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]]>But, to get to the point where you can develop impressive things, whether for personal projects or for clients, coders must overcome one of the most difficult challenges: getting through the learning phase. Thankfully, there are many ways to make the process more fun and rewarding, and this article will outline how beginner coders can expand their skills and knowledge through free coding games and challenges.
As the name suggests, coding games and challenges are activities that require coding as part of the process. The types of games and challenges can vary. Still, they will generally have a mutual goal of pushing the learner to create something capable of performing a specific function or set of functions without writing too much code.
Name of Activity | Description |
Challenge: LeetCode | LeetCode is a popular platform for coding challenges. It offers a wide range of coding problems that vary in difficulty. These challenges test algorithmic and coding skills, helping participants prepare for technical interviews and competitive coding. |
Coding Game: Scratch | Scratch is a beginner-friendly coding game designed for kids. It uses a block-based visual programming language, making creating animations, games, and interactive stories easy. It introduces coding concepts in a playful way. |
Challenge: HackerRank | HackerRank is a platform with coding challenges and competitions. It covers various domains, including algorithms, data structures, and artificial intelligence. It’s a great place to hone coding skills and prepare for coding interviews. |
These games and challenges will typically start with a tutorial that guides the player through writing some code, then lets them try on their own by repeating a similar task that requires slightly different coding. As the game progresses, the difficulty level increases and more code must be written to progress or win the challenge.
While it may sound like fun and games (pun intended), playing coding offers dozens of benefits, from improving problem-solving skills to developing patience and taking on difficult tasks. Here are a few of the most mention-worthy benefits of playing these games and conquering these challenges:
Besides the obvious, one of the benefits of coding games is that they require lots of creativity since there is not always one right answer. In many cases, it’s up to the player to decide how they want to write their code and the result they want to achieve. This means that the coder could need to choose between a series of code types, languages, structures, and more to come up with the best solution.
Problem-solving skills are important in every aspect of life, which means that even if a coder tries coding games and chooses not to pursue coding as a career, they can still benefit from the skills acquired by playing these games. Because so many obstacles appear during the coding process, coders need to be able to decide on the fly about the best way to proceed, and this is exactly what coding games make you do.
Sometimes, when we are pursuing a goal, we get tunnel vision and only aim for that goal. While this can be beneficial in some cases, trying new languages and coding techniques in the world of coding can lead to faster and better results. Simply put, by venturing outside your comfort zone, you could find strategies to help overcome a problem you are facing with an ongoing project. This is why coding games and challenges can be so beneficial since they get coders to experiment outside of what they are used to seeing and doing.
One thing you need to succeed as a coder is patience, and a lot of it. Things can be going so smoothly until you hit a huge wall and can’t seem to go any further. Unfortunately, this is simply part of coding, and combining problem-solving skills and patience makes overcoming these progress interruptions much easier. Therefore, playing coding games and challenges can help you work on patience and develop this skill set.
Last but not least, having completed various coding challenges can be seen as an asset when it comes to applying for jobs. Many coding games and courses will give you a certificate upon completion, which you can use to support your application. With the increase in demand for coders, employers are always looking for people who can show strong coding skills, and certificates from coding challenges or games can help you stand out from the crowd.
When it comes to coding games, there are many kinds out there, so it is easy to find one that appeals to you, no matter your learning style. Some of the most common include:
Because so many kinds of games and challenges are available to coders online, it’s worth trying as many of them as possible to find which ones best suit your learning style and what coding skills you need to master.
One of the best parts of coding games is that they are so accessible. Simply searching for “coding games” or “coding games for beginners” will show you hundreds of relevant results where you can find a wide variety of coding challenges and games. Some of the most well-known websites for coding games and challenges include:
While these websites have built a reputation for being great coders’ resources, some may be more suitable for people of different skill levels. Therefore, if you try one website and find that the challenges require skills beyond your current level, all it takes is to try another site until you find one that pushes you to develop your skills without being too frustrating.
Determining how often to play these games is entirely up to you. While some coders enjoy spending hours advancing in various coding games and learning new skills, others prefer to play only occasionally and let their brains rest in between.
What is most important is to avoid burnout and to only play when you have the motivation to do so. This is especially true for people who code as part of their job because they will already spend many hours per day coding, and doing the same in their free time can lead to feeling overwhelmed and exhausted.
Moreover, never let games become a nuisance to your day. They are meant to be fun! If the games start consuming your free time, it is best to take breaks and do something that calms you.
From tutorial-based coding games to competitive challenges, there is no shortage of available game options on the internet for those wanting to learn new coding skills and treat themselves to some entertainment. From the creative aspect of these games to the possibility of gaining an edge over other applicants in the workplace, these games can play an important role in advancing your coding skills and knowledge. So, next time you are sitting around bored, why not play some coding games and see where they might take you? You never know. You might just become a master coder!
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]]>The post Discovering Coding Communities: Free Resources and Support appeared first on Simple Tech-Code.
]]>Coding communities, sometimes referred to as “hackerspaces” or “makerspaces”, are groups of people who share an interest in coding. They can range in size but generally use platforms like Discord, Slack or Skype to connect people from around the world who need help with coding projects.
These groups aim to connect with people who experience the same challenges and accomplishments as you and support each other in your coding journey. The members can provide advice, resources, and tutorials to teach each other about the different coding languages and platforms they are working with or learning.
If having the support of a coding community sounds beneficial to you, it may be worth searching for one (or more). To do this, you can generally find them with quick online research using terms such as “online coding communities,” “groups for coders,” or even “group chats for coders.”
Specific platforms and websites are also useful for finding coding communities. Reddit is a popular one as it has many dedicated forums related to programming and software development, while Codementor provides an online platform that can help connect you with developers from around the world.
Some communities also use more mainstream platforms like Facebook and Twitter that are more general in their focus but can also be helpful for connecting with coders to share advice and experiences.
While we have touched on some of the advantages of being part of these groups, we have yet to touch a plethora of others. Here are a few worth mentioning:
One of the coolest things about coding communities is that they unite people of all experience levels. Everyone from newbies to coding veterans has the insight to share on different topics, and it can also be a great way to make friends with similar experience levels as you and seek help from those who have more years under their belt. In a coding community, you will likely find people of all experience levels, including:
As a freelancer of any kind, you never know where work might pop up, and this is especially true for coders. Because coding projects can be so large, even the most experienced coders will often need someone with specific expertise to get around a wall they have hit during the process.
For example, someone developing a website may have all the skills needed to develop the front end but may need someone with more experience developing mobile apps to create the back end. In cases like these, many coders will turn to coding communities to find suitable candidates to fill positions and help them with their ongoing projects, which can often come at a generous profit, with the most experienced coders making 5-digit monthly figures.
Types | Description |
Freelance Projects | Coding communities often offer access to freelance gigs. |
Job Postings | Discover job openings shared within coding communities. |
Networking Events | Attend events to connect with potential employers. |
Collaborative Work | Collaborate on coding projects for skill development. |
Mentorship Programs | Access mentorship for career growth and skill enhancement. |
On the other hand, someone developing an online casino could be familiar with developing slot games but could be lacking the knowledge needed when it comes to implementing promotion systems where players can redeem offers like new free spins no deposit, or loyalty points. This is where experienced coders can come in and provide the support needed to finish these projects on time and on budget.
Wondering how well you did on a project or a portion of a project? Nobody gives better feedback than the experts themselves! Coding communities can be a great place to seek and give feedback. Whether it be on your website design, a game you are coding or even just a small tweak in some existing code, if you want feedback from people who value feedback just as much as you, these groups are the place to go.
Depending on the community, you may even find that people are willing to test out your software/product/service/game free of charge and give you honest feedback on their experience. And while anybody can critique your work, hearing it from people who can also offer viable solutions to the problems they raise can give you a huge helping hand in improving your projects.
Besides getting human help, dozens of online websites offer resources for coders for all kinds of projects. Whether you want to reuse pre-written code or learn more about a particular coding language, you can find almost anything online to help you on your programming journey. Here are some of the coolest online resources for coders that are worth looking into:
Coding has its ups and downs, there’s no denying that. But when it comes to overcoming struggles and bumps in the road, a coding community can go a long way, especially once you find the right one. By using the tips and tricks offered in this article, you will surely have a headstart in finding your coding community and making the most of it.
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]]>The post What Coding Language is Best for Beginners? appeared first on Simple Tech-Code.
]]>According to GitHub, an advanced programming platform that allows users to create, store and distribute software, these are the most used coding languages:
The ratings are based on the number of times each particular coding language was pulled from GitHub to be used, but they do not tell us about the actual uses for these languages or how suited they are for coding for beginners. Being on this list does not automatically mean that any of these constitute the best coding language for beginners, but being on this list does indicate popularity and common use.
That being said, you can surmise that the most in-demand languages are highly sought after for a reason: the highest number of people found them to be valuable.
JavaScript is the most popular coding language for two simple reasons: it is highly versatile and is quite easy to learn. This makes it a good candidate for your first programming language. Once learned, it can be used to build everything, from websites to servers to apps. It allows users to work on both the server-side and the client-side — or front-end web development — giving a team more flexibility to share the workload.
The most common careers that employ people able to use JavaScript are software engineers, mobile developers, front-end developers, and full-stack developers.
Python is a popular coding language because it can be used in a wide variety of situations and it is easy to learn, even for those who are new to coding. But don’t be fooled by its ease of use. Python is a powerful tool, used by giants in the digital world like Google and Facebook.
Although Python can, and is, regularly used for website development, it can do so much more. It can be used for animating, scientific computing, machine learning, and creating, searching, and organizing data sets.
There is a wide variety of careers in need of Python users as well, including data scientists, software developers and engineers, as well as analysts of all types.
Java has been one of the most popular languages for over 20 years because of its reliability, scalability and cross-platform compatibility, and is used by companies like Google, Uber, and Netflix. It is more complex and harder to learn than some of the newer languages, but that does not make it any less useful. It is commonly used to build mobile apps, back-ends, and especially used for machine learning because of its speed.
The careers that are looking for Java users include data analysts, scientists, and front-end, back-end, full-stack, and mobile developers.
While not the easiest coding language for a beginner to learn, tackling it may be a wise choice. Not only are its users in high demand, but comprehending the complexities of this language makes it that much easier to learn other programming languages.
C is popular because of its speed and reliability, and because it is the root of so many other coding languages. C++ is an updated version that is frequently used for computer programming.
C/C++ are frequently used for coding programs that are very graphics heavy- think gaming, photo and video editing apps, etc. Mobile developers are the most common employers of C/C++ coders.
Go is a relatively new language that is growing in popularity because it is easy to learn and simple to use. Designed by Google as an alternative to some of the older languages, like Java and C++, it can tackle most of the applications in a more user-friendly way.
While it is not in huge demand yet, it might be a wise choice for those just entering into the coding game, since there aren’t many experienced Go users out there.
Go users generally work in the data science fields, but the options may increase as the popularity of this language continues to rise.
Ruby is a scripting language that is used most frequently for web development. While it does not have a large variety of uses, it is still in demand because it is used by many major businesses, including Airbnb and Shopify.
While there are not a tremendous number of jobs available using this language, its relative obscurity means that those who know it are in high demand and are frequently paid above industry standards.
The most common careers that use Ruby are Software engineers and back-end developers.
While PHP’s popularity may be waning, it is far from a dead language. It is still very commonly used in website building and may be present in as many as 79% of those sites on the web today.
While not the simplest coding language for beginners, its heavy use worldwide in websites means that those who know how to use it are always in demand.
Most people who use PHP find careers as website developers.
C# was developed by Microsoft principally to be used as part of their .NET framework for building Windows applications. Microsoft, and their .NET framework, is one of the most widely used software companies by businesses large and small, and so jobs for those who write C# are currently, and likely will continue to be, in high demand.
Most users of C# end up in careers that revolve around mobile or game development.
Swift is a newer coding language created exclusively for use in the development of iOS and MacOS apps. It may not be the best coding language for beginners because of its narrow scope. However, those who can use it are well paid and enjoy a higher level of job security.
At this point, careers for those who know Swift are largely limited to iOS developers.
Rust is a coding language that is well-liked by programmers because it offers a high level of memory safety as well as its high speed. Rust lets you work directly with the computer’s memory at a lower level than languages like Ruby and JavaScript. It can be more complicated to use, but it gives you more control over what the program is doing at a low level.
Because of this, is it frequently used by tech companies who understand the need for such security.
There are not yet many jobs out there for those who use Rust, but that may change as companies outside the tech world see its advantages.
Those who know Rust most often work in game or web development.
Understanding both your short-term and long-term career goals will help you to choose which programming language you should learn first. There are many variables that affect this decision, including how easy it is to learn, how in-demand those who use it are, and how likely you are to want to expand and grow within your career.
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]]>The post What Is the Best Programming Language to Learn? appeared first on Simple Tech-Code.
]]>But which is the best programming language to learn? If you’re new to this, there are many choices to pick from, making it difficult to know where to start.
Programming languages are continually evolving—while one dies, it gets replaced by the new big thing. If you time it well, you stand to earn a lot of money. Or you can go with the tried and tested languages that have stood the test of time.
All of it is enough to make your head spin. Which programming language is best to learn? Which give the highest salaries? Are they easier to start learning? This list will guide you through everything you need to know about picking the best programming language to learn.
Let’s explore!
Every programming language is different. While each programming language has its unique syntax, how it’s written, run, and compiled can change everything.
Many developers prefer to work with certain types of languages. It’s also a lot easier to migrate between similar languages, so the first programming language you learn matters.
So what are the different types of programming languages? There’s a difference between scripting and programming languages? Let’s take a look.
You should also note that many people just use “programming languages” to refer to all coding languages as a whole. A scripting language is a specialized programming language, but not all programming languages are scripting languages.
Not all languages below are programming languages in the strictest sense, but they’re all used for coding.
There’s no clear answer on which coding language is best. Each has its pros and cons and shines in different situations. But when it comes to specific categories, there are a few clear winners. These are the best languages for:
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]]>The post Swift Programming Language appeared first on Simple Tech-Code.
]]>Memory Management –
Swift uses Automatic Reference Counting (ARC) to manage memory. Earlier, Apple used to require manual memory management in Objective-C, but after introducing ARC in 2011 memory allocation and de-allocation became easier.
Swift is managed as a collection of projects, each with its repositories. The current list of projects include:
Advantages –
Disadvantages –
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]]>PHP code is executed on the server.
Before you continue you should have a basic understanding of the following:
PHP is an amazing and popular language!
It is powerful enough to be at the core of the biggest blogging system on the web (WordPress)!
It is deep enough to run large social networks!
It is also easy enough to be a beginner’s first server side language!
.php
“With PHP you are not limited to output HTML. You can output images, PDF files, and even Flash movies. You can also output any text, such as XHTML and XML.
<=>
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]]>The post What is Kotlin? The Java alternative explained appeared first on Simple Tech-Code.
]]>Kotlin originated at JetBrains, the company behind IntelliJ IDEA, in 2010, and has been open source since 2012. The Kotlin project on GitHub has more than 770 contributors; while the majority of the team works at JetBrains, there have been nearly 100 external contributors to the Kotlin project. JetBrains uses Kotlin in many of its products including its flagship IntelliJ IDEA.
At first glance, Kotlin looks like a more concise and streamlined version of Java. Consider the screenshot above, where I have converted a Java code sample (at left) to Kotlin automatically. Notice that the mindless repetition inherent in instantiating Java variables has gone away.
You can see that functions are defined with the fun
keyword, and that semicolons are now optional when newlines are present. The val
keyword declares a read-only property or local variable. Similarly, the var
keyword declares a mutable property or local variable.
Nevertheless, Kotlin is strongly typed. The val
and var
keywords can be used only when the type can be inferred. Otherwise you need to declare the type. Type inference seems to be improving with each release of Kotlin.
Have a look at the function declaration near the top of both panes. The return type in Java precedes the prototype, but in Kotlin it succeeds the prototype, demarcated with a colon as in Pascal.
It is not completely obvious from this example, but Kotlin has relaxed Java’s requirement that functions be class members. In Kotlin, functions may be declared at top level in a file, locally inside other functions, as a member function inside a class or object, and as an extension function. Extension functions provide the C#-like ability to extend a class with new functionality without having to inherit from the class or use any type of design pattern such as Decorator.
For Groovy fans, Kotlin implements builders; in fact, Kotlin builders can be type checked. Kotlin supports delegated properties, which can be used to implement lazy properties, observable properties, vetoable properties, and mapped properties.
Many asynchronous mechanisms available in other languages can be implemented as libraries using Kotlin coroutines. This includes async
/await
from C# and ECMAScript, channels and select from Go, and generators
/yield
from C# and Python.
Allowing top-level functions is just the beginning of the functional programming story for Kotlin. The language also supports higher-order functions, anonymous functions, lambdas, inline functions, closures, tail recursion, and generics. In other words, Kotlin has all of the features and advantages of a functional language.
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]]>Now, bear in mind that as far as programmers go, there’s no such thing as knowing too many languages. A programmer with a grasp of many languages is a programmer who is highly marketable and very much in demand. Upskilling is always a smart way to go.
Still, you have to start somewhere; and that should be with one of the more popular languages, one that’s experiencing unprecedented growth in demand.
We present to you, JavaScript!
So with this in mind, let’s explore 10 compelling reasons to learn JavaScript.
We start our list with possibly the most significant reason! According to Stackoverflow.com, JavaScript is the most popular programming language used by professional developers today. Even back-end developers choose JavaScript more often than not.
JavaScript is, without question, the default language of the internet. You need to look no further than your browser for proof since JavaScript was most likely used to develop it. Since browsers are a necessary part of any user’s online experience, it’s easy to see why JavaScript is so significant.
JavaScript has many uses that go beyond its traditional internet roles. It powers smart televisions, works with the internet of things (IoT), creates native apps for iOS and Android, and builds cross-platform desktop apps, to name a few.
Since it’s already installed on every web browser today, JavaScript spares the rookies from the chore of setting up a development environment. Newcomers can just jump in and start coding. It’s one of the most accessible entries into coding available, a value-add for beginners. There is also a large online community that offers support and advice.
Also, JavaScript is an excellent tool for beginning programmers who want to expand their skill set into other languages. JavaScript supports valuable skills such as object-oriented, functional, and imperative styles of programming. Beginner developers, in turn, can apply these skills to any new language they want to learn, like Python, Java, or C++.
Not only is it a natural language to use, but JavaScript is also easy to pick up. JavaScript turns intricate details into abstracts, making things easier for the newcomer. Unlike the higher-level languages, JavaScript has more of a natural language feel to it.
There’s building a web page, and then there’s building a visually appealing web page that attracts the user’s attention and encourages interaction. JavaScript is so versatile that you can use it to easily add cool design elements such as animation, interactive maps, and scrolling video. Organizations and clients want web designers who can not only put together a technically sound page but one that also will lure visitors. If you know JavaScript, you can deliver.
Far from being a one-trick pony, JavaScript empowers a programmer to handle any aspect of app design. Do you want to do user-side (front-end) coding? You can do it in conjunction with Angular. Are you more interested in the server-side (back-end)? Bring Node.js into the mix and you can do that, too!
You can also create desktop, mobile, and web apps with Electron, React Native, and React. If you’re intrigued by machine learning, then JavaScript will help you there as well.
JavaScript Object Notation (JSON) is the go-to standard for data exchanges on today’s internet. NoSQL databases use JSON documents for record storage; and although JSON plays well with any programming language, it does best with JavaScript.
Also, more developers are turning to Node.js to build cloud-based apps, a very much in-demand market.
Games are a big business today, and developers who know JavaScript have that extra advantage. The language’s versatility, power, and ability to easily create visual effects make it a perfect fit for game developers.
With an increasing number of businesses and organizations going digital, there is a corresponding increase in demand for developers who are familiar with the better-known programming languages. As we’ve already noted, that’s JavaScript!
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]]>JavaScript is a text-based programming language used both on the client-side and server-side that allows you to make web pages interactive. Where HTML and CSS are languages that give structure and style to web pages, JavaScript gives web pages interactive elements that engage a user. Common examples of JavaScript that you might use every day include the search box on Amazon, a news recap video embedded on The New York Times, or refreshing your Twitter feed.
Incorporating JavaScript improves the user experience of the web page by converting it from a static page into an interactive one. To recap, JavaScript adds behavior to web pages.
JavaScript is mainly used for web-based applications and web browsers. But JavaScript is also used beyond the Web in software, servers and embedded hardware controls. Here are some basic things JavaScript is used for:
JavaScript allows users to interact with web pages. There are almost no limits to the things you can do with JavaScript on a web page – these are just a few examples:
Developers can use various JavaScript frameworks for developing and building web and mobile apps. JavaScript frameworks are collections of JavaScript code libraries that provide developers with pre-written code to use for routine programming features and tasks—literally a framework to build websites or web applications around.
Popular JavaScript front-end frameworks include React, React Native, Angular, and Vue. Many companies use Node.js, a JavaScript runtime environment built on Google Chrome’s JavaScript V8 engine. A few famous examples include Paypal, LinkedIn, Netflix, and Uber!
Beyond websites and apps, developers can also use JavaScript to build simple web servers and develop the back-end infrastructure using Node.js.
Of course, you can also use JavaScript to create browser games. These are a great way for beginning developers to practice their JavaScript skills.
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