What is programming, anyway?
I'm making an assumption that you are here because you want to learn how to "write code." I say this in the most affectionate way because I hear people talking about getting others to "write code" or "start coding." I fear this is how we talk about programming because it is treated as a dark art only the initiated would dare discuss in anything other than hushed tones of reverence.
As it turns out, programming, like everything else you do, is a skill. It's an undertaking that can be used to make art, solve problems, or even create games. If you take a look at the "create something" page you will see code which is as simple as a "Hello, World" program all the way to a much more esoteric "Game of Life." All of the programs listed are created with the same skills, just at varying levels of complexity.
In the end, programming is a creative act done by writing a logic language humans can read and computers can interpret. The popular languages used today are built for use by professionals who require a high level of sophistication from the languages they use. This means even one of the most ubiquitous languages of our time, JavaScript, is a large, nuanced language which requires time and effort to master.
This is not how programming has to be.
I believe programming can be accessible to anyone who is inclined to experiment and learn something new. The rest of this page is dedicated to helping people learn to program with a language that is intended to be read out loud. Get ready, this experience will be challenging, but I hope you find it fun and exciting!
Your First Program
The classic first program is the "Hello, World" program. You are not required to actually make it say "Hello, World", but that is the most common practice. Let's have a look at this program and what it looks like in disc language.
begin
print: "Hello, World!"
end
Before opening the create something page, read this code aloud. What does it say the computer
is going to do? What do begin and end mean? When you look at the create
something page, where do you think print is going to display the words? Why is the
exclamation, "Hello, World!" in quotes?
Learning to read source code (the program text), does not need to be different than learning any other language. The program is structured in a certain way (syntax), and the meaning, and organization of the parts of the language (grammar) follow rules which tend to be more predictable than spoken language. That is, at least, it's more predictable than English, which is the language I know best.
Now that you have spent some time considering the short "Hello, World" program, try writing it. Go to the create something page, press the "new program" button, and start writing! It's okay if you have to talk out loud as you write it. That's what disc language is all about.