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Thought creating your own software programs was reserved for die-hard computer geeks? Think again!

If you have ever considered creating your own computer software, but thought that the time needed to learn a programming language and the cost of the development program were just too much, then you are in for a pleasant surprise.

Instant EXE is a software development program that allows just about anyone to create their own Windows-based computer programs. Want a utility to store your recipes? Need a tool to monitor a device on your network? Need to automate a process you do over and over again? Then Instant EXE just may be the solution for you.

There are two things that really make Instant EXE the ideal development tool for programming beginners as well as veterans. First, there really is no programing language to learn.

You see, instead of learning a complicated language Instant EXE (or jut IX for short) has a set of 50 highly customizable commands. Simply double-click the command from the list and it is inserted into your program, or script as they are called.

But, don’t let the fact that the program is easy to use make you believe that IX is not a robust development environment. Each of the commands is highly customizable using a graphical window for each. You do not need to remember or even type any routines yourself. Simply change the settings in the dialog box to change the command’s behavior.

IX’s completely graphical interface makes creating your own software much quicker and easier than other development utilities. Furthermore, there are hundreds of variables and formulas that you can choose from, giving you access to every property and setting imaginable.

The second attractive feature is that Instant EXE is completely free. You can create, compile, and distribute your own software without paying for the development environment or paying any royalties at all. This feature alone makes IX a great choice for hobbyists, network administrators, school and computer user groups, or anyone that wants to write their own software.

How can the company that produces IX support itself you ask? IX comes in 2 flavors. The standard flavor, which is sufficient for most people, doesn’t cost anything. However, if you want to unlock even more features you can upgrade to a low-cost paid version and even add in one of the growing number of plug-ins.

The plug-ins extend IX’s abilities even further. The database plug-in, for example, allows you to manipulate databases in the popular Microsoft Access format. The Browser plug-in allows you to include a web browser interface in your programs and even interact with those web pages. You could for example, automatically submit web searches using this plug-in.

Finally, IX has a very avid user group and forum where people exchange ideas and help each other out. If you’re looking to create a computer program of your own, then Instant EXE is definitely worth checking out.

James Pearson is the creator of the website http://www.freesoftwarecreator.com where you can find a robust programming utility that allows you to create real software programs without learning a programming language and a step-by-step video tutorial series.

What is stopping you from writing your own computer software? Do you think it will be too difficult? Do you think you will have to learn a new programming language? Do you believe that it would be boring?

If you have ever thought to yourself “I wish I could make my computer do …” or thought “I wish I could automate this task on my computer” then you are on your way to becoming a computer programmer.

Now, before you stop reading and think that computer programing is only for geeks and nerds, let me assure you that anyone can learn to program their computer. You can automate tasks and even create simple utilities that will save you lots of time and work.

The key to creating your own software is choosing a development tool that you find intuitive and easy to use. Many programming languages now have development environments that include drag and drop components that let you build windows and much of the program without actually writing any code.

Many languages, like BASIC and all its flavors, were designed with beginners in mind. These languages are relatively simple to learn compared to others. Additionally, there are many low-cost compilers available on line.

Recently a few programming tools have cropped up that allow you to make very simple software programs without any programming at all. These programs however are very limited in what they can accomplish. Most of these types of programs simply alter a template that you create in a text file. While these types of so-called development tools can, with a little imagination, allow you to create simple programs, they are not really robust enough to be considered true programming utilities.

Finally, you need to choose a programming language and development program that you can “connect” with. Sometimes a language just will not “click” for you, while another may come more naturally. By trying out several different options you can find the one that offers you the best combination of ease of use and flexibility.

While it may seem like an overwhelming idea at first, creating software is something that just about anyone can do. It takes a little patience at first and the ability to handle some trial and error, but it is possible for you to become a computer programmer.

Remember, decide what your goals are and seek out a programming tool that is both flexible and easy to use. Spend a little time learning the basics and soon you will be able to create your own computer programs.

James Pearson is the creator of the website http://www.freesoftwarecreator.com where you can find a robust programming utility that allows you to create real software programs without learning a programming language and a step-by-step video tutorial series.

Adding a simple email form or contact form to a website can often be a tough task for a first-time programmer or small business website. A lot of people who start a website or a small internet business use simple templates to put a website online while having little or almost no knowledge of HTML programming.

Creating a functional email form or contact form, as simple as the form itself may be, is almost impossible for an inexperienced programmer that doesn’t have more advanced knowledge of PHP and HTML programming. Many beginning programmers or small business websites simply include a clickable link using a “mailto” tag that pulls up the user’s email client software so that the user can simply send a regular email to the webmaster.

So, what does a programmer have to do to install an email form on their website? First, the form itself must be created using HTML. That’s the easy part. After that, the programmer must create a very complicated and lengthy PHP file to process the form and email the answers to the form back to the website owner. The name of the file that is most commonly used to process email forms is “Formmail.” Formmail has been used to process and email the results of web forms for over nine years. Since 1997, it has been downloaded more than two million times.

In creating this PHP file (often referred to as “formmail.php”), the programmer should include code that blocks spammers from using the email form to send spam through the form. Many times, inexperienced programmers will put a form on their website that does not include code to prevent spammers from utilizing the form to send spam to hundreds or even thousands of people. As a result, the owners of these websites often have to endure an unfortunate consequence - the web hosting company cancels their account once those who’ve been spammed complain to their internet service provider, who then directs the complaint to the hosting company that handles your website. This can be a huge problem.

All of this can be very complicated for a first-time programmer, but there are now many companies around the internet that have sprung up to help programmers add an email form or other more complicated HTML form to their website. These companies usually provide the HTML code for the form, which the programmer must insert into his/her webpage, but the PHP code that processes the form remains on the server of the company that provides the HTML code and the form is thus processed remotely. Simply input the words “email form” into any major search engine and you will be able to locate a plethora of resources and companies that make email forms easy. The most popular website that provides this service is freedback.com, which receives as many as 300,000 hits per day, but there are many other reliable services out there that provide this service, but usually for a monthly fee if the form is going to be used frequently. However, there are many online tutorials available that teach programmers how to build a form from scratch and install the script to process it.

Jim Pretin is the proprietor of a network of websites which includes http://www.forms4free.com, a service that provides all the code necessary for an inexperienced programmer to add a simple email form to their website in only 2 minutes

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