Thursday, 26 December 2013
5 Best Sites for Coding Tutorials
Do you wish you could create the next Angry Birds, but don’t know the first thing about apps? Do you want to design your own incredible website, but still have to Google the definition of HTML?
Thank goodness we have the Internet. In the last few years, several sites have been popping up across the web to teach us the basics of coding.
Here are five of the best coding tutorial websites, to get you started with programming 101.
- For the social coder: CodeacademyJavaScript, HTML/CSS, Python, RubyCodeacademy, perhaps the most famous of the coding tutorial sites, is great for the coder who’s still unsure about the whole thing. It’s super easy (and addictive). You earn badges that you can post to social media sites, much like in a game. If you’re competitive, you can keep track of your friends’ scores and compare your progress. Overall, Codeacademy offers a well-rounded coding education that’s free and very simple to use, which explains why it’s so popular – even New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg is on the site.
- For impatient learners: LearnStreetJavaScript, Python, RubyIf you can’t stand all that “build a solid foundation” stuff they taught you in school and you want to see your code doing things right away – LearnStreet’s a great place to start. You’ll still get all the basics, but you’ll also get hands-on practice in the Code Garage section of the site. Build something as simple as Minesweeper or show off a from-scratch game of blackjack. You can go solo on your projects, or collaborate with your friends. Bonus: Get hints and tips, chat, and tweet with actual programmers.
- For the indie programmer: Hackety Hack
RubySometimes you have to start small. Hackety Hack is a beautiful site that teaches you the Ruby programming language – basically, the “Feng Shui” of coding languages. Hackety Hack is simple, streamlined, and easy to use. The site features their top picks of user designs (right now, Connect Four and Calendar), and a blog geared toward fledgling developers. Our advice? Get on the site before everyone’s using it and it’s no longer cool. - For video tutorials: CodehsJavaScript, Objective C, Ruby, Python, Etc.Codehs is designed for high school students, but it’s open to all. The team who developed the site has been teaching at Stanford for the last three years. Start with a free trial, and watch videos that will help you fully understand what you’re writing. Membership is initially free (videos and basic code) and goes up to premium ($75/month). According to the site, you’ll learn JavaScript and get the programming experience needed to pick up any programming language, such as Objective C, Ruby, Python, Java, C, and C++. If you’re thinking about programming as a career, this might be the way to go.
- For the one who wants to know it all: w3schoolsVirtually EverythingNot only does w3schools offer all the fundamental coding languages, from Javascript to HTML/CSS to ASP.NET, it also offers the server side of coding. Learn PHP, SQL, ASP, and ADO. And that’s just the beginning. If you’re looking for fast, free, extensive coding tutorials, w3schools is a must-see.
If these five great sites don’t meet your needs, remember that everyone’s favorite online education center, Khan Academy, now offers coding lessons. If you prefer to learn with distinguished professors, you can always take an online course in computer science at one of the new university-powered online educations hubs, such as Coursera.
In other words, the resources are there. No more excuses. Get coding.
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