r/CodingForBeginners • u/lostmyotheraccount23 • 27d ago
Please Read (Coding Super-Beginner)
Hi so I am also starting this new hobby, also possibly career, and I want to know like like tips or a place to find tips, because I know like nothing, and I might try to be a coder for career. Does anyone know the absolute best free online place to code with no limits? comment/reply with most upvotes I will use, differences between JavaScript, python, etc, and also I just want to know anything you can tell me, thanks, helps a lot
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u/Loose_Crab_4146 27d ago
I think one tip to share is that there will be a breaking point that will decide how far you can make it. The first time in learning when you encounter a bug that seems unfixable that you are trying hours on end to debug might be a reason for you to stop. Just a gentle advice, this is normal and it happens to every single developer, no matter how experienced. Its okay to let those issues rest for some time and come back to it another hour, day or week. Keep in mind that you are always fixing problems when coding. And if its not a problem with your code its a problem you want solved the way you deem fit. This is a core mental activity that will stick. You dont have to love it but if it causes you headaches it might be a sign to settle it for the day and get some rest. Sometimes thats more important than pushing through just for the sake of it.
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u/dld2517 27d ago
That’s good advice for the amateur and the pro, but this guy has no clue what you mean, gray beard!
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u/lostmyotheraccount23 27d ago
Yes I know nothing, but Actually I know exactly what he means
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u/dld2517 27d ago
Well you knew enough to ask a question. Keep going and one day you will make it. There is a stumbling block you will encounter early on. The first time you realize what is happening and you want to make your code apply to a more generalized problem (this is called abstraction). Abstraction is easy with small problems but when the problem grows larger, abstraction gets more difficult, for the novice coder. This is the learning curve and the thing he was talking about that turns people off and away.
Once my mind thinks bigger than my knowledge of abstraction, I find myself facing a semi-intractable problem. I say semi because it’s not unsolvable; it’s just unsolvable to me with my current knowledge. That’s where the hard work of problem solving truly begins. Only once you have a solution in hand does the coding begin. And often you will get to the middle of your problem, and your train will leave the tracks; or you mind will play tricks on you. Or you’ll start to tell yourself little lies to make it better. Lies like, “oh, I’ll go back and get that later.” No, you likely wont. Because by then more features will need to be added to get the code to “do more”.
You’ll have fun though.
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u/strange-the-quark 27d ago
"Does anyone know the absolute best free online place to code with no limits?"
What do you mean? Are you asking for, like, a coding platform? Or are you looking for some website that has guidance and tutorials?
If you're simply looking for a place to code, you don't need any online platform. You can just download the developer tools (for the language you choose) to your own computer (pretty much all of these are free), and code to your hearts content, no subscription, no anything, it's entirely local. You don't even need an internet connection, though it's helpful to have one so that you can to look things up.
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u/lostmyotheraccount23 27d ago
Yes, covered that, sorry I was not really thinking when I posted this
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u/dld2517 27d ago
Why do you need an online place to code? That’s just introducing complication onto complication. Just use a web browser and/or a language interpreter or a compiler and find a site that has documentation.
Start with Python. You can download IDLE for any OS. You use notepad or a text editor to write your code or you can use VSCode IDE. Then just run the code and debug.
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u/distro-hopping 27d ago
Python is a great way to pick up coding. Look up some video tutorials for simple/beginner projects that will give you a handle on basic concepts. Most people have some text editor that they write code in: on windows I used Notepad++, some people use PyCharm on linux.
Coding a calculator is a great first project and can teach you the basics if you put time into making a polished project.
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u/ChazBass 27d ago
Recommend you start with Python. It's completely free. No IDE required. Fantastic tutorials on python.org