Basic computer programming can be intimidating to anyone who has ever attempted to write their first line of code. Idiot's Guides: Basic Programming takes the fear out of learning programming by teaching readers the basics of programming with Python, an open-source (free) environment which is considered one of the easiest languages to learn for beginners, Python has consistent syntax, a solid standardized library, and a simplicity that isn't always present in other languages. Readers will learn not only the how of programming but the why so that they not only know how to write code, but why that code works, and how it relates to other languages and forms of programming. Readers will learn how to program through simple projects that help them to learn how basic programming works, while encouraging them to be creative and enabling them to see the tangible results of their coding.