At first, by typing in BASIC code listings from magazines, when I was 12. Then, by writing several hundred small programs that were either graphics "demos" or s

At first, by typing in BASIC code listings from magazines, when I was 12. Then, by writing several hundred small programs that were either graphics "demos" or simple games. Then simple 3D renderers, and then complex 3D renderers. In those days, there was no web, and only a few programming books at the library or bookstore. So I learned almost completely by trial and error. Later, I experienced a lot of growth in my first job, mostly from reading my boss's code. By that time, the web existed, and it was off to the races.