Programming means understanding how code interacts with actual computer hardware. If you want to get a visceral (and fun) understanding of programming, start with an Arduino.

Creators can start with devices such as the Arduino, an inexpensive control board that’s easy to program and can hook up to a wide variety of hardware.

The Arduino IDE is used to write the program that will interact with your Arduino and the devices connected to it. In the Arduino world, such a program is called a sketch, which has its origin in its ...