Programming is the central field of practical computer science. The first chapter provides a brief overview of the environment and significance of this core area. The characteristic features of different types of programming languages and their development, as well as fundamental perspectives and design strategies, form the focus of the introductory section. The second chapter introduces programming through the key language elements of C++ and the specifics of Java. The third chapter teaches the basics of the object-oriented language C++ in short steps and highlights some important differences from the Java language. In the fourth chapter, the language constructs from the previous sections are applied and deepened through numerous exercises. The textbook is intended for students with a business or technical background and is suitable for them.