The software world is vast and various. There are many software languages to learn, many ways you can specialize. In learning how to write software, the first step is to decide what type of software, or computer programming language, you want to become proficient in. There are many to choose from. You need to figure out what kind of software you want to write--C++, visual basic, database, java, etc. This web page will give you resources to help you in your quest to write software.
I highly recommend a few outstanding books and guides on different computer software programming languages:
Java How to Program. This edition is completely up-to-date with The Java 2 Platform Standard Edition (J2SE) 1.5. Now includes topics such as autoboxing, enumerations, enhanced for loops, static import statements, variable-length argument lists, and much more.
C++ How to Program. The world's best-selling introduction to C++ programming, this is the most comprehensive, practical introduction to C++ ever published.
Microsoft Visual Basic .NET Step by Step Version 2003. No matter where you're coming from, if you want to learn Visual Basic .NET 2003, you'll welcome this guide. Beginners and upgraders alike will appreciate the simple hands-on walkthroughs of the Visual Basic/Visual Studio .NET environment; writing your first program; and working with toolbox controls, menus, and dialog boxes. Beginners will devour the programming fundamentals section.
SQL for Dummies. This guide is your personal tutor for SQL, the industry-standard language for "talking" to databases and getting the information you need. This teaches you to build databases, protect them from corruption, store and retrieve what you need, handle nonrelational data, and even swap information with nondatabase applications using XML.
HTML for the World Wide Web with XHTML and CSS: Visual QuickStart Guide, Fifth Edition. This guide explains how to code HTML and create efficient web pages through series of step-by-step instructions accompanied by screenshots. It covers text formatting, page layout, creating links, applying styles, and adding tables and forms. The fifth edition cites the stricter XHTML syntax and adds a chapter on web pages for mobile devices.
Beginning XML. This book is for any programmer interested in learning to use XML. You'll learn XML basics, then explore an XML-based programming language that enables you to transform XML documents into different formats.