An Ultimate Guide on How to Start Coding 2024

Technology has evolved in recent times and is making a significant impact on the career prospects of students. All  the latest technology trends and technological innovations have happened because of software development. Developing new software and products requires a lot of coding and programming. Coding and programming languages are, therefore, the most significant part of software development technology. In this tutorial, you shall be learning the attributes of coding, its relevance and prospects.

What Is Coding ?

Coding is the process of designing and building executable programs to perform specific tasks. It also helps to communicate with the computer by passing the instructions and providing tasks using binary codes. Coding also allows you to create computer software and operating systems along with creating websites, applications, etc.

Why Do We Need to Learn Coding?

The present world is dealing with a large number of applications. Every single application and software is coded using various programming languages. In a short period of time, coding and programming has helped solve complex problems without any risk. 

Coding and programming skills also help in improving communication and collaboration skills. The applications and every implementation developed using coding are helpful in every sector.

In the quest of learning how to code, we now enter into the next segment where we will go through some resources on how to start coding. 

How to Start Coding?

There are many resources available for you to learn coding like learning from Online Tech articles, Online Podcasts, Communities or Groups of Coders on Social Media and other platforms, Youtube Videos, Stackoverflow, Github, Self-Designed Projects and Portfolios, Online Boot Camps, Online Hackathons, etc.

Let's have a look at some top resources on how to start coding. 

1. Online Bootcamps

One of the best ways to learn coding especially in the present pandemic situation is through online boot camps. These boot camps provide good content in various languages and technologies and have helped millions of people develop and upskill their knowledge on coding. They also provide certification based on the learner's performance, which can be a significant advantage while applying for jobs.

Examples of platforms providing online bootcamps: Simplilearn, HackerRank, Codecademy, etc.

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2. YouTube

YouTube is an online video sharing and social media platform where people can find videos on various topics on coding and programming. Because of the curated content and excellent methodologies used for explanation of topics, Youtube videos on coding and programming are popular amongst learners and also one of the most preferred resources for finding quality education. YouTube also helps in providing live classes and webinars to make learning easy and affordable for everyone.

Example: Simplilearn, W3Schools, etc.

3. Social Media

Social Media has become a phenomenon in recent times. Everyone is using and spending more time on these platforms. Users can post, share and promote various things on these platforms, especially advertisers whose target audience is learners looking for ways and means to learn coding and programming. The purpose of these posts and promotions, which are basically free of cost, is to make people aware of the new technologies and innovations and share with them methods they can adopt to pursue their interests and learn about these changing technologies.

Instructors and trainers are using social media platforms to offer lessons on coding and programming.

Example: Facebook, LinkedIn, Telegram, etc.

We at Simplilearn, have created various telegram groups for beginners where they can learn how to start coding. Our Telegram group could prove to be a rich resource for learning to code.

4. Real Time Projects

Working on Real-Time projects is the best way of learning how to code. It provides the opportunity to work with a team and assists in gaining more practical knowledge. Real-Time projects also benefit in improving coding and programming skills as well as provide in-depth learning of the subject. 

Example: Search Engine, Authentication System, Face recognition, etc.

5. Events and Coding Challenges

Learners are looking for events and challenges to improve their knowledge of coding. These events and challenges provide an opportunity to work on various technologies and programming languages which can help a great deal when starting to learn coding. There are numerous challenges and opportunities available online and offline. It is one of the best ways to give your career a head-start.

Example: HackerRank, CodeChef, TopCoder, etc.

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6. Development Tools

Many tools and technologies are available on various platforms. Development Tools play a crucial role in learning coding and are a basic requirement in  software development. Tools help increase knowledge of software development and have a solid grasp and  more command over coding. Many people are inclined towards learning various tools because of their role in software development.

Example: Stack Overflow, Git, Docker, etc.

7. GitHub

GitHub is a programming resource popularly used for code sharing. It is the largest community for coders. GitHub provides the opportunity to work with a team on projects. There were many source codes available from different languages on GitHub. GitHub is helping millions of people in upskilling and increasing their performance in coding.

8. Stack Overflow 

Stack Overflow is a community famously known for question and answer based websites. It features a wide range of topics in computer programming. This website consists of questions and answers for the programming and coding based topics and covers all the related techniques. The primary benefit of using this is the interaction between the people, which helps to get an idea about how the program works and processes.

These are the few easy, powerful, and trending resources one can exploit or use to get started with coding. Now, let’s see some trending programming languages.

Trending Programming Languages

Programming languages are the key to developing software. There are a variety of programming languages used to develop computer programs and softwares. 

Some of the groundbreaking programming languages in the current IT industry are as follows.

• Python

Python is a high level and most preferred programming language in today’s times as the syntax of python programming is easy to understand for everyone. It is fully loaded with libraries that help in implementing scientific computing. The deployment or implementation and working of python is  simple and straightforward in any environment. Python is mainly used for building professional software.

Some major applications and companies that use Python are Facebook, Quora, Dropbox, etc.

• Java

Nearly thousands of applications, software and development tools are built using Java. Java provides many IDEs (Integrated Development Software) to build secure applications that help debug and automated refactoring, making development easy and fast.

Some major applications and companies that use Java are Netflix, Google, Instagram, etc.

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• JavaScript

JavaScript is responsible for the fast and secure development of web applications and software. It provides more interactivity with the user and helps to expand some innovative technologies that involve gaming, rendering, animation, etc. With JavaScript, one can work on multiple platforms and browsers. 

Some major applications and companies that use JavaScript are LinkedIn, PayPal, Walmart, etc.

• GO

GO language helps in building software in a simple, reliable and efficient way. It is mainly used for advanced networking and other multi-core power. It is used in a variety of applications like DevOps, Server-Side and Cloud Applications. GO language also helps to add more cache for the processor to improve the performance of the application.

Some major applications and companies that use GO are Google, Uber, Dropbox, etc.

• Swift

Swift language has become one of the fastest-growing languages in recent times. It is easy to write and understand a swift language because of the simple syntax and easy implementation. Swift language improves the development speed, which has a considerable advantage in reducing the issues related to cost. It works with apple cocoa and cocoa touch frameworks.

Some major applications and companies that use Swift are Whatsapp, Instagram, Accenture, etc.

• R

R is a free software for statistical computing and graphics that compiles and runs on various platforms like UNIX, Windows and macOS. It is very scalable and makes building aesthetic web applications easy. R is mainly developed by using statistics and Data Science. It acts as a cross-platform because of its ability to run on any operating system.

Some major applications and companies that use R are Facebook, Google, Microsoft, Twitter, etc. 

So, these were a few trending programming languages in the current IT industry. Now, let us explore some leading platforms from where you can learn how to code.

Steps to Improve Coding for Beginners

Coding and programming are ruling the world by implementing innovative and creative tools. The modern era is much dependent on both coding and programming. Have a look at the steps to improve your coding skills in this ‘coding for beginners’ tutorial.

• Once you are ready to learn to code you must be creative and must concentrate on learning every day. Learning every day can be more beneficial to gain a good command of coding. 
• Go through a variety of coding books. They help you to understand and improve your coding skills in a creative way. Learning lots of coding concepts and models will help you much in implementing several creative and innovative ideas.
• Work on real-time coding projects, they provide you an opportunity to think and implement them in depth. It also possesses the ability to improve communication skills while working on real-time projects.
• Go for feedback from the experts or professionals, when you get feedback from others then you get an idea to improve and implement a lot of other codings in a better way.

The above section is covered with some steps to improve your coding skills. Now you will explore some top websites to learn Coding in this ‘Coding for beginners’ tutorial.

Platforms to Learn Coding

Remote learning and education platforms play an important role in providing opportunities to learn and be informed. These platforms have made education affordable, easy, efficient and more accessible. Many such platforms offer various courses and programs on coding that can help upgrade your knowledge. You can start learning how to code by taking lessons provided by these online platforms on coding.

• SkillUp

SkillUp platform is offered by Simplilearn Solution Private Limited, which was founded in 2010 by Mr. Krishna Kumar.It offers free online courses for those who are looking for a better learning experience combined with quality content and flexibility in terms of time and pace of learning. The main goal of SkillUp is to build strong foundational skills for career growth. SkillUp also offers live webinars with industry experts and professionals to help in the development of the technology. 

• W3Schools

W3Schools is a freemium educational website for learning coding derived from the "world wide web" created in 1998. It is one of the top websites for learning coding, mainly for people looking for more content and grip over the subject, which involves beginner to advanced level courses. W3Schools offers courses on some other technologies and development tools which are significant to learning and upskilling.

• HackerRank

HackerRank is a technical company that focuses on competitive programming challenges for both consumers and businesses.. It helps in hiring for other companies and helps in delivering good content. It includes Java, C++, PHP, Python, SQL, JavaScript and spans multiple computer science domains.

• LinkedIn Learning

LinkedIn Learning is an American website and a subsidiary of LinkedIn offering video courses by industry experts in software, creativity, and business skills. All the courses on LinkedIn fall into three categories: Business, Creative, and Technology. LinkedIn Learning  was founded in 1995 by Lynda Weinman as Lynda.com and offers 15000+ courses and learning paths. 

• GeeksforGeeks

GeeksforGeeks is a computer science non-profit organization that contains well-written, well-thought computer programs and articles. It also covers free tutorials, millions of articles, live, online, and classroom courses. It also has frequent coding competitions, webinars by industry experts, internship opportunities, and job opportunities.

• Codecademy

Codecademy is an American online interactive platform that offers free classes for Coding on 12 different programming languages. Codecademy was founded in 2011 by Zach Sims and Ryan Bubinski, located in New York, United States. Codecademy offers free courses on some top languages like Java, Python, Web Development, C#, Swift, and other markup languages like CSS, HTML, and a few other languages.

These are a few websites that offer free courses in learning coding and programming languages. 

Top Jobs and Salary

• Data Scientist

A Data Scientist is a professional who gathers and analyzes large sets of data. They use and represent their knowledge in utilizing social science and technology skills to find and manage the data. Data Scientists also possess and help in solving complex problems related to data.

Skills:- Python, R and Java.

Average Salary:- $100,000(USA) for beginners, INR 10,00,000(India) per annum for experienced professionals. 

Source Glassdoor

Source Glassdoor

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• Machine Learning Engineer

A Machine Learning Engineer is responsible for building algorithms to train models. He is also responsible for performing solutions for complex problems. Machine Learning Engineers always focus on researching, designing and building self-running AI machines.

Skills:- Python, Machine Learning and R.

Average Salary:- $100,000(USA), INR8,00,000(India) per annum.   

Source Glassdoor

Source Glassdoor

• Python Developer

Python developers develop web and software applications and integrate user-facing elements into applications. They are responsible for designing, deploying and debugging development projects. Python developers also help and instruct organizations with logical frameworks.

Skills:- Python, Web Frameworks and Analytics.

Average Salary:- $95,184(USA), INR5,00,000(India) per annum.

Source Glassdoor

Source Glassdoor

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• Cloud Architect

A cloud architect is an information technology expert who works on cloud application design. He is also responsible for converting the technical requirements of a project into architecture and design. Cloud Architect also works with the DevOps engineer and developers to build the right technology.

Skills:- AWS, Google Cloud, and Azure.

Average Salary:- $100,000(USA), INR19,00,000(India) per annum.

Source Glassdoor

Source Glassdoor

• Big Data Engineer

Big Data has been a revolution in every business sector. Big Data Engineer is in charge of designing and developing data pipelines, and is responsible for data collection from various sources. He is also responsible for storing, processing, and analyzing the data. 

Skills:- Hadoop, Apache Spark, and SQL.

Average Salary:- $100,000(USA), INR7,00,000(India) per annum.

Source Glassdoor

Source Glassdoor

These are some important job roles and positions that are most sought-after and the demand and requirement for such specialists and experts is only expected to grow in the future. 

Now, let's look at some of the benefits and advantages of learning to code in this final segment of this article “How to start coding?”. 

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Benefits of Learning to Code

• The earning potential for coding professionals is very high across all industries. Coding, as a skill, can improve career prospects and help find lucrative coding-related job roles with good pay.
• Learning how to code helps improve knowledge, understand technology better and develop skills such as problem-solving and logical reasoning..
• Coding helps enhance creativity. While dealing with applications and projects, coding uses much creativity to develop and requires a lot of creative thinking.
• Coding can also help build confidence which can benefit people of creative fields and those with both tech and non-tech backgrounds in starting their own business.

Next Steps

In this article on "How to Start Coding?", we discussed the role and importance of coding, means through which you can learn how to code, and the benefits of learning to code.  You also learned about the various platforms offering opportunities to learn coding and defined job roles and salaries one can expect from acquiring this skill.

Are you interested in starting Coding and gaining more knowledge? Feel free to visit Simplilearn's website. Our Full Stack Developer - MERN Stack in collaboration with Caltech CTME is the ultimate program that offers you all your need to learn to become a pro at software development today. The course is designed to offer career-oriented training and offers a globally-recognized certification. The training is dedicated to guide professionals of all experience levels through the concepts of coding and programming and offer them the hands-on learning they need to become job-read, fast.

If you have any queries or doubts relating to this topic on How to Start Coding, let us know in the comments section. Our team of experts will address and resolve them.