How to learn programming languages by myself ?

The category of languages is quite important, not in the sense that you know some fancy words about the languages, but it can guide you to learn programming by yourself. You may have already seen some categories from different perspectives above, such as interpreted language, object-oriented language. Here, we make several rules to help you start.

• DON'T use IDE when you learn a new language. JUST DON'T.
• Find its tool chain of the language.
  • If the language is compiled language, install its compiler, write a simplest program, produce output phase by phase. e.g, C and C++, install gcc, write a helloworld.c, doing preprocessing, compiling, linking with gcc options to have a look at each phase outcome.
  • If the language is interpreted language, install and start its interpretor with interactive mode, write some code to see the result, e.g, Python.
• Understand the package management.
  • Write the simplest project with library usage in order to understand where the library is, how to install a library and remove one.
  • Write your own simplest library, e.g, add function, in order to understand how to create, use, and publish your own library.
• Practise with language syntax and its feature.
  • Play with the build-in types, knowing how to manipulate them.
  • How to define a customized type.
  • Play with imperative feature, knowing how to define a function, and argument passing mechanism.
  • If the language is with OO feature, play with its OO properties, eg, encapsulation, inheritance, polymorphism.
  • The language may offer other features, struggle with them.

In conclusion, you need to be a humble learner, doing a lot of practice, however, aim to think as a language designer instead of a follower, try to understand the soul of the language.