Most programming textbooks, tutorials etc. start out with the classic, the sometimes maligned and the universally known Hello World program. Something like:

print("Hello World")

or

Console.WriteLine("Hello World");

or

println!("Hello World");

Those examples are python, C# and rust incidentally. Three of the languages I enjoy working with and am most comfortable with.

The idea behind this small little program is quite simple I think. You, as the budding novice programming, are standing up and saying Hello to the big scary world of programming.

But the title of this post is Hello Programmer, and I'd like to focus more on you as the programmer, rather than the World into which you will be programming (more on that later!).

So, what is a programmer? There are many definitions and debates about this but here is mine that I'm going to be working off for the rest of this series:

A programmer is some who is unapologetically stubborn about solving problems, always willing to learn and has an insatiable passion to build things.

That doesn't described you? Don't worry, these traits can be learned, and most programmers don't start out this way. You slowly build up to being this kind of person. A programmer is something you are not something you do.

Maybe all you are interested in is earning a good salary. Or perhaps you want to expand your skillset to keep up with changes in your, non-programming, industry. Or perhaps you just want to build a Mod for your favourite game and you have no idea where to start.

That's all fine, for a start. The why is less important for the beginner programmer, but it does become important to keep your interest alive.

So instead of saying Hello World first, take a moment to say (insert your own name):

println!("Hello Pieter");

and ask yourself why are you doing this.

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