How do I get started with programming?
With the ongoing digital revolution, computer programming is all the buzz now. You might be looking to pick up programming as a hobby or pursue a career in the field. If so, then let's get you started with the basics.
What is computer programming?
Computer programming or simply programming is the process of instructing a computer on how programs and software should work. The user (you) writes code in specific programming languages and this code creates your program and tells it how to run and what tasks it’s supposed to execute. Typically, computer code should look something like this;
Why do I need to learn programming?
Besides making life a lot easier, programming skills could also serve as a reliable source of income in a world where they are currently in high demand. As previously stated, programming is all about creating programs and software. These could come in many different types. You might want to learn programming to build a website, develop a mobile app, develop a video game, or even automate tedious, repetitive tasks. It’s up to you to decide what you want to do with your soon-to-be-acquired programming skills.
What do I need to start programming?
To start creating programs of your own, you will need the following;
A programming language
This is the way through which you communicate with the computer you’re programming. Programming languages could be text-based or graphical. Programming languages vary based on their syntax; the set of rules that define the structure of the language, and use cases. Examples of programming languages are BASIC, C, C++, Java, Python, Rust, Ruby, JavaScript, Perl, PHP, etc.
An Integrated Development Environment (IDE)
This is a program that helps you write code easily. IDEs come with a set of tools that aid in editing, compiling, and running your code. Different IDEs work with different programming languages and some languages such as JavaScript do not even require an IDE and can be written simply with a text editor.
A whole lot of knowledge
Once you have your mind set on what language to learn, what text editor to use, or what software development domain you want to focus on, you’re ready to start learning. You could choose to learn however you want. It could be by attending a boot camp, reading a book, taking an online course, getting a personal tutor, etc. I, for one, learned to code solely from online courses. I got a lot of help from the following websites and YouTube channels;
- Khan Academy
- W3Schools
- freeCodeCamp
- YouTube — Programming With Mosh
- YouTube — freeCodeCamp.org
- YouTube — Bro Code
- YouTube — Coder Coder
Conclusion
With everything in this blog post understood, you should be ready to go out into the world of programming and explore. Find a passion, learn the skills needed to pursue that passion, go beyond the basics, and have fun doing so.
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