What does it take to start Coding?

Here are 5 things you should keep in mind as you begin!

Photo by Sora Shimazaki from Pexels

You don’t need a fancy degree to become a programmer. You just need to know how and where to learn from and what problems to apply your coding knowledge to. — So that answers the first part. Moving on…

As a serious beginner, reading lengthy articles about the million things you need to know might waiver the newly growing passion for coding. So, we’ll get to the “to-do” list in time, just not yet.

First off, congratulations on making up your mind! There’s a whole lot of exciting and frustrating experiences that await you in this journey, so hold tight to this newfound interest.

1. Algorithms are your wingmen!

A step-by-step approach.

Programming is like solving challenges repeatedly over lines and lines of code (especially if you start with traditional languages like C or Java). The language in itself is like grocery, you still need to know what you’re trying to cook.

As a programmer, you’re expected to figure out (or identify) the logic behind the problem (analyze), scale it down to the most simple form, and then write it in a computer-legible manner. That’s where the concept of syntaxes or the grammar of the language comes in. Phew! Let’s tone it down.

Basically, the pre-process to coding is writing the algorithm, meaning the steps. Once the logic is out of the way, you can break your head on the syntax for as long as you want.

Train your logical reasoning on beginner-friendly platforms like Blockly and Scratch. Look up platforms that offer free challenges where you can visualize your solution instead of jumping right to programming.

Also, I highly recommend you to check out programmingbasics.org, it has a storytelling manner of teaching you what programming is, which I think is so awesome! Eventually, you can migrate to platforms like HackerRank and CodeWars.

2. Decide what language you’d like to start with.

Well, it’s really up to you. There’s no standard set in stone by the gods of programming…besides you are your own god in this space.

Choosing a first language will depend on what kind of projects you want to work on, who you want to work for, or how easy you want it to be. — Alex McPeak, Smartbear

The linked article explains very clearly what language you can start with based on your objective. Basically,

1. If you’re not one for strict language rules and want to jump right into feeling like a programmer, Python could be your first bet. It’s been highly adopted and is in its peak glory days because it’s really great and focuses just on what is important.
2. C language has too many rules, but all languages are implemented in it (easier to learn C++ and C# if you know C). The tendency is to learn this language first as it gives you an understanding of how a computer functions, but again experiment based on your interest.
3. Java is an object-oriented language that flaunts its cross-platform adaptability. Object-oriented language means that the language has objects that you can give commands to.
   Let the initial complexity not put you off, because your beloved Android — owned by 72.2% of the world’s population — is based on Java. So if you want to build mobile apps, this my friend is your knight in armour!

…and you can read about the rest in the article I’ve linked above!

3. Get a grip on the fundamentals. Languages will come and go, literally.

This can not be stressed enough. What does one mean by fundamentals? Essential building blocks like:

1. The programming environment, which is basically the base on which we program. Just the way you use Word to write documents and Paint to…well paint on the PC, you require certain software to write programs and get them up and running. This is something you will be required to set up.
2. Operators, meaning the mathematical symbols that signify an operation, like addition (+) or comparison like ‘greater than’ (>).
3. Data types like integer, decimal (float), character (‘a’ or ‘&’), etc. signify what type of value is to be entered.
4. Keywords stand for pre-defined words (the underground work done by the founding team). For example, ‘int’ is a keyword in C that stands for integer.
5. Variables just like in math are letters, certain symbols, or just placeholders (there are rules for these too!) that are ready to take values.
6. Input and output operations to enter and display values.
7. Conditions meaning statements that are evaluated as true or false.
8. Loops meaning keywords that let you repeat an operation over and over again until a condition is met.

Though these may seem daunting at first, it’s really the ABCs of programming so learn them well. These are going to hang around a lot more than you expect them too ;) Also, the fundamentals stay pretty consistent throughout languages, hence you needn’t worry about learning this over again.

4. Books are your comrades, don’t leave them behind.

Books are always a good place to start! Fortunately, the founding fathers of most languages took to writing (thank all the documentation that is mandated for you guys!) and have published several books on how to understand the language and utilize it to the best of its ability.

The K&R C Book is suggested as the book to get if you want to learn C. It is the work of Brian Kernighan and Dennis Ritchie (who created the C language). The first edition was the de facto standard for C, and the second edition is still widely read today. — Some Dude Says

Similarly, you can read other books like An Introduction to Python, written by Guido Von Rossum himself, along with the Python Team.

Visit platforms like PDFDrive or just search pdfs of the books online and give it a good read. Though it might be a pain to sift through pages, patiently understand and experiment with the exercises and examples. You will thank this approach once you gain proficiency, no lie.

5. Practice. (You can do that without a computer too!)

The key to proficiency or even continued interest is practice. Either by reading and recollecting concepts and writing them down or typing them. Gaining any new skill requires dedicated effort at your end. Besides, spending hours on mugging up won’t do. You’re really not competing with the world, but yourself.

Coding is an art and you are only starting to imagine. Take it slow and hope you know by now that it takes literally nothing to start, the effort goes into keeping up the pursuit.

Wishing you all the very best and hope to see you at our advanced courses at TCE where you can learn about IoT, Data Science, ROS, AI & ML, and Web Dev in our Hybrid Courses that will keep you engaged! Until then, happy learning.