How do i learn how to code?

[Vigilante]

my 12 year old nephew is coding. These kids are going to eat us alive.

 

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[skekasaurus]

Here's my opinion...

Being a both programmer and an entrepreneur, I can see why one side may be "anti-learn to code" and the other side saying "You need to learn to code"

why do you want to learn code?

This is definitely a question you should think about and determine what exactly is your end goal. Do you want to learn so that you can build applications yourself? Will you want to do that for a long time? Are you wanting do the back-end side of things, maybe front-end, design user interfaces, all three? Or will you ultimately just want to know enough about programming so that you can manage other developers that you may end up hiring later down the road?

The reason it's important, is because I myself am a coder. However, there are only certain things I like doing and am actually good at. For example, I am proficient in .NET technologies and can do wonders when it comes to building the back-end side of things. If I wanted to, I could also build a UI easily with my coding skill. However, I'll admit I'm TERRIBLE at designing User Interfaces and hate doing it. So while I could do the UI myself, I would not enjoy doing the work and the quality would suffer because of it, plus there are probably a million other people who could do a better job than I and in less time as well.


Personally, I don't want to build applications forever unless they will be for my own personal use (I'm building my own custom automated trading system at the moment). With my existing knowledge of programming, I'd much prefer to get others brought in and do the grunt work for me. I can then use my knowledge to ensure that the developers are writing my applications in a way that it can scale and written using best programming practices (that way if need be I could bring in another developer and they would be able to pick up where the last developer left off).


Ultimately, your answer to the "why do you want to learn code?" will determine what path you should take and how much in depth you should learn about coding. If you want to learn to build an entire application from start to finish, learn as much as you can about programming in general. Otherwise if would rather run businesses and have developers working for you, I'd recommend learning programming basics (i.e. functions, classes, objects, etc.), programming best practices, and program design.


There is so much knowledge out there about programming and design that it's easy to get overwhelmed and forget about your businesses. Don't try to learn everything! I've had my own struggles with this, I used to think that I can do it all and better than anyone else. Fact of the matter is, while I probably could , it's not the wisest thing to do from a business stand point. I'd rather focus all my energy in finding needs, making products/services, marketing, serving the need, and finally PROVIDING VALUE!!!

When I was first starting out on my coding journey, I was overwhelmed by the amount of information out there about programming. Not only did I have to learn the various development technologies and what their purpose was (Wordpress, Ruby on Rails, .NET, etc.), I also had to learn the programming languages needed to start coding against a particular technology (PHP, HTML/CSS, Javascript, etc.).


For the absolute basics, I found www.w3schools.com to be an incredible resource. I still use it today when I need to brush up on PHP or Javascript. While there are a million other sites (some may even be better), it clearly explains programming concepts and also has their own "Try It Out" component so you can try the example code and modify it so that you can experiment with it. It's also a really good place if you're interested in learning about web development.

The best way I've found to learn to build applications, is to actually try to build it! Start small. My first application in .NET was a simple window that I type my name, click a button, and it would open a separate pop-up window that said "Hello, Jake". I knew nothing about .NET at the time, but when you have a goal and know what you're trying to accomplish, you can start to layout what steps you need to make the program do what you want. And if there's ever a step you don't know, you can just google it (i.e. "how to create a pop up window in VB", "how to read input from the user in .NET").


So again, why do you want to learn to code? If you have any other questions, feel free to ask or shoot me a PM.

 

[DeletedUser2]

https://stacksocial.com/sales/the-name-your-own-price-learn-to-code-bundle


ok, look up the thread "learning to code is stupid"

I believe by health status.

Here is my experience and view

don't learn to code. its a commodity that can be bought and sold in the 3rd world for 3-6 bucks an hr.

learn to think
to sell
to do business in a dozen other ways.

why do I say this?
we run an online company that has Dozens of pages, lots of code, and lots of interfaces.

yet I can't write any code.

our sales a multiples of other startups,
we have done a huge growth curve in a short period of time.

zero coding skills.

we run a business. the website is just a medium through which we transact business. its a channel. far more efficient than in the past.
but still, its a business first.


coding. overrated. in the 6-18 months it will take you to learn to code. I can launch several businesses that do more than a million a month.

Where do you want to focus?
Z

 

[Aimee]

My favourite resource is definitely YouTube. Things like Codecademy are good too - they're much more interactive than books, and you can get them for free.
Try 'Derek Banas' - you'll either love him or you'll hate him, but he has videos on most languages. His videos can be a little overwhelming if you're first starting out, though.
Good luck!

 

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[ilrein]

Learning to code is valuable for a young adult; one can generate a respectable income through indentured time, prior to going fastlane, while learning skills to be an inventor.

 

[HarryR]

the hard thing is knowing what tolearn. you will definitely need html/css/javascript. After that, php, ruby, python are all decent choices for web backends. you can do backends these days with something called nodejs that lets you code it in javascript, so really the first 3 are all you have to know. learn design as well.

 

[Rinzler]

After a few months of debating whether or not I should learn to code, and going through the "Learning to Code is Stupid" thread, I coincidentally came across Udacity.com, which has a load of great FREE courses, and a lot of them are geared towards computer programming. Right now I'm going through the Intro to HTML/CSS course and plan on doing the Javascript one next. Since I'm only 22, I figured now would be a good time.

I also finished the first course from CodeAvengers.com, which is another great learning platform. On CodeAvengers you choose what you want to learn, and write code as you learn! In less than a week I was able to grasp the basics of HTML and set up a page with working links and images.

Udacity is a great platform though, I've only been using it for a few weeks now and haven't made much progress with the course, since I'm also debating if it's productive. My best ideas fill needs and create value, but unfortunately they're apps or websites, and since I don't have thousands to spend on outsourcing, I'm currently learning the basics while I bootstrap funds so I can create an MVP.

 

[rblitz]

Drop me a line with your knowledge about computers, web technology etc. and I'll help you getting in the "right" direction.

 

[AubreyJ]

I learned how to code by watching youtube videos and reading how-to books

 

[Tiago]

I took a class on https://teamtreehouse.com and they're really good. Easy to learn.

 

[SGBoise]

Learn the basics, think of a project that will solve a need even if one already exists. Then start designing and programming as if it's a real project.

You can learn all you want but experience is the king. With your first project you'll find out what you'll need to learn which will be basic information that's aren't thought in school.

 

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[Delmania]

I'd recommend Code Academy, it's a good place to start. To expand a little, there are lots of resources on learning how to code, you don't need to pay anything to learn the basics, or in fact anything. You can find free courses on Coursera and MIT Open Courseware that teach both the technical and the theoretical. If you would like to pay, I'd recommend a site like Pluraldight or Lynda - sites that offer access to training videos. Also, get an account on Git Hub.

I think I need to write a "So you want to learn to code" post.

 

[sija1]

@Alan LT @Omega

http://www.tutorialspoint.com/java/index.htm

 

[marcoschwartz]

If you want to start building SaaS apps, I really recommend Meteor (https://www.meteor.com/). It takes care of everything for you (database, etc ...) and it allowed me to create a lot of different apps in no time

 

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[DaRK9]

I paid $300 for code that would have taken me 80+ hours of learning, reading, then trial and error testing to get right because it was a new concept to me.

Look at the time to reward scale on that. Because this person has 20+ years of experience they finished it in 11.5 hours.

Ha tell me about it, that's why I don't want to outsource. The way technology is advancing, in the future not knowing at least the basics of coding could be a big disadvantage.

This is actually a bigger reason to outsource. With the rise of good coders the job pool grows smaller. This is why code is so cheap now days.

Learn the very basics, then learn how to manage projects. It will be much more useful as an Entrepreneur. When you grow it will no longer be just you coding. (How I started.)

Look at it as being the architect instead of the builder. OR being both, which will end up draining you, trust me.

EDIT:

Also, to add more scale to my $300 cost, I sold the end product for $3,800.

 

[DaRK9]

Then we understand each other perfectly.

@SenGracic Still you need to know how to code to polish it. You can't polish what you don't understand.

No I don't. I just pay someone to fix what I don't like.

 

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[ProblemSolver]

I would personally start with codeacademy.com to get a basic understanding.

 

[andyandy]

MIT and Harvard offer few free courses for beginners at edx.org, check that out

 

[zion]

if you want to go beyond basic websites and you come up with a business idea that would require to write real rich internet applications you should take a look at angularjs, it's simple, fun, awesome (if you gained some basic understanding). for your backend code you should take a look at "nobackend" solutions like firebase (you basically outsource your backend in the cloud). if you want to port your javascript applications to mobile devices, take a look at phonegap. for css stuff you should take a look at bootstrap !!! ok, no more hints

 

[Shades]

Figured id give my two cents since im currently learning...

The poster above me mentioned the deal Udemy had where you basically named your own price and got a number of tutorials. I paid $15 for the package.

My tip would be to not pay for any of these training sites. This is just speaking from my experience. The Udemy courses in that package are just not very good. I cant believe the prices they charge for them regularly. Id feel ripped off to pay $200 for one of them.

Ive found that the free resources are more than enough to learn what you need to know. Youtube is a good resource. It depends on how you learn best. CodeAcademy or w3schools.com may be good for you. I prefer learning through video tutorials. Start with HTML/CSS/HTML5. You'll need that base. And really thats the easiest stuff to learn.

Stackoverflow is a good place to ask question if you get stuck on something during a project.

Also, Dont get stuck in the learning phase. Because theres a ton to learn with coding. And really you will always have to learn new things. I've found sitting here learning code for hours a day isnt really all that productive. I think the better way to go about it is to just learn as you go. After you figure out how you can bring value to people, then you can start to think about how to get it done and how to design the site functions. From there you find out what you need to focus on to get the job done, Java...Ruby...HTML etc.. Learn as you form your site. Ask questions at forums when you get stuck.

You will need a text editor too. Ive been using Sublime Text 3 and find it to be pretty good so far. Many seem to like it. Notepad++ is another free option.

 

[Lawrence Barse]

Here's my recommendation,

Learning Web Development will involve 2 parts, the Front End and the Back End.

Front End is basically what the users see or interact with. So, you can start with learning HTML and CSS first. Once you are familiar with HTML and CSS, you can move on to learn Javascript and jQuery .

You can refer this book HTML and CSS for Beginners with HTML5 for learning HTML 5 and CSS
JavaScript & jQuery: The Missing Manual for Javascript and jQuery.

Once you have a good handle over Front End technologies, you can move ahead to learn the Back End Technologies like PHP, MySQL.
You will require to learn Back End to take care of Data Bases, Dynamic Navigation's, Login and Session Maintenance etc
The video tutorials at lynda.com are very good for learning these technologies

All the very best!!!

 

[tafy]

Learning to code is valuable for a young adult; one can generate a respectable income through indentured time, prior to going fastlane, while learning skills to be an inventor.

If your younger than 21 then yes I would say learn to code, go 100% into learning it, work for others until your skill is good enough to go on your own.

If you older then its 100% outsource it to a good developer for $35 an hour, while your working your day job.

 

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[nordien1978]

Learning HTML and CSS is not that difficult.
and then some backend like PHP and MySQL is doable if your focus that it is needed for your bussines.
These days the bar lowers and lowers.

I liked this video from TED talk learn anything within 20 hours.

hope it helps or motivates to take action to learn

Regards,
Nordien

 

[SenGracic]

Like @sija1 said to me : It's all about understanding the basics of how it works, the logic behind coding, practice,practice,practice and Google.

I will apply it.

PS: it's my 3rd attempt, coding is a motherf*cker for a beginner but don't give up like I did because you have to re-learn everything you have learned before because you will not remember it if you didn't practice long enough.

 

[GuestUser305]

Hey guys, my first post here. Just finish the book and it has definitely changed my life. I have great tech ideas but no programming skills. I don't want to outsource, this knowledge is important to me. So whats the best way to learn how to code to create websites? Thanks in advance.

Bro the easiest way to code, in my opinion, is to use python. It is super easy and straightforward! When you want to build a website there is an awesome and quite easy webframework called django. Someone suggested using angular js but since it is asynchronous and has stuff like two way data binding I think it is way too complex for a beginner. If you want to design your website there is twitter bootstrap. This is a framework where you can easely design your website with out knowing much about css and such. If you want it even easier go to bootsnipp. There are many bootstrap snippets which you can use for your website! If you want just simple things like a blog or something like that, go with wordpress. It is a what do you see is what you get editor for creating your own website and it has awesome free designing themes and is super easy to learn! I wish you the best luck with your internet businesses! Oh and something else, if you have users that sign up and eventually log in to your website, make sure to NEVER EVER save their passwords in plain in your database!

 

[Delmania]

Java is very annoying, but once you understand what exactly does what, everything will start to click. I just started learning it too & I use YouTube and stack overflow as my resource.

@Alan LT @sija1 @Omega

Java is a dead language. It's stagnated over the years and ever since Oracle bought out Sun, they have done little to improve it. In fact, there are some nasty rumors they are trying to kill the language. There are exactly 2 times I'd recommend you learn Java. The first is Android development, which I know is what @Omega is doing. The second is when you're trying to get a (slowlane) job. Although in that case, I'd probably recommend you use C#. MIcrosoft has some incredibly skilled and intelligent language designers working for them, and Visual Studio is one of the best IDEs out there (Eclipse's glory days are over).

If people want to know what languages I'd recommend, they would by Python, Clojure, Elixir, C#, F#, and Ruby. (Javascript/HTML/CSS is assumed by default).

 

[Delmania]

It's dead from the perspective that many software related startups choose not to use it. Square is built entirely in Ruby. Twitter started in Ruby, and migrated to Scala. Facebook is PHP. Instagram uses Python. It has a large install base in corporations, so learning it is a good idea in that it will help you find a job when you need one.

I'll agree learning core computer science notions is an excellent idea (my degree is in CS). I do believe that if someone wants to excel as a programmer, that information is invaluable.

 

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[D11FYY]

Google coding for beginners , watch youtube videos, look for local classes/college's specializing in beginners.
Once you get your feet in the door its up to you which direction you want to take but i believe its better to know what your talking about even if it is just grasping the basics.

 

[JahvonCreamCone]

the hard thing is knowing what tolearn. you will definitely need html/css/javascript. After that, php, ruby, python are all decent choices for web backends. you can do backends these days with something called nodejs that lets you code it in javascript, so really the first 3 are all you have to know. learn design as well.

Thanks for the tips bud, cheers.

 

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[JahvonCreamCone]

I would personally start with codeacademy.com to get a basic understanding.

Ok, thank you.

 

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