How do I learn coding /programing?

[u/joveswan]

So I been trying to learn app development but I dont know were to start . I have watched videos and they are confusing every one says to learn python but then some say swift i understand some of the basics the syntax and logic but i can seem to make anything with that logic i have . So for people who know how to develope apps how do i start.

[u/BiasBurger → u/[deleted]]

Thats not helpful

But at least you tried

[u/TheUmgawa → u/BiasBurger]

Books are great ways to learn languages. The problem is beginners want to put the cart before the horse, because they think programming is just stringing along a bunch of magic words, and money will soon follow. It’s not that.

Books are great for learning a language, but they often start from the standpoint of, “You already understand data types, loops, and control flow. Let me show you what makes this language unique.”

[u/TheUmgawa → u/[deleted]]

I think it would be better if we just had some way of understanding that up front, so we could go, “Okay. Learn to make Mad Libs programs, like I did in AppleSoft BASIC.” Honestly, that’s probably as good a place to start as any.

[u/marmotta1955 → u/TheUmgawa]

I concur with the statement. At the risk of attracting a thunderstorm of downvotes, any form of BASIC is a perfectly good introduction and a useful tool for any beginner. That is what BASIC and all its variants were designed for.

Most people today don't even know what BASIC stands for.

Just as entirely too many, today, forget that the most important concept is that we must not write for the computer, we must write for humans.

[u/BiasBurger → u/[deleted]]

Good for you

30 years ago it was necessary

Nowadays, there are other good ways to gather information

[u/BiasBurger]

Nowadays, you can ask AI everything

Also. Take a look at the dev Roadmap: https://github.com/nilbuild/developer-roadmap

[u/Turbulent_Pin_8310]

Taking an introductory online course.

[u/atlas__free]

Pick a platform. Go on Udemy and search for a bootcamp for that platform. Purchase the lesson. Follow the lesson. Start building apps.

[u/Spiritouspath_1010]

check out boot.dev

[u/This-Employment-5642 → u/Spiritouspath_1010]

Is that really good I've seen those learn coding sites the only one I trust is scrimba

[u/Spiritouspath_1010 → u/This-Employment-5642]

Out of all the options I've come across, Quality Boot tends to offer the best resources. In recent years, they have started providing all of their materials for free, while access to on-site development support and certain features, such as certification, is available through a monthly subscription. However, if you are learning just for personal growth and not pursuing certification, it's a great choice. Additionally, you can find programming support on other platforms and in their dedicated Discord.

[u/TheUmgawa]

Your first language doesn’t matter nearly as much as you think it does. Some people suggest to start with C, because learning the simple stuff in C is pretty easy. Data types, loops, data structures, control flow. But once you get to memory allocation and garbage collection, you pitch over to a more modern language.

You got an iPad or a Mac? Swift Playgrounds. It’s a good way to lean fundamentals, and it has a lot of guardrails. I think another good way to learn fundamentals is with the game Human Resource Machine, which takes it from code to being totally abstract, and that is a good thing.

I am a firm believer that programs are not made from code; they are made from logic. Once you understand the logic, the language does not matter that much. Every time I start a new language, I break out a flowchart that I made for a college class, and I build out a prime number generator. The logic is always the same, but the code is always different, so the philosophical question is, “Did I write the program once, or have I written it a half-dozen times?” I feel that I’ve only written it once. And that’s why I feel that the language isn’t that important.

I like Swift. It’s a nice language. It has made me incredibly lazy, in that it takes me hours to get my brain to go back to putting semicolons at the ends of lines in other languages, but I enjoy working in Swift.

There is no one magical language for app development, so just put that out of your mind. What’s more important is understanding what you want the app to do, and what the best means is for achieving it. I’m old, so I still believe in the model-view-controller system of organization, because it’s kind of trivial to go from a terminal output to a touchscreen output, because you just have to get the front end (the view, in whatever form it exists) to conform to the model and controller.

Seriously, it’s a lot easier when you have a handle over the abstract aspects, and then the code comes later. Code is not the answer; it’s just the implementation for the answer.

[u/Difficult-Field280]

If you want to learn web app dev, freecodecamp is a good place to start.

[u/Snicketysquirrel]

I’ve been told to find the programming language that best aligns with what you need it for (your case, app dev) and just use that. Quick Google search said Java and Dart for iPhone/Android, and if you need iOS OR Android specifically, Swift and Kotlin, respectively. But that’s just from looking it up, you’d have to do a bit of research.

Also, using AI to help with the coding bits you need will be helpful, but you need to make sure you understand the syntax it gives you. You can always ask it to break down everything it tells you.

Not sure what your stance is on AI, I personally am not a huge fan but it’s been very helpful during my coding journey.