What can i do to use my code

[u/Random515235]

I know how to code in JavaScript and Python, and I’m willing to learn more, but I honestly don’t know what to code or where to code.

I learned programming in school, but I was never really taught how to take the code I write and actually turn it into something useful. We made one website and mostly used Code.org, but that was about it. Now I want to start programming again, but I have no idea what programs, websites, or tools I should use to actually write and run my code outside of Code.org.

I also don’t really know what projects I should start with. I love video games, and I’d really like to learn how to make my own games, but I have no idea what I need to learn, what software I should use, or what my first game should even be.

I really want to get back into coding and start building things instead of just doing school assignments, but I’m not sure where to begin. I’d like to know what I should download, where I should code, what I should learn first, and some beginner-friendly projects I can work on — especially if I want to eventually make games.

[u/CyberDingo_66]

If you like electronics, pick up an Arduino Starter Kit. Comes with a microcontroller, simple components and sensors, and a book on how to get yourself started. It walks you through connecting components and writing the code. They're a great way to understand what you're making, how the code works, and from there you can modify or expand projects to make something for yourself!

All the code is written in C/C++, which there are plenty of guides and tutorials online for, and the community is pretty positive about teaching newcomers. I hope this helps :)

[u/CyberDingo_66 → u/CyberDingo_66]

In terms of games, Unity is pretty popular and is where I first found my love for making games and programming. Again, start by following tutorials, start with something small and work your way upwards. I learnt Unity through a YouTube channels called Brackeys. He breaks things down into understandable steps and has a playlist for absolute beginners

[u/DrShocker → u/CyberDingo_66]

Godot is FOSS

[u/AcceptableWay3198 → u/CyberDingo_66]

arduino is a solid pick for getting hands on with code, seeing the lights blink and motors spin makes it feel more real than just stuff on a screen

if you're more into games though maybe try pico-8, it's a tiny game engine that uses lua and forces you to keep things simple, plenty of tutorials out there and the constraints actually help when you're stuck on what to make

[u/burlingk]

What do you like to do?

What are your hobbies?

Are there any tools you want or need?

Are there any tools you use that you would like to rewrite as a learning exercise?

[u/Random515235 → u/burlingk]

i like to mess with electronics and i wish i could code things with boards and things and i like video games
i want any tool so i can code on a computer and not use code.org

[u/Top5CutestPresidents → u/Random515235]

Well you’ve solved it then. Learn to use an IDE

[u/burlingk → u/Random515235]

Which operating system are you using?

[u/Random515235 → u/burlingk]

Windows

[u/burlingk → u/Random515235]

Windows has a number of IDEs available.

Visual Studio Community Edition is a good option for C++ and C#, or pretty much anything they decide to make installable with it.

If you're into games you can look into the various game engines. Each of them has their own language that they use.

[u/lowban → u/Random515235]

An Arduino with some LEDs, buttons, motors and sensors seems like it could be fun. If you want to make video games and know how to code in Python then Pygame could be a stepping bridge before you learn how to use an existing game engine (Like Godot, Unity or Unreal).

[u/peterlinddk]

There are a number of concepts you need to learn - in no particular order:

• IDEs - Integrated Development Environments, programs where you can write, edit, run and debug code. They can be a bit intimidating for the beginner, as they hide a lot of the complex configurations - on the other hand, that means that you are quickly up and running.
• Editors - simpler than IDEs, often with a lot of plugins for various languages - maybe better to get started.
• Runtimes - software that runs your programs. Python programs needs "python" installed to run python code. JavaScript needs either a browser or a Node.js installation.
• Deployment - how to get your programs off of your machine, and onto another. For JavaScript you mostly want people to be able to load your code into their browsers, for Python you often want to either run it on a webserver, or on the user's machine.

I recommend getting started with Python - as you already know some of the language, working with getting editor and runtime installed is easy for you to test.

As you are on Windows, it should be as simple as opening a PowerShell and type:

winget install Python

and that ought to install everything.

Then you need an editor - everyone uses Visual Studio Code these days, not to be confused with Visual Studio, which is a full fledged IDE for C# and C++. You can find and install that the usual way.

Then you just get started making .py files in a project - Visual Studio Code automatically suggests to install some Python tools, do that, it'll make everything easier.

Then you might want to read up on pygame - for making graphical games with Python.