In this course I will set you on a path that can take you from absolute beginner to professional software developer. This is not something that you can do in an afternoon, but this introductory course is a start. My name is Mike Witt and I'm developing this course as the first step in a program that is intended to provide all the information that you will need to become a programmer with skills in a particular area: Developing web applications built around a .Net server, SQL Server database, and an Angular based UI. This first course will only be the first step, but if you stick with it you can turn your learning and hard work into a career.

If you've glanced at my bio, you will note that I've been developing software for over 35 years. When I started, I had no idea what programming was. You may have no idea or you may have some idea, but programming (unlike rocket science) is more of a skill and a craft than a theoretical science (like rocket science)! Because of this and because of a shortage of workers, many companies are willing to hire someone even if they don't meet their educational requirements. To be sure, most companies want a degree in computer science or at least some degree in a science or related field, but when it comes right down to it they want and need someone who can do the work.

This program will help you leap over the education gap by, not only understanding the technical nuts and bolts, but also by projecting your thinking and personality as someone who can do and understand software development. Here are some of the very important first topics you will learn as part of this course:

- Setup a development environment using free Microsoft tools.

- Create your first C# program.

- Get a basic understanding of what software development is an how it fits into an organization.

- Learn some very practical steps on how you can turn the knowledge you gain into a real job.

- Find out some very basic information about how a computer works. If you're going to program a computer, you should understand what it is doing.

- Understand some historical perspective about computers and software development. Again, if you're going to be a programmer, you should understand how the field started and how it got to where it is.

- Develop applications that read user input and write information for a user to read.

- Understand how variables work and the different types of variables used in an application.

- Find out how to use the two most basic techniques in programming: branching and looping in order to create an application that will do some real work.

- Finally, we'll develop a real-world application that will put all these skills to use all in the context of a read-world software development project.

I am truly excited to share my knowledge and my enthusiasm for developing software with you. Come on this journey and I will do my best to help you learn, enjoy, and finally become part of a community of developers who make this world go round!

This course comes with detailed explanations of each concept along with working examples for each programming assignment and a Verifiable Certificate of Completion.