Absolute Beginner's Guide to Programming, Second Edition will help the reader understand what programming really is. The reader not only gets an overview of the job of programming, but also learns which specific skills are needed for certain jobs.

The reader will understand

• How a computer interprets a program's instructions and gain insight into what goes on "under the hood" when a computer runs a program.
• How programming can and does relate to the Internet and learn about the skills required for adding security to programs.
• Compiled versus other kinds of programs such as interpreted languages like JavaScript and HTML, which are more formatting and hyperlink languages.
• Job potential in the programming market.

Absolute Beginner's Guide to Programming, Second Edition offers "hands-on" programming for the "absolute beginner." There are several texts for specific languages, and two offerings (IDG and Sams) that attempt to take an overview-to-programming attitude, but this is the only one that takes today's programming environments and explains why each is important and for whom they are important.