One of my skill is the programming (PHP, VB, JAVA) also.
1) I think you should get a good trading/testing SW (amibroker, metatrader, etc.).
2) Learn some TA (chart and bar patterns, indicators, support-resistance, moneymanagement, trailing stop, using different time frames).
3) Practice to use the SW API, and functions. Write your own custom function library. Maybe you have to code some pattern recognition, support resistance level calculations, trailing exits, etc.
4)Bact test your programmed ideas (system) for buying and selling on historical data and made conclusion about statistical data (good system or wrong system). Systems should treated separatly for every stock / commody. No general system can exist.