Idiots guide or Dummies guide or ?

Ader1

I can remember around the year 2000 I was learning some Microsoft applications and I was using one of the above guide books I believe. Anyway, at the end of each chapter they had a task which they took you through step by step. Then the next chapter built upon the task in the previous chapter. I thought it was an excellent and progressive way to learn a new application eg Access; Excel ; Powerpoint. I can't find the books now. Does anybody know which of the books I mentioned in the title designed their teaching in this way? Or might they be able to suggest something else? I'm interested in learning some computer coding at a basic level. Thank you.

DoaM

"Whatever" For Dummies was the name of the series of books.

Example

esuhl

Ader1 wrote: »

I'm interested in learning some computer coding at a basic level. Thank you.

What kind of coding do you want to learn? What is it you want to achieve? (Apart from the fun of learning something new, of course :-)


Do you want to write Windows software or mobile apps, or design a website, or database? Or learn VBA to simplify and automate calculations in Excel spreadsheets...?


Or, rather than writing long programs, would you like to learn more about what you can do with the command line (typing individual commands)?

coffeehound

Ader1 wrote: »

... at the end of each chapter they had a task which they took you through step by step. Then the next chapter built upon the task in the previous chapter. I thought it was an excellent and progressive way to learn a new application ... Does anybody know which of the books I mentioned in the title designed their teaching in this way? Or might they be able to suggest something else? I'm interested in learning some computer coding at a basic level. Thank you.

I think you’ll find many programming books will follow that kind of progression for teaching. The exceptions would be what the Americans (and now us, obviously) call ‘cookbooks’ which tend to give solutions to particular problems, and language reference books which just give dry syntax and explanations. Having a browse through descriptions and reviews on Amazon should tell you the approach followed by each text. Also there are many video tutorials and courses out there on youtube, udemy, etc.

SandraX

Dummies is the guides I think as I recall throwing out hubby's books from years ago.

Ader1

esuhl wrote: »

Do you want to write Windows software or mobile apps, or design a website, or database? Or learn VBA to simplify and automate calculations in Excel spreadsheets...?

Thank you all for your replies.


I'm interested in creating mobile apps and website design.

20aday

So something like this might be what you're looking for:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Building-Web-Site-Dummies-4th/dp/0470560932/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1546517143&sr=1-1&keywords=website+building+for+dummies

PDC

I guess the above book might be good to help get you started and give you a general understanding of things however the fact its from 2010 means its going to be pretty outdated with regards to current web standards.

Perhaps there is a newer edition - I did look on Amazon and the author does have a 2018 version but it only shows up in French - So maybe not that much help.

agrinnall

It looks like the 4th edition from 2010 is the most recent one, so can't really be recommended. Here is a list of all the Web Development titles in the For Dummies range:


https://www.dummies.com/store/Computers-Internet/Internet/Web-Development.html


I'd look elsewhere, perhaps at some of the other suggestions for titles on Amazon.