Learning to use coding can seem challenging, but it doesn’t have to be. There are many available tools, resources and techniques today to assist you in becoming a self-taught programmer. The best investments you can make are to teach yourself coding, whether it is to create web pages, create applications or automate your day-to-day tasks. The good thing is that you can make improvements step by step even without being in a formal setting provided you have the right steps.

Here are simple ways you can teach yourself how to go about coding.

Start With The Basics

The very first thing that you should learn, at the same time you are teaching yourself how to code, is the basics of programming. Thus, you may want to begin with a simple programming language, like Python or JavaScript. Programmers use these languages because they are user friendly. They have no complex syntax and there is a large and knowledgeable online community that can assist you when you are stumped.

For example, Python can be recommended to most people as their first step in programming, as the code can be read almost like English. Small scripts can be learned in a very short period of time to perform number computations, text manipulation, or do other simple tasks automatically. JavaScript is a necessity when you desire to make interactive websites or applications.

Use Online Learning Platforms

One of the most effective ways to teach oneself how to code is through online learning platforms. FreeCodeCamp, Codecademy, Coursera and Udemy are the websites that provide well-structured courses in which you can learn step by step. You have the chance to get lessons, exercises, and real world projects in these platforms.

Online learning is advantageous in that it is flexible. You have an opportunity to study at your own pace, reread the lessons when you have to and read new themes. Certain websites even provide certificates upon completion of a course and this can assist you in demonstrating your skills to employers or clients.

Practice With Coding Challenges

After the basics, you need to practice coding frequently in a challenging way. This is a good and entertaining way to achieve mastery of coding. Different exercises with different challenges can be found on websites such as HackerRank, LeetCode, or Codewars.

The challenges teach you to think like a programmer. You will train problem-solving, logical reasoning and writing efficient code. An example could be to be given a problem in which you are asked to write a program to reverse a string or to find the shortest line between two points.

Build Real-World Projects

Projects are the most effective way of learning how to code. You apply what you learn to practice and get practical experience when you create something that answers a problem or performs a useful task.

You can simply create a basic to-do list application, you can create a personal weblog, or you can create a budget tracker. Further on, you will have the opportunity to do more complex tasks, including the creation of a weather application, chatbot, or game. Doing projects enables you to observe how other elements of coding may form together.

Learn From Open Source Communities

Another easy way to teach yourself coding is to get involved in open-source communities. An open source software is one that can be viewed, edited and contributed to by anybody. Websites like GitHub host millions of open-source projects. Contributing to open-source projects, you get to know how to cooperate with other developers. There is also on-the-job experience as you read the code of other people and learn how big projects work.

Use Browser Automation Tools

As you move forward with your coding career, you will find out that a few tools can even make your job more exciting. The tools let you write scripts that drive web browsers such as Chrome, Firefox or Safari. You can test web pages, scrape data or automate repetitive tasks over the internet.

Browser automation tools work very well with programming languages you may want to learn. I will give an example of using Playwright with Python, where you can learn to code by automating simple browser actions that produce immediate, visual feedback. For instance, you will not only learn about loops and functions in theory, but you can also write a short script to open your favorite news site.

Learning these tools can teach you about automation and provide you with a practical tool to use during a project or job. With these types of tools in your possession, you have an advantage over other novice programmers since you can now explore more than you could with simple tools.