Programming Without a Compiler

Posted by Guy Lecky-Thompson Dec 14, 2007

Every computer user has the possibility to write a sophisticated program without going any further than the tools they use on a day to day basis. More than that, the results will actually be more useful because they are integrated with those tools.

Think about it for a minute.

If you use Word or Excel, you can write macros. If you use Windows, you can create batch script to automate tasks by processing files of commands. If you are a Linux user, there is a scriptable shell interface that provides a richer version of the Windows command line equivalent. MacOS X users have the same options - there being a command line hiding underneath all the gloss of the operating system.

The kicker is - the tools that do the actual work (beyond the scripting interface) are just the regular commands and programs that you are already using! This makes for a seriously competent and under-deployed alternative to learning how to program.

The cherry on top of the cake is, that in the vast majority of cases, these scripting and batch programming tools are incredibly easy to use. Often easier than actually learning how to program with a traditional language like C.

To get started, here is a collection of links to articles right here on Suite 101:

Windows Command Line Programming

Windows Macro Scripting with AutoHotKey

Starting with VBA for Excel

Introduction to VBA for Word

Have fun!