Learning how to write FreeDOS programs - new "how-to" video series!

Long post, so I'll summarize: the videos will be free and posted weekly for everyone to watch.

But because it's going to be a lot of work for me, I'll set up a Patreon tier to support it. I'm rewarding the patrons with a few extras.

Afterwards, I'll turn that into a "teach yourself C programming" book.

I asked on Twitter, on Facebook, and on Patreon about what you'd think of a new "how-to" video series about programming in C - and the response has been very positive. Thanks!

So I wanted to share an update on the new video series that I'm planning to release on the FreeDOS channel at YouTube, and on my Patreon:

I'm currently working on the "course" design for the video series (what to cover in each video, etc). I'm not sure what I'll name the video series - maybe "learning C" or "how to write programs for FreeDOS in C" or "introduction to C programming." I'm still working on the name.

Videos will get posted once per week. These will be available to Patreon supporters first, then will go public for everyone.

I'll continue posting the other FreeDOS videos about FreeDOS programs, other DOS programs, and DOS games - so maybe I'll keep posting the "usual" FreeDOS videos over the weekend, and post the "C programming" videos mid-week.

Throughout the video series, we'll learn how to write programs in C. At first, these will be pretty simple programs so you can see how things work. Later, I'll use the videos to show how you can write simple versions of FreeDOS programs like ECHO, PAUSE, CHOICE, TYPE, COPY, FIND, and MORE. And probably others like DATE, TIME, CLS, and DIR. By the end, I think we'll write a text-mode turn-based game.

I am planning to write supporting text or "essays" about the "C programming" videos. These will mostly be extra commentary about the video content, and code that I wrote in the videos that you can copy/paste into your own editor. If I need to do a deep-dive on something that didn't really fit for the video, I'll do that in the essays. Also could include other information and "corner cases" that were too specific to make it into the videos.

I'll eventually copy the essays into the FreeDOS Wiki or website for everyone to see - but while the video series is running, I'll make them visible only to Patreon supporters. I'll need better formatting options than the Patreon editor gives me, so I might create these essays as web pages on the FreeDOS website, and share a protected URL on Patreon.

When I've finished the video series, I'll collect everything into a book, and make it available for purchase via Lulu.

Because this is a new "how-to" video series about a specific topic, I'm thinking about creating a new Patreon level to support it. The new tier (probably $40/month - that's only $10/week) will get these extra benefits:

• Early access to the "C programming" videos
• Exclusive access to the "C programming" essays, with more detail and information that didn't make it into the videos
• A weekly Patreon forum to ask questions about that week's "C programming" topics (if you are following along with the videos and need help, this is the place to ask)
• After the video series is done, these patrons can purchase the "C programming" book at cost (probably $3 to $5, depending) - that's a big savings from the general cover price for the finished book, which will probably be around $20

The goal is that everyone who wants to learn C to write FreeDOS programs can do that by watching the videos - but to get extra material to help you, you can join at the higher level.