When you’re starting to learn to program, the first question you might ask yourself is, What programming language should I know? There’s no one language that’s best for beginners or is a must-know when you’re first getting started. At its most basic level, a programming language is a set of rules for giving computers instructions. These instructions can range from simple commands like addition or subtraction to more complex tasks like building a website or creating a video game. And each programming language will have an advantage depending on which of those things you want to do. So, you see, which  language is best for you is difficult to answer…

Coding and programming are two terms used to describe the same process. There seem to be a lot of people out there writing very long posts attempting to explain the differences when, quite frankly, there aren’t any. At best, these people are splitting hairs so fine that an electron microscope would have a hard time seeing it. In this post, I’ll show you why coding and programming are functionally the same. I’ll also highlight a more important distinction to make: that between someone who codes and a professional programmer. Coding and Programming Defined Let’s start with the definitions of coding and programming  from Oxford Languages via Google search: Coding the…

We all work a lot during our lives. But if we’re going to work our entire life, shouldn’t we do something that makes us happy? Let me introduce you a career you might not be expecting: software engineering. So, now you’re probably wondering if software engineering is a good career. Maybe you’re on your path learning how to program. Or maybe you’re not happy with your current job and decided to take a look out there to see if you’d find anything different. Whichever reason brought you here, you’re lucky: We’re talking about the pros and cons of a software engineering career. First, the Short Answer All right, before I…

Can you use Git without GitHub? The short answer is yes, you can. Git is a tool for revision control. GitHub is an online service that allows you to store, manage, and share Git repositories in the cloud. You can use Git with online services other than GitHub, with an in-house server, or on your local computer without any server at all. First, let’s look at what Git is. Then, let’s see what GitHub and other Git-hosting services have to offer. What Is Git? Git is a revision control tool. It’s most often associated with software development, but you can use it to track changes in any file. For example,…

How long does it take to learn Python? Well, how long is a piece of string? How much peanut butter is too much? Is this glass half empty or half full? None of these questions has one correct answer. The answer to each depends on your opinion and your goals. And how long it takes you to learn Python depends on what you want to create with the language. So, while I can’t tell you how long it will take to learn Python, I can give you deeper insight into the language and how it will suit your needs. What Do You Need to Learn Python? Python is a general-purpose…

One of the reasons that learning to program might feel like an overwhelming task is the sheer number of new words, terms, and expressions you come across. Today, we’re here to make your life easier by explaining one such term: programming frameworks. Specifically, we’re going to tell you everything you need to know in response to the question “what is a programming framework?” You can think of a programming framework as a tool—or a set of tools—you use to make your life easier when performing common programming tasks. I know that might sound a little vague, but it’s hard to offer a more complete definition without going deeper into the…

As programmers or aspiring programmers, we often focus on the technical skills we need to build software. We work on improving our programming skills, picking up new frameworks, or reading technical books to improve our knowledge of computer science. However, those technical skills will only get us so far. As with most careers, we need to expand our learning and also focus on professional skills. And actually, these skills will make the technical side easier, as we’ll have more clarity on what we need to do to solve problems. In this post, we’ll go over what non-programming skills programmers need to use in our jobs. 1. Communication First and foremost,…

Should developers write documentation? Yes. Yes, they should. That’s it. Everything you need to know! Come back next week for more helpful career advice for aspiring programmers. Oh. You want to know why developers should write documentation? Fine. Why Developers Should Write Documentation Developers should write documentation because it makes it easier for both you and your coworkers to use your code. Well-written code is easy to read and understand. Documented code, on the other hand, is a gift to everyone—even to the coder that created it. Writing documentation makes you a more valuable developer and will help your career. Documenting your code makes you a better developer and helps…

The world of software development has a strange reputation, both for insiders and outsiders. One thing many people have wrong ideas about is how many hours software engineers work, or should work. I’d like to dive a little deeper into this subject: What is the reality and what should you do? What Many People Think Many people think that software engineers work almost all the time. When you ask about average work hours per week, numbers between 60 and 80 hours per week are not an uncommon response. This idea lives among both developers and non-developers. Among some developers, there is also a strong feeling that you can only be…