# 🚀 Getting Started with Sona - Your First Steps into Programming

## Welcome, New Programmer! 👋

**This guide is perfect for complete beginners aged 12-55+**. Whether you've never written code before or you're switching from another language, we'll get you up and running with Sona in just 30 minutes!

---

## 🎯 What You'll Learn

By the end of this guide, you'll be able to:
- ✅ Install and set up Sona on your computer
- ✅ Write your first program that says "Hello, World!"
- ✅ Understand the basics of how programming works
- ✅ Use Sona's accessibility features
- ✅ Know where to get help when you need it

---

## 🛠️ Setting Up Sona

### **Step 1: Download Sona**

1. **Navigate to your Sona folder** (usually `F:\Sona`)
2. **Look for these files**:
   - `sona_accessibility_enhanced.py` (beginner-friendly)
   - `comprehensive_language_test.py` (advanced)
   - `sona_smart_launcher.py` (automatic detection)

### **Step 2: Choose Your Interface**

**🧠 For Beginners/Learning (Recommended)**
```bash
python sona_accessibility_enhanced.py
```
This gives you:
- Helpful error messages
- Progress indicators
- Gentle guidance
- Accessibility features

**⚡ For Experienced Programmers**
```bash
python comprehensive_language_test.py
```
This gives you:
- Minimal interface
- Fast execution
- Direct feedback
- Efficient workflow

**🎯 Smart Detection (Let Sona Choose)**
```bash
python sona_smart_launcher.py
```
This automatically detects the best interface for you!

### **Step 3: Test Your Setup**

Type this into Sona:
```sona
show "Hello, World!"
```

You should see:
```
Hello, World!
```

**🎉 Congratulations! You just wrote your first program!**

---

## 🌟 Your First Real Program

Let's write a program that's actually useful - a personal greeter:

```sona
think "Creating a personal greeting program"
show "=== Personal Greeter ==="

name = "Alex"
age = 16
favorite_color = "blue"

show "Hello, " + name + "!"
show "You are " + age + " years old"
show "Your favorite color is " + favorite_color

think "This program introduces someone with their basic info"
```

**What this program does:**
1. **Stores information** about a person (name, age, color)
2. **Shows a greeting** using that information
3. **Uses thinking blocks** to document what we're doing

---

## 🎭 Understanding Sona's Two Modes

### 🧠 **Accessibility Mode** (Perfect for Learning)

When you use `sona_accessibility_enhanced.py`, you get:

```sona
show "Learning programming!"
```

Output:
```
Learning programming!
[INFO] Command executed successfully
[PROGRESS] Program completed: 1/1 statements
```

**Features:**
- 📊 **Progress indicators** show what's happening
- 🤔 **Gentle error messages** help you learn
- 💭 **Thinking blocks** let you add notes
- 🎯 **Help system** guides you through problems

### ⚡ **Traditional Mode** (For Speed)

When you use `comprehensive_language_test.py`, you get:

```sona
show "Fast programming!"
```

Output:
```
Fast programming!
```

**Features:**
- 🚀 **Minimal output** for efficiency
- ⚡ **Fast execution** without extra feedback
- 🎯 **Direct results** only
- 💻 **Professional interface** familiar to experienced programmers

**You can switch between modes anytime!**

---

## 🎯 Basic Sona Commands

### **1. Showing Information**
```sona
show "Hello, World!"
show "Your name is Alex"
show 42
show "The answer is " + 42
```

### **2. Storing Information**
```sona
name = "Sam"
age = 25
is_student = true
favorite_number = 7
```

### **3. Doing Math**
```sona
calculate 5 + 3
calculate 10 - 4
calculate 6 * 7
calculate 20 / 4
```

### **4. Making Decisions**
```sona
when age >= 18:
    show "You can vote!"
else:
    show "You can't vote yet"
```

### **5. Adding Notes**
```sona
think "This is a note to remember later"
think "I'm calculating the total cost"
calculate total = 10 + 5
```

---

## 🎨 Accessibility Features

### **🎯 For All Users**
- **Plain English syntax** - No confusing symbols
- **Gentle error messages** - Learn from mistakes
- **Progress indicators** - See what's happening
- **Thinking blocks** - Add notes anywhere

### **🧠 For Neurodivergent Users**
- **Consistent patterns** - Everything follows the same rules
- **Predictable behavior** - No surprises
- **Calm visual design** - No overwhelming colors
- **Executive function support** - Built-in organization

### **👁️ For Visual Accessibility**
- **Screen reader support** - Works with NVDA, JAWS, VoiceOver
- **High contrast themes** - Better visibility
- **Dyslexia-friendly fonts** - OpenDyslexic available
- **Keyboard navigation** - Use without mouse

### **🎧 For Audio Accessibility**
- **Visual feedback** - See everything instead of hearing it
- **Customizable sounds** - Turn audio on/off
- **Notification control** - Adjust alerts

---

## 🔧 Customizing Your Environment

### **Accessibility Settings**
```sona
# Customize your experience
settings theme = "high-contrast"
settings font = "dyslexia-friendly"
settings feedback = "visual-only"
settings progress = "detailed"
```

### **Interface Preferences**
```sona
# Choose your interface style
settings interface = "accessibility"  # or "traditional"
settings errors = "gentle"           # or "direct"
settings help = "enabled"            # or "disabled"
```

---

## 🆘 Getting Help

### **Built-in Help**
```sona
help
help show
help calculate
help when
```

### **Common Questions**

**Q: I got an error message. What do I do?**
A: Read the error message carefully! In accessibility mode, they're designed to help you learn. Look for:
- 🤔 **Gentle suggestion** - What might be wrong
- 💡 **Tip** - How to fix it
- 📝 **Example** - Correct way to do it

**Q: How do I save my programs?**
A: Use your text editor's save function (Ctrl+S). Save files with `.sona` extension.

**Q: Can I switch between modes?**
A: Yes! Just close one and open the other. Your programs work in both modes.

**Q: Where can I get more help?**
A: Check the wiki, join the community, or ask in the forums!

---

## 🚀 Your Programming Journey Starts Now

### **What's Next?**

1. **Practice the basics** - Try all the examples in this guide
2. **Build something simple** - Maybe a calculator or greeting program
3. **Learn more commands** - Check out [Basic Commands](Basic-Commands.md)
4. **Join the community** - Connect with other Sona programmers
5. **Keep exploring** - Programming is a journey, not a destination!

### **Remember:**
- **Every expert was once a beginner** - You're on the right path
- **It's okay to make mistakes** - That's how you learn
- **Ask for help** - The community is here to support you
- **Have fun** - Programming should be enjoyable!

---

## 🎯 Practice Exercises

### **Exercise 1: About You**
Write a program that shows information about yourself:
```sona
think "Creating a program about myself"
name = "Your Name"
age = 16
school = "Your School"
hobby = "Your Hobby"

show "Hi! I'm " + name
show "I'm " + age + " years old"
show "I go to " + school
show "I love " + hobby
```

### **Exercise 2: Simple Calculator**
Create a calculator that adds two numbers:
```sona
think "Building a simple calculator"
number1 = 10
number2 = 5
result = number1 + number2

show "Adding " + number1 + " and " + number2
show "The answer is " + result
```

### **Exercise 3: Age Checker**
Write a program that checks if someone can drive:
```sona
think "Checking if someone can drive"
age = 17

when age >= 16:
    show "You can drive!"
else:
    show "You can't drive yet"
```

---

## 🌟 Congratulations!

**You've taken your first steps into programming!** You now know:
- How to set up and run Sona
- Basic commands and syntax
- How to use accessibility features
- Where to get help when you need it

**Ready for the next step?** Check out [Basic Commands](Basic-Commands.md) to learn more about what Sona can do!

---

*This guide is constantly updated based on feedback from new programmers. Have suggestions? Let us know!*