Learn how to Code

As is the case when learning any new skill, there are lots of questions that need answering when delving into the world of computer pro­gram­ming. Whether coding or learning about different methods or tools; getting a hold of the basics is no easy task when you’re first starting out. Learning to code can be a chal­leng­ing ex­pe­ri­ence, es­pe­cial­ly if you plan to learn the basics of this wide-ranging dis­ci­pline on your own. Hit the ground running and find out what it takes for a suc­cess­ful start to the basics of coding, commands, and scripting languages.

Those in­ter­est­ed in learning more about a coding language need to be prepared to do a lot of reading. Getting a foothold on the matter through texts on forums and from books is a step in the right direction. Setting aside time to thor­ough­ly fa­mil­iar­ize yourself with this material will help you build up the basic knowledge required to move on to the next steps. The good news here is that there’s a matching forum and wide-spread community for every pro­gram­ming language. Here, you’ll be able to find answers to virtually any question you may have on the topic. And should you encounter a problem for which you aren’t able to find the answer, then simply post your own question in the forum; somebody with an adequate amount of know-how is bound to reply. Make sure to also create a well-organized log or database of the solutions to past questions you’ve run into. This may come in handy at a later point in time.

One of the most important questions that needs to be answered before you can truly begin learning to program involves finding out which languages are out there and which one is right for you. Some of the most well-known and commonly used options to choose from are:

• Java
• C
• C++
• C#
• Objective-C
• Python
• Visual Basic .NET
• PHP
• JavaScript

Keep in mind that the com­plex­i­ty of these languages varies. Also know be­fore­hand the reason you’re learning to code in the first place. Do you plan on building websites? Is it your goal to develop apps for smart­phones or tablets? Or would you rather program a micro con­troller that can be used to improve fun­da­men­tal objects in your day-to-day life, like your car?

For those wanting to know how to design internet websites or adjust web ap­pli­ca­tions, it’s best to start with the basics. While HTML and CSS aren’t pro­gram­ming languages per se, they comprise the basis of most websites and therefore provide a good starting point for beginners. HTML makes it possible to design website elements and create a basic framework. HTML5 takes things one step further by offering more audio-visual pos­si­bil­i­ties. With CSS (Cascading Style Sheets), it’s all about design. The prop­er­ties of elements like position and color are de­ter­mined here. And while HTML and CSS is an excellent choice for creating websites that are both simple and func­tion­al, they can only be used for static web pages. Once the starting material is prepared, it’s time to get started with the actual pro­gram­ming. The scripting language, JavaScript, is a rel­a­tive­ly easy option for taking your first stabs at dynamic web design. JavaScript lets users create dynamic websites that make useful features possible, like the ability to au­to­mat­i­cal­ly adjust the size of different elements and add image galleries. PHP and SQL com­ple­ment this basic web ap­pli­ca­tion pro­gram­ming package. PHP is an open-source script language and can be embedded into HTML. SQL is a database language that allows users to define and edit data struc­tures; it also allows users to query these struc­tures’ un­der­ly­ing databases. Basic PHP and SQL knowledge par­tic­u­lar­ly come in handy when setting up more complex pages (like sections for site members) or working with a CMS program. Of course these make up only but a small selection of the many languages and scripts available for online use. Nev­er­the­less, HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and PHP can help you cover enough of the basics needed for most internet ap­pli­ca­tions. W3Schools.com is a great resource for finding relevant doc­u­men­ta­tion and tutorials on all of the above­men­tioned scripts and languages.

Those in­ter­est­ed in learning how to write code for games, image editing programs, or apps, need a different set of tools to achieve their goals. The most important basics here are C, C++, and Java. These three share a similar syntax, so anyone who’s familiar with C or C++ should have an easier time learning Java. Learn-C.org offers detailed tutorials on how to program with C.

Cocoa is a good resource for pro­gram­ming apps for iPhone, iPad, etc. Cocoa isn’t a pro­gram­ming language, rather it’s an ap­pli­ca­tion pro­gram­ming interface for Apple’s operating system, Mac OS. Xcode is a de­vel­op­ment en­vi­ron­ment for Mac OS that allows users to create iOS ap­pli­ca­tions together with Cocoa. Interface Builder is a graphic design software for app user in­ter­faces. The Objective-C is one of the languages used here.

Apps and ap­pli­ca­tions for the operating system, Android, are written in Java. The in­te­grat­ed de­vel­op­ment en­vi­ron­ment (IDE), Android Studio and the Java De­vel­op­ment Kit from Oracle, as well as a firm un­der­stand­ing of some necessary basic skills, is all that’s needed to develop a diverse range of different app types.

Code Academy offers in­ter­ac­tive pro­gram­ming courses for HTML, JavaScript, and PHP, etc. Other, more eclectic, courses are also available. For instance, subject areas, like pro­gram­ming in­ter­ac­tive websites, are offered.

The online learning platform, Udemy, offers over 40,000 online courses—from pho­tog­ra­phy to design. IT, software, and pro­gram­ming are also covered, some for free, and some fee-based. For example, the site features a free in­tro­duc­tion to Java, HTML5, or PHP. Other pro­gram­ming languages, courses on mobile apps, and e-commerce are unlocked in exchange for a fee. Another practical aspect: they also offer a pro­gram­ming course for en­tre­pre­neurs.

• Language: English, other languages are available as well
• Pre­req­ui­sites: varies depending on the course; ranges from total beginners to some required ex­pe­ri­ence
• Cost: free courses, and fee-based course starting at ap­prox­i­mate­ly $14.00

Code.org is an online portal designed specif­i­cal­ly for those starting with ab­solute­ly no prior knowledge to pro­gram­ming. There’s a wide range of playful tutorials that are based on popular online games, like Angry Birds. Code.org aims first and foremost to hammer home the basic logic of pro­gram­ming. Code.org is available in many languages. Users can expect small games and tasks to aid them along their way as they make progress. 

• Language: English
• Pre­req­ui­sites: for total rookies
• Cost: free of charge

Once it’s clear which pro­gram­ming and scripting languages best suit your needs, you won’t be left hanging trying to figure out what to do from there, as the internet is chocked full of online tutorials and other helpful resources. And aside from owning a PC that’s equipped with a suitable editor, the remaining cost factors are also generally more than man­age­able. There are many editors to choose from, and Notepad++ is a popular choice for Windows users as is BBEdit. Mac users, on the other hand, tend to gravitate towards TextMate. The editor, Sublime Text has proven itself among both Mac and Windows users. For languages like Java or C, a compiler that already includes an IDE is often your best bet (examples include: Eclipse, NetBeans, Visual Studie, or X-Code). Online courses are both practical and popular, but it’s always worth having a look at what options are available at your local Uni­ver­si­ty or community college. Even in today’s digitized world, learning things the old way, live and in 3D, can sometimes be the dif­fer­ence between gaining a few skills and a real break­through into the topic.