Yesterday, I wrote a post about Python Programming. I asked readers whether if it was an item of interest, and if so, I said I’d write some more about it.
Based on views, questions and comments, it’s something people want to read more about.
This article is a set of ideas for what you can do with programming. It’s what I would have written had I not run out of time last night.
What Can You Do With Programming?
I won’t say that there are limitless options when you learn programming – only that I am not anywhere near knowledgeable enough to tell you what the limits are.
Here are some of the things I’ve built or tried to build since learning Python a couple of years ago:
- Tons of different calculators; living costs, tax calculators, calorie calculators – these are really simple with some basic maths, so you can build these things quickly and easily
- Analysis tools; I mentioned yesterday about crime – you can do anything location based but also create graphs and other data comparisons automatically
- CSV uploader for websites; I had an ecommerce store where I had to upload product details. Rather than upload everything individually, I pointed the script and made it run for me
- A lot of language stuff. I’m a writer and if the automation apocalypse is coming for writers, I still plan to be on the winning sides. Besides… I love linguistics.
- Scrapers for various sites
- I made a cool Markov Script for midi; essentially creating an automated tune that’ll play forever based on the notes that preceded it. It’s a niche interest but why not?
- I managed to hook up a Raspberry Pi to a light bulb and make it blink on command
Here are some potential uses for programs to create.
Business Stuff
You can create bots. Python has libraries available for most social media sites, search engines and practically everything online. It’s arguable as to whether it’s the best programming language to use for online stuff, but it works. You can also use the language to build a website and run it using Python, though unless you’ve got something special going on, I’d recommend sticking with WordPress.
Also, you can automate stuff that’s on your desktop. Python scripts can open, run and edit different programs. This means that you have a ton of different options too numerous for me to mention.
Home Automation/Robotics
If you buy yourself a Raspberry Pi, you’ll find that you can quickly enter the world of robotics and other electronics applications. I don’t know much about this but I find it fascinating.
A Raspberry Pi is a tiny little computer that costs $50 or less. It can run Python (among other languages.) Now, if you connect a few bits and pieces you can turn the mini-computer into an intelligent device which controls other devices or takes data from various sensors.
If you’re interested in this, then you should check out some cool stuff on YouTube, where plenty of people do amazing things with a little bit of programming and some not-very-expensive gadgets.
Where To Go With Programming in Python
Hacking Together Little Projects
Sometimes, you’ll think, “I can’t be bothered with this boring, repetitive task.”
Whilst some would-be programmers probably have aspirations towards being the next Zuckerberg or other nerd-with-billions-of-dollars-in-software-businesses, I’m just happy when I can code something that’ll take work I find boring and have my computer do it for me.
The former – the billionaire developer route – is out of reach for most people. The latter – making easy programs that make your life simpler – is possible for pretty much everyone who has a basic tech literacy.
You can spend a day building a little project that’ll help you save ten minutes a day without too much trouble. Whether that’s something that auto-generates a to-do list or something that uploads media to your website so you don’t have to, you can get a quick return on time invested.
You can also save yourself a ton of money. This isn’t necessarily related to programming per se., but there are plenty of subscription tools and programs that people pay absurd monthly fees for. You can create your own for free, whether you use Python, iMacros or some other “hack.”
Essentially… move from “life hacker” to “real hacker” and see your life improve.
Prototypes and Proof of Concept
Now, I couldn’t produce a professional piece of software. I couldn’t charge people for my programming skills, because I’m not good enough. Nor am I diligent enough with writing perfect code or checking for errors. My brain just isn’t interested.
But… and this is true whether you’re creating an info product, a physical product or a piece of software, I maintain you should always be able to do enough to put something together before you try a business idea out.
So, if you wanted to create a social media scheduler with all the bells and whistles, you’d probably need to hire someone, especially if you wanted to sell the software.
But before you hire someone, you should make one yourself. A rubbish one that can post nothing buy “Hi everyone” on a new and blank Twitter account is still proof of concept, and it’ll be useful when you take your idea to the next stage.
Hiring
Having made the mistake of hiring people without knowing what I was doing in the past, here’s what I recommend:
Never hire someone unless you know exactly what you need them to do.
When it comes to hiring a programmer, having a basic understanding of how the whole thing works will provide you a massive return on the time it takes you to learn. This is true of any outsourcing, really.
Think about a plumber. If your toilet is broken and you don’t have a clue what’s wrong, the average plumber will think, “This guy doesn’t have a clue and he really needs a working toilet… looks like the issue is “complicated” and “expensive… if it’s even possible!”
Now, if you know the basics of plumbing, then you might not need to hire that guy. If you do need to hire him, you can say, “Here’s the problem. I need a new X.” That plumber isn’t going to try his luck.
Programming is similar, but with an added caveat: It’s complicated. If you try and hire a programmer but you don’t really know what you need them to do, they’ll be frustrated, you’ll be frustrated and time and money will march ever upwards until everyone is broke and miserable.
Learning a little programming goes a long way should you ever hire a programmer. You’ll have a better idea of what’s possible, what needs to be done and how complicated the project is in terms of time and money.
Fun Projects
Here’s a confession; I don’t find programming fun. There are some guys who love programming. They’ll sit for hours doing it in their free time and enjoy every minute.
I don’t. But then I also don’t enjoy exercising.
Programming, like exercise, is a tool kit. Unless you’re some sort of weirdo, working out is a gateway to better stuff. Lifting weights is boring and cardio is even more boring, but if you stay in shape you can go hiking, play sports with your friends or impress girls at a nightclub.
Programming is the same. You can have fun with various projects – like building a robot or watching your computer execute some magic trickery that’d take you hours – even though programming itself is pretty monotonous.
Also, the results of working out how to save yourself many hours of hard labour make everything more fun.
Final Thoughts
Hopefully, I’ve given you some ideas in this article. Like I keep mentioning, I’m not an expert in any sense. Everything I learned basically came through Google searches, YouTube videos and reading a few books and working through the exercises.
Now, it’s worth stating that you don’t have to use Python as a language. Most programming languages have massive crossover. Python is just the one I can use.
In reality, if you learn one programming language, you’ll probably be able to learn other languages too. It’s the same process just with different quirks, rules and exceptions.