Software development has become one of the most sought-after careers today. However, learning, and mastering programming remains a big challenge for many people. There are a lot of things to cover, especially for beginners, and most people get overwhelmed midway since they don’t know where to begin. In this post, we shall give you a guide on how to write code from scratch. Read on for more information.
Table of Contents
Stage 1
Set your objectives
Before you start writing a code, take your time to consider or review your objectives or goals. For instance?
- Are you searching for a new job?
- Do you want to acquire specific skills?
- Do you want to earn money?
The thing is, your objectives will affect how you choose where and how you learn how to write code, as well as the time you should dedicate to this quest.
So, if you want to become a certified programmer, you might need to get a degree in software development, programming, or a related field. However, if you want to know how to code in order to gain a new skill, you don’t need to acquire a degree. When setting your goal, make sure that you determine the amount of time and energy you want to dedicate to coding.
Choose a programing language
Once you determine your goals, it’s time to choose your preferred coding language. Please note that the language that you choose isn’t as important as you think. The programming language that you choose to learn will introduce you to essential fundamentals of coding, like commands, structures, as well as programming logic. And, although you might not use the first programming language you learn, you will gain lots of experience when trying to master the language.
When it comes to programming languages, every project has its preferred language. For instance:
- Web development requires CSS, JavaScript, or HTML
- AI or design analysis programs require one to master Python
- If you want to learn how to create computer applications, C++ is a great place to start
All in all, you will need to research and do some experiments if you want to find a programming language that won’t give you a challenge in learning.
Find learning resources
Now, when you know the programming language(s) that you want to learn, start looking for the relevant resources. Today, there are lots of quality learning materials that can help you learn and master coding. So, if you want to join the computer programming or software development industry, you should consider getting a computer science degree.
Alternatively, you can join an online learning program or join a boot camp. If you love teaching yourself things, you can watch how-to videos from YouTube, buy computer programming books, or search for free resources on the internet. At the end of the day, the practicality and effectiveness of the resources you find will depend on your learning schedule and style.
Download an editing program
According to the experts from Houston, software developers, Entrance Consulting, a text editing program is very important for anyone who wants to write code. Now, at their basic level, most coding languages are plain text. That means you can use any simple text editor to write the languages. Some of the common text editor options include JEdit, Notepad++, and TextWrangler. However, you should understand that most programming languages come with a downloadable editing program, which is specifically designed for that language. So, the best text editor will depend on the language you want to use, as well as your budget.
Stage 2
Identify the problem
Every software or application is designed to solve a problem. That means a program must solve the intended problem for it to be useful. Now, this is where to start when planning to write a code—know the problem that you want the program to solve.
Identify your target user
If you are creating the program for yourself, then you can design it to look and function the way you want—as long as you know how to make the program work. However, if you plan to sell your software to other parties, you must put them into consideration when creating the program.
This makes it essential to know the typical user of the program. If the users dislike the program for whatever reason, they won’t use it. So, you should know that whether your software works or not doesn’t matter. By keeping the user in mind when designing the program, you increase the chances of people buying and using your program.
Identify the target computer system
This is the next step after you identify your target user. Knowing the computer system that the user aims to run the software on will help you determine which programming languages to use, as well as the maximum size of your software and the hardware it should expect to find.
If your program is for Mac computers, you should take advantage of color graphics, sound, memory, as well as size. However, you might need to rewrite the same software to run on smartphones—but here it should have simple color graphics, limited sound capability, as well as limited storage and memory.
Identify your programming skill
When creating any program, always make sure that you understand your programming skill. So, you might have an idea to create a program. However, if you are a beginner, it might take you ages to create the program—that is, if you don’t give up along the way.
So, your experience and programming skill will determine the language that you opt to use. If you are just starting your career, consider basic programming languages, because they will make your work easier. As you progress in your career, you will learn advanced things like how to roll out legacy upgrades, and software deployment, among others.