You are about to explore one of the most interesting, exciting areas coming out of modern technology. And, we have to admit, it is also one of the harder skills of the 20th century. Many people can't imagine something that is both hard and exciting. Some might say that only a 'nerd' could say such a thing. We leave the final decision up to you.
Programming is both a science and an art.
That is part of the excitement. To be sure, there are plenty of rules to follow when writing a program and, since the interaction is with a machine, it has a certain mechanical nature to it. But, any program you write is yours. It came out of your head and is the product of your creative juices. This is especially true as you venture beyond the basic formats presented in class and this text.