Programming resources

Visual Basic
Visual Basic Developer Centre
Once again, Microsoft have put together a top notch website. The Microsoft Developer Network's Visual Basic website offers similar content to their C++ page - there are downloads and a large assortment of tutorials. Most interestingly, there is a selection of video tutorials available. Like the Microsoft Developer Networkís C++ page and Sun Microsystem's Java trail, the Visual Basic Developer Centre orients clueless newbies by familiarising them with programming in general and then the basic concepts of the language and its syntax. For the total newcomer to programming, the Visual Basic Developer Centre's Absolute Beginner's Video Series is a most excellent resource.

Mark-up and scripting languages
W3Schools
W3Schools has a brilliant array of tutorials for the mark-up and scripting languages - most notably ASP, CSS, HTML, Javascript, PHP, SQL and XML. W3Schools' library of tutorials is very extensive. Have no fear that the desire for quantity has negatively impacted the quality of W3Schools' content, though. There are examples aplenty. You'd be hard-pressed to run into a problem - at least in one of the languages W3Schools focuses on - that wasn't covered on W3Schools. A great website for beginners and experienced developers alike.

PHPFreaks
Tutorials and a very active forum focused on PHP coding.

HTML: An Interactive Tutorial
A basic but good tutorial on getting started with HTML, which covers not just coding but the basics of website design.

YourHTMLSource/JavaScript
An accessible but nonetheless extensive introduction to JavaScript. The main part of the website, as the URL suggests, focuses on HTML.

JavaScript Kit
This website is pretty old, as demonstrated by the tutorial that talks about the Y2K bug, but it has a large library of quality JavaScript tutorials. The focus of JavaScript Kit is on tutorials that cover more specialised, advanced topics, rather than generalised newbie stuff.

SQLzoo.net
SQLzoo.net provides an introduction to SQL. Provides interactive examples that aide the learning process significantly.

HTML.net
Basic tutorials for HTML and CSS. Both sets of tutorials make no assumptions about prior knowledge and, as such, are absolutely basic. At the same time, they're nowhere near as extensive as W3Schools' collection of tutorials. Only suitable for those who are absolutely inexperienced.

The Python Tutorial
A straightforward name for a very straightforward website. The Python Tutorial introduces you to, oddly enough, the Python language and then takes you from the basics to more advanced ideas. That said, this website is probably best for those with some programming experience under their belts.

Beginners, Non-Programmers Guide to Python
A list of Python tutorials aimed at the complete newbie, including a couple aimed specifically at children.