How cool would it be if you were able to create your own applications and games? Imagine that you need a program for a very specific task, but there’s no one out there. If you knew how to program you could easily write such a program yourself! If you want to learn this awesome and very interesting skill, read through these simple step-by-step instructions now and find out how to learn programming the right way.
Table of contents:
1. Learn about the basics
With this, I do not mean that you have to go too much into detail. I mean learning about how a computer works in general and learning the basic keywords like high-/low-level languages or object-oriented programming. This step is important for you to know how you need to approach new projects and problems. Additionally, you learn about important keywords like bits and bytes or IP and MAC addresses. You can learn those basics by watching videos on YouTube, reading through articles, or taking free or paid courses. A website that I can highly recommend is Programming Hub. They have free courses on almost every subject like the IT basics.
Here are some basic skills you should know:
Learn how your operating system works
Learn some basic command-line commands
Learn how programming languages work
- Understand how the internet works
2. Choose a programming language
Now that you know the basics, you need a programming language that you want to learn. There are a lot of choices when it comes to choosing a programming language to learn as a beginner. Here are the eight most popular programming languages to give you a quick overview:
Python
- Python is a universal high-level programming language that is known for its easy-to-understand and fairly short code. It is often used in data science because it is very flexible. Python code usually is not compiled but interpreted which means that it is translated to machine code at runtime. Furthermore, Python is an open-source language.
Java
- Java is an object-oriented programming language. The motto of Java is “write once, run anywhere” and it stands for its platform independence. Java is a pretty good allrounder and is used for creating android mobile apps, desktop applications, web applications, data processing, IoT applications, and enterprise development. However, Java is not the fastest programming language because it runs in a virtual environment. A popular example of a Java application is the game Minecraft.
JavaScript
- JavaScript (JS) is a programming language that is mainly used for web applications. Alongside HTML and CSS it is used in almost every website and is responsible for the behavior of a website. If you open a website, JavaScript code probably will be run on your computer.
C#
- C# is a compiled programming language that is closely connected to Microsoft’s .NET framework. Therefore, it is often used for Desktop applications, web applications, and web services. C# is used by the game engine Unity and therefore, is also often used for game development on mobile, desktop, the web, and consoles.
C/C++
- C++ and its predecessor C are compiled low-level languages. Because they are low-level languages, they can be used for pretty much anything and anywhere. Additionally, they are where very lightweight when it comes to file sizes and speed. However, they are a bit harder to learn than other programming languages due to their low level.
Rust
- Rust is a programming language that is designed for performance and safety. It is syntactically similar to C++ but offers memory safety without garbage collection. Rust is often used for making embedded systems and blockchain applications, web browsers, operating systems, as well as command-line tools
Swift
- Swift is a compiled open-source programming language for creating applications mainly for Apple products, but also Linux and Windows. It is the better and more modern alternative to its predecessor Objective-C.
PHP
- PHP is an open-source programming/scripting language for server-side web development. But it can also be used as a general-purpose programming language. Also, PHP is platform independent and can easily connect to all databases.
I would recommend starting with an easy language like Python or PHP and then learning the harder ones later when you understand the basic concepts of programming. However, learning a harder programming language like C++ has got the advantage that when you know this language, you will find it easy to learn other languages.
3. Start learning!
After you have chosen a programming language that you want to learn, it is time to actually learn it! You start with the basics by watching YouTube videos, reading articles like this one, and taking free or paid courses. The site I recommend for learning the basics is SoloLearn. On SoloLearn you can complete free courses for many different programming languages.
In these courses, you have to read through some topics and then answer questions to it and at the end of the topic, you have to solve a problem.
4. Discipline is key
After you know the basics, you have to keep on learning. The best way to learn more advanced programming is by simply starting new programming projects even if you think you can’t implement them. If you encounter a problem that you can’t solve, just use this site called Google and search for solutions for your problem. This way you learn new and more advanced stuff, that actually is useful.
Another way to keep on learning is by completing coding challenges on websites like Codewars. On Codewars you will be provided with coding challenges that you have to solve. You can also have a look at the solutions from other users and learn new syntaxes, which you might have never seen before.
To really become a good programmer you have to code a lot to learn a lot. I would suggest taking at least 30 minutes every day only for programming.
Bonus Tip
Even though HTML isn’t a programming language, every programmer should know at least the basics of HTML. For example, it is necessary if you want to get into more advanced web scraping or if you’re going to create a web interface for one of your projects.
Therefore, you can read through this detailed article to learn everything you need to know about HTML in a short period of time.
– It’s definitely worth it if you want to be an expert programmer!
Good luck on your coding journey!
Thanks for reading!
