Computer programming is one of the most popular careers today, it has exploded in recent years, changing from something used in computer games and the occasional electronic device, to something which shapes the way that we live in the modern world. In fact, software engineering is one of the most demanding careers across multiple industries.
While anybody can learn how to start coding, many people do not take the plunge because they are worried they need a computer science degree, they are too young, they are “not good at math” or that there are already enough programmers.
Learning programming may seem like a huge task but in fact, it is not that complicated. There is a lot to cover if you are starting from zero but getting overwhelmed because you do not know where to start and thinking about learning everything overnight is impossible. That is why today, we want to discuss step-by-step, term-by-term, how you can start learning programming from scratch and have fun doing it!
We will begin by defining what coding is and why you should learn it. After this, we will look at some of the most popular coding languages.
We will start with defining what coding essentially is, most programmers would say that coding is basically:
‘The act of writing code that is compiled to form programs, that can be executed by a computer or a code reader, and that has a specific function or set of functions.’
Now, this explanation is quite widespread. In fact, precisely what we have in mind by coding will depend on what sort of coding we are suggesting to.
A computer is a hardware machine that can store and process information. The language of a computer is Binary, a complex set of ones and zeroes. Programming is essentially the larger-scale process of developing a complex machine program that acts according to our wishes.
Programming is the basic communication between human input and machine output. It is the way that a computer knows how and when to process data.le
Why coding is basically an easier and more accessible job, unlike the other traditional jobs:
As described above, coding is an intriguing new field that presents a world of opportunities for people who are eager to learn. Despite what you might have heard, learning to code is not that hard – particularly when you compare it to the skills that are required to get the most skilled jobs.
An average person can learn the basics of how to code for beginners fast enough and will be able to start writing simple programs in just a couple of weeks.
After some months of hard work, you will be fluent in at least one programming language. Working hard to learn coding for beginners for a few months should give you all the skills that you need to become a career coder.
Some of the largest known programming languages which are used all over the world are,
- Java
- Python
- Ruby
- Solidity
- HTML
- CSS
- JavaScript
Java
Java is arguably the best programming language in the modern world. It is widespread, versatile, and it is being used for things like Android app creation and back-end web development, etc.
Python
If Java is the king of programming languages, then Python is the queen. It is also super versatile, and widespread meaning it has a lot of different uses. A lot of academics and researchers use Python to create data analysis programs to help their studies.
Ruby
Ruby is a language that is becoming more and more popular for full-stack web development. It allows for the seamless integration of both front and back-end elements of a new website through the Ruby on Rails framework.
Solidity
If you are interested in cryptocurrencies and blockchain development, then Solidity is one of the best programming languages to learn. Although not well known or widespread by any stretch of the imagination, Solidity is the main language for smart contract development on the Ethereum blockchain.
HTML
If you want to get into front-end web development, then you have to learn HTML. Used for marking up text so that computers can understand it, HTML also known as Hypertext Markup Language is one of the most straightforward languages to learn and is where a lot of people start when learning how to code for beginners.
CSS
CSS is used nearly exclusively alongside HTML to style and format content on web pages. It allows you to do things like change the color and size of elements, change the position of elements on a webpage, and change the entire layout of a webpage.
It is a good idea to learn HTML and CSS alongside each other through something like the HTML and CSS course. This course will teach you the basics of CSS, HTML, web development, and how they all tie together.
JavaScript
JavaScript is another language that is quite versatile and extremely common – much like Java and Python.
Although it has generally been a front-end web development language that allowed the creation of interactive components, JavaScript is becoming more and more used for other things – including back-end web development.