't actually read it.
>>43345512
> fucked up scoping
> fucked up lambdas
> explicit is better than implicit, while having implicit typing, implicit memory management, implicit syntax
> hacky in general
I could go on
does programming have anything to do with mathematics?
>>43345885
>>43345993
Pic related
>>43346057
I don't even know what the fuck goes on in calculus and I still make 70k at my job. 70% of CS is bullshitting, 20% looking like you're busy, and 10% work.
>>43346073
Well fuck me I'm drunk.
will programming help me get girls?
>>43346085
The cash will. Everything else no.
>>43346085
You can design a 3D rendering of one
>>43346128
>that hair
man, cel shading freaks me the fuck out sometimes
>>43345875
How old are you?
>>43346128
You don't need to know programming for that
You could program an AI for it though
>>43345526
I really hope this is bait, I almost have to believe it is, because if it isn't how stupid you are is going to make me very sad.
Last time I checked, public schools start out by catering to those with basically no intelligence (5 year old children). Then they spend years teaching those children the ways of the world. Progressively those lessons get more and more complex, and difficult.
The public schools where I live cater to everyone, no matter their level of intelligence, by offering standard classes, remedial classes, and advanced classes.
Public schools appear to be shit, on paper. That is due to a low AVERAGE for standardized test scores. That is most likely because those tests are not a real gauge for ones intellect, they are a measure of test taking ability and preparedness. This coupled with bad parenting, and underpaid teachers leads to under prepared students, and students who just don't care about the results. I for one know that I didn't try to do well on standardized tests, because they did not have an effect on my grades, and were scored anonymously.
If no school catered to average intelligence, the separation of classes would be much greater and the world would fall apart. As there would only be a few thousand brilliant minds in the world, and millions of chimp-like neanderthals.
I'm going to guess that you are a college student, or drop out, and that you think you know everything. I am here to let you know that you do not, and that you have a long way to go. No matter how good you think you are, there will always be someone better. Just because someone currently does not know the things that you know, does not make them stupid, nor does it mean that they will not become better and more learned at the things that you already know. You need to drop the superiority complex, come join us in the real world, and if you don't want to be helpful, please just keep your mouth shut before you embarrass yourself even further.
>>43346889
This
>>43345698
Install Kali, or gentoo, whatever
>>43346277
nudes?
>>43344612
Whats wrong with learning c++ first?
>>43345001
I need the sauce for this
Fap to foot porn all day every day, you will magically learn how to program
>>43344361
Stop posting disgusting pictures and get to work.
>>43344361
1. Learn C++
2. Read up on how object-oriented-programming and pointers work. Not necessarily how to use them in every language, but the principle behind them.
3. Learn Javascript
If there's time, learn the basics of, in order: Java, PHP, C#, SQL, Python, Ruby, HTML, Fortran, kill yourself you'll never make it.
>>43344538
http://ruby.learncodethehardway.org/
Read SICP
>>43348231
>java
muhOOP
>>43348289
I assume OP needs it for a job; most jobs in programming, while not always the best paying, look for Java.
>>43348312
>programming wizard
>job
hue!
>>43348231
These languages are horrible to make you a wizard, learning languages is easy but learning to program is not
>>43345001
WHERE'S THE SAUCE
>>43348506
http://www.xvideos.com/video8114199
>>43345698
lol hi how are you doing today lol man sometimes life is so funny lol
How would I actually get started on hacking though, I'm serious
>>43344402
That is actually not as difficult as it first sounds.
>>43348231
SQL should be higher on the list, rbdms knowledge is an important skill
>>43350087
>SQL
>not using ORM
>>43344975
>>43345032
>>43345133
>>43345153
>>43347547
>>43348506
it's dag_yo, yo
>Saying 'what kind of an idiot doesn't know about the Yellowstone supervolcano' is so much more boring than telling someone about the Yellowstone supervolcano for the first time.
>>43349268
low orbit ion cannon.
>>43349268
Hacking in its colloquial meaning is about exploiting weaknesses you find in systems; i.e. to be able to find weaknesses, you need to have a somewhat deep understanding of how said systems work. So, my short answer to you is, get a degree in computer engineering.
I am posting this here because it seems like a good place.
I just finished getting my CS degree and got a decent, but not great job, programming in mostly Python and some C++.
I have been working with C++ for years, and I feel that I am fairly good at it, it is probably my best programming language. My issue is that I don't want to be pretty good at it, I want to be as good as I can be at it.
Which books and texts should I be looking at to move from an intermediate level of skill in C++ to the next step on my path to wizard? Where should I be focusing my spare time?
>>43346107
>programming
>cash
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
>>43345650
>why atom can't replace
because sublime already replaced it
>>43344361
read SICP
I currently only know C the most. I am terrible with it but I understand most of the concepts. Would it be okay to take a break from C and learn another language like Python and then return to C and hopefully be able to program better with it once I've learned how to program with an easier language.
Buy the "The c programming language", read it 10-20 times until you understand what the fuck you are doing and are able to do all of the DPT tasks
>>43350456
Well, its no longer used for the intro course at MIT, which was its primary purpose, and it's authors celebrated its retirement and publicly stated it was about damn time they moved on.
>>43345001
I'm not even a footfag, but that was hot.
>>43345397
>OP should learn C
In three months?
>>43352007
>C
>hard
Do you even know how small C is compared to python?
>>43352050
I'm defining learned as someone with working knowledge of, not someone who has read K&R a few times and implement fizz buzz.
>>43346889
cool story bro, python is still shit
>>43352332
Nice argument
>>43352336
there was nothing wrong with the argument to begin with. someone asked what was wrong using an inferior language to appeal to casuals. I answered.
>>43352367
Please learn English
>>43352386
sorry I went to a public school
>>43344545
'tis _The wizard book_
Is Think Python a good book for learning Python?
I tried a few chapters of Learn Python the Hard Way but it didn't seem like I learned much other than copying the examples and him saying "type this, you'll learn what this is later" but I want to understand why I'm doing it now and what it is
>only two feet pics in the entire thread
>>43345001
Sauce: http://www.downvids net/dag-yo-i-got-a-little-carried-away-538760.html
>>43344361
http://norvig.com/21-days.html
>>43345001
not a foot man but i am now at half-mast
>>43354372
welcome to the club, it's a downwards spiral from there
Don't know what all you fags are arguing about. Honestly no one respects a great Language like Pascal, best shit around! Good thing it' not mentioned a lot by these fucking plebs.
>>43354372
>>43354659
I'm not a foot man either. I think it's just dag_yo. She's extremely attractive.
>>43344361
Nothing. Everybody knows that you can only become a wizard in 30 years.
>>43345340
agreed. fucking gross
>>43344545
Is SICP actually worthwhile for faggots like me who do majors other than CS and only want to create mobile apps or possibly websites?
>>43357914
No, if you want to create websites all that you have to do is go to one of those pay for a template site creators then send it to your client like you coded it for 10x more
>>43357914
it's still worthwhile but probably not a good use of your time. for the most casual of casuals I would recommend just starting with javascript. http://eloquentjavascript.net/ is a good book whose 2nd edition was just completed and is free (and interactive) to read online.
you can even make cross-platform mobile apps with javascript+HTML+CSS if you use something like phonegap.
>>43352681
this
>>43344545
thiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiis
it actually litteraly starts by describing how a computer wizard conjures spells with his programs
