Coding gives you a power, a skill that is high in demand. The technology industry is the most flourishing industry across the world. So, pointless to say, the demand for top programmers and coders is never ending. Programming is a skill that you can pick up and make your career. If you know how to code, you not only can use the skill to earn money but also use it to create something new. This article is essentially for those struggling PHP, Java Scripts etc. programmers because we are here to help you prepare to start coding and become a professional by the end of it.
Why Should You Learn Coding?
The answer is simple enough: you can work wherever you want with just a computer and an internet, you can earn in millions just by using your brain, you will be eligible to work in the most demanding and emerging industry today, and you will able to develop new technology related things all by yourself.
Coding is a necessary skill if you wish to climb the success ladder in the technology industry. No doubt, the learning the skill is extremely challenging and requires time and effort, but you will be amazed by the strings of opportunities that come your way once you ace it. Cryptocurrency and Artificial Intelligence are two most emerging areas that have most exciting and high paying opportunities. And both these fields are powered by coders and programmers.
What’s more? You don’t need a degree to be a coder. You can get started without a certificate from a university. However, basic computer knowledge will prove favorable when you start learning to code.
An Important Note for Beginners
Coding is not easy. It is tough. Coding is nothing but programming languages that communicate ideas back and forth between human beings and computer. So, there is no easy way to learn the language. You need to know every bit of it to transfer designs and conceptualize new things.
If you are very new to this then understand that the coding world is completely different from anything you have done previously. However, the key to succeeding in the field is sticking to it, understanding it, and practicing it. Eventually, everything will start making sense and the moment that happens, coding will seem like a cakewalk.
Consider coding as problemsolving. You have to use your skills in solving functions and creating new stuff. Your skills will develop with time, just like how when you converse more in a particular language you become at it.
What You Need to Learn First to Start Coding
You have to learn the basics of coding, as in the system, the networks, and the functions before you dive deep. Here are a few things you should not ignore when starting out:
- You have to learn the basics of computer functions. There are plenty of sources available on and off the internet. Go through them and gain a solid idea.
- Networking is an important aspect of coding. You have to learn various types of networks and their usage and functions for communicating with computers.
- Understand what command line is and start using it on regular basis.
- Learn how a website is created, a domain is formed and web pages are included and aligned. Website development is the basic form of coding and acts as a warmup session for your coding journey.
Start Coding for Real
Once you have walked through the foundations of computer language, coding system, and networking, it is time for you to start the actual exercise. It is going to be a high intensity, just for a reminder.
There are three basic programming languages that you need to master in before anything else. They include:
- HTML
- JavaScript and
- CSS
HTML
HTML, standing for HyperText Mark-up Language, is the most basic of coding. It is used to build simple websites. Any image, text, song, video, graphic or other content that you see on the web, has been put up there by using HTML as the primary component. So, if you don’t know how to develop a website, you should start with HTML. Although it is not considered a programming language technically anymore, you have to be familiarized with it.
The blog, which you are reading now, is also coded here using HTML. These are known as “Tags”. It is very important to learn HTML and get a grasp of it because nothing on the internet works without it.
CSS
Learning the ethics of CSS will take you a few more steps further into coding, programming, and development world. Whatever you do with HTML, CSS enhances it. It brings in a lot more variety to your website and makes it interesting for the end users. CSS allows programmers to use the tricks and tweaks that make a website good looking, userfriendly and presentable, such as add colors, borders, different fonts, margins etc.
JavaScript
- JavaScript actually kick starts yourcoding and programming learning process. You have to have an impeccableknowledge of JavaScript if you wish to be a high grade programmer. JavaScriptis the most widely used programming language. However, it is quite competitivetoo.
- JavaScript makes your website and webapplications interactive and user experience rich. It is highly used increating gaming websites or places where the site demands and interaction withthe viewer, such as via text.
- JavaScript can be implemented by makingadjustments to existing HTML web pages.Once you become a pro in JavaScript Programming, you will be able to add three dimensionalfeatures to your website or application.
What Next in the Learning Process
Once you get a hang of the basics of programming languages – HTML, CSS, and JavaScript – you have to move forward towards the next level of languages. Studying the following will give you the wings you need to fly as a programmer.
- SQL: SQL helps you learn the stuff that includes a database. Nowadays every application, be it a web or a mobile, uses the database in some way or the other. So learning SQL is inevitable. It is an expensive skill that will pave the way to many opportunities.
- jQuery: If you learn JavaScript, learning jQuery will give you additional hands in problemsolving. jQuery acts as the toolbox for JavaScript. It speeds up the development of applications used by JavaScript codes. It achieves to create a single line of codes by grouping tasks.
- Swift: You must know that this is the ruling era of iOS applications. So, you would want to learn the programming language that powers the Apple products, i.e. Swift. Demand for skilled Swift coders is a major concern across the world. So, if not anything else, you should aim for becoming a good iOS developer.
You will not only land into a great job but a highpaying one as well. iOS applications are more popular and profitable than other apps that you see on Google Play Store and other mobile and web app stores.
- Solidity: If any technology that has emerged like a burst of a volcano in the past couple of years, then it ought to be the Blockchain. So, you could be a Blockchain developer as well if you learn Solidity. The programming language is used to develop smart contracts based on Ethereum. Ethereum developers are running high on demand. People are ready to pay millions for the breaking through skill. It could be you too. So, when you are at it, learn as many skills and languages as you can.
Understanding the nuances of computer networking and learning all the languages should not take you more than 3 months of intense studying. Even if you are a bit slow at this or lagging behind others, there is no harm. The important point is you must completely understand everything before you start looking for projects.
After this, you should aim at becoming an active GitHub user. Companies usually hire those programmers who have user accounts in GitHub and who actively make commits.
Other Good Things Which You Should Learn to Advance Your Studies
- Study what debugging is and learn how you can debug programs and websites using developer tools.
- Study React.js and learn its applications in web and app development.
- Know what event loops are. Studying it will provide you with greater insights and understandings about JavaScript, which will eventually help you to use the language in more ways.
- Study and practically apply synchronous and asynchronous JavaScript.
- Study everything in detail related to the front end and back end servers and concept. Learn the functionalities of each server and what role programmers play.
- Work on rasp berry Pi and try building your own network server.
- Download and work on web development tools like node.js and npm. They are simple yet dynamic and help beginners in a great many ways than you can imagine.
Start Coding: Start with a Web Development
- After learning everything, you should goback to the basics again and start your freelance career as a web developer. Ifyou have mastered your skills on all of the above programming languages,developing a professional looking, interactive and user activity rich websiteshould be practically easy. You have to create a portfolio for your hirers to evaluate you. And the best way tocreate one is developing quality websites.
- In fact, once you start developingwebsites, you will know there is a wholelot of other things that you could advance in. take it slow. Give yourself asix months target. Even graduation takes 3 years. So if it takes a solid 6months for studying a completely new technology, it is not bad actually.
Marketing Yourself and Getting Your First Gig
- You have to develop a solid portfolio tobe able to market and attract clients and employers. You can be a fulltimeemployee or a freelancer or both. Both types of career offer amazing jobopportunities, great pay scale, and tremendous benefits. To build a solidresume, you need a handful of web development projects to start with. Add moreprojects on a different programminglanguage to create a comprehensive portfolio.
- LinkedIn, Freelancer, and UpWork is few places that will help you set afreelance career. Otherwise, you can apply at different job portals and HRagencies. Look up the web for top IT companies in your city and leave yourresume with a brief bio with their HR. Follow up to see if there are anyrelevant opportunities, which you can take up.
Best Tips to Start Learning Coding
- Here are tips or resources that wouldhelp you get started and steer you towards the right direction.
- Why do you wantto be a coder? Ask yourself and then choose an appropriate path for it. Interactiveonline tutorials will be more than enough to build websites and games. But ifyou want to be a professional, sign up for good courses.
- There areseveral types of programming languages, both beginner friendly, such as HTMLand high level, such as PHP and Python. If you really want to be a project headsomewhere down the line, learn the good ones.
- No matter howgood you are at your skills, start your career as a web developer. Start smalland break into your career with simpleprojects.
- Use those freeonline training sites. These sites will introduce you to basics of programming.Read as many coding articles as you can to understand industry jargons and themarket.
- Seek advice froman expert. Use their guidance to move in the rightdirection. You can join programming communities and participate in meetups tofind a mentor.
- GitHub hashundreds of free programming books. Refer them when you are stuck, which youare going to for sure in the beginning.
- Play codinggames to learn the programming languages practically, in a fun way.
- Reverse engineersomeone else’s code. This should be your ultimate selfevaluation course.
Learn, apply, and rectify! That’s our key advice. Learn everything and apply your learnings every day. Hope we were able to help you. Share your experience as a coder in comments below and guide future programmers.
