How to code: The best ways to learn programming in 2021

Coding is unquestionably one of the most important skills to learn in the modern world.

But how do you go about getting to grips with it?

There are absolutely loads of online resources, tutorials and databases to teach you everything about the discipline.

Some of which are worth checking out, others should be disregarded altogether.

Before starting, it’s a good idea to have an idea of which programming language you want to learn and what you want to use it for.

If you’re keen to create a dynamic website, you’ll want to look at HTML, CSS and JavaScript to start with. But if you fancy creating your own smartphone app, the best languages to study are Java, Python or Apple’s own Swift for building iOS apps.

While you can get a good understanding from video tutorials and authoritative articles, the best resources actually let you write code and tinker with it yourself. This lets you see the real-life implications of what you’re doing.

Here are some of our favourite resources that any would-be computer programmer may want to check out:

W3Schools

Your first port of call should be the vast online resource that is W3Schools.

Created back in 1998, the site has grown to feature coding tutorials, interactive quizzes and even certifications for programming.

Every programming language covered is broken down into simple steps with an interactive window that responds in real-time to the code you’re writing.

There are thousands of coding examples to get stuck into and the best thing of all is the site is completely free to use.

Remote learning platforms experienced a massive spike during the pandemic but they’re far from a new invention.

Some of the most popular include:

As well as websites, these services all have smartphone apps that you can run on an iPhone or iPad.

Blending a mix of free and paid-for classes, you’ll find a real grounding of knowledge in a variety of different programming languages.

Videos and code editors let you see what you’re supposed to be doing and there are challenges and projects to help you put newly-learned skills to the test.

YouTube

The web’s biggest video site isn’t just for musicians and vloggers, but also for anyone wanting to learn how to code.

There’s a lot of trash on the site but if you cut through you can find some really informative channels dedicated to learning to code. Here’s a few to try out:

The benefit to YouTube videos is they’re easily digestible and you can jump in and out of videos at whim. This may be because you’re trying to answer a very specific question about a particular piece of code.

YouTube videos will give you a good overview and possibly a lot of inspiration, but it can be a scattershot approach. You’ll likely find it more beneficial to sign up to a course that keeps you on a progression route and then use YouTube to prop up what you’re learning.

YaizY

YaizY (formerly known as Algorithmics UK) offers a range of coding courses that are specifically aimed at younger learners from 8-17 years old.

There’s a varied amount of content ranging from Roblox gaming, engineering and robotics for kids to wrap their heads around.

YaizY uses UK-based tutors to deliver live classes to children on the courses. All the tutors are either computer science teachers or industry professionals.

The company also offers free trial courses so potential students can try it out before committing.