Why do you want to learn to code?

The first question I always ask is “Why do you want to become a programmer?”

For many the answer will be to get better job prospects and the ability to earn a higher income.

While this is a totally valid answer, there also must be an underlying desire to code.

An innate love of computers and technology.

Embracing everything software.

You could also call it a passion.

Think deeply about this.

Are you already involved in some way with computers and software.

Perhaps you like to do some hacking in the evenings or on weekends and want to turn this love of building software into a full-time career.

Career, freelance, own business?

The steps to learning how to code are very similar depending on what your end goal is.

If you are looking to enter the job market, then you may want to focus on one or two of the most sought-after programming languages.

If you are looking to freelance, then also learning a few of the most popular languages and frameworks is a good idea.

If you want to create your own application and start the next big SaaS product, learn about the tools and tech stack that you will require to build that application.

No matter which road you take, you will need a solid foundation in programming.

This will allow you to grasp any programming language in a short period of time.

You will also, in many cases, need to learn about the tools needed to support your applications lifecycle.

By that I mean, code editors, repositories, servers, databases, testing, continuous integration, storage.

If you end up working for a larger company, then many of those tools and processes will be handled by different departments.

However, as you become more independent, say as a freelancer or business owner, it is more likely that you will need to develop a larger set of skills.

What do you want to learn?

You know that you have a passion for coding and all things software.

The next question is which niche do you want to start with?

The niche will determine which tools and areas of interest to concentrate on and study.

If you choose to build windows desktop applications then you are most likely going to be using C#, C++ or JAVA.

If you choose to do Linux systems programming, then C is your language of choice.

If you are looking to delve into web development then your friends are HTML, CSS and JavaScript, along with PHP or Python.

The above suggestions are by no means exhaustive, but they do cover some of the popular programming languages currently in use.

Other areas of interest like artificial intelligence and crypto currencies will require specialized knowledge.

What are the steps to learn coding?

1. A willingness to learn — are you prepared to set aside time each day to learn and practice coding skills.

2. Find a general coding course which starts at the beginning and teaches you how to code.

3. Pick one of the popular languages to learn first — C, PHP, JAVA, PYTHON

4. Along with number 3 — choose a good code editor and learn how to use it, for example visual studio code.

5. Learn how to set up a local development environment for your specific niche.

6. Practice your coding skills every day by creating small projects.

Where To Start?

If you already know which niche you are interested in then start by learning to code for that niche.

My passion is web development, so I started learning html, css, javascript and because I was building a data driven application, I also learned php and mysql.

I did have a head start, a BSc in Computer Programming, which gave me a foundation in how to code, but even with that degree I still had to learn my niche.

Nowadays we have a plethora of online courses, youtube videos and tutorials on any given topic.

A large number of choices!

Sometimes it would be nice to find all of that knowledge in one trusted place.

I’ll be presenting a series of beginner coding tutorials, starting from scratch.

In this series, I’ll cover all of the basics that you will need to get started.

If you are a beginner or know someone who is just getting started let them know.

I’ll be here.

Thanks for reading and happy coding!