Going beyond syntax: Learning coding from scratch vs. application framework

Why do you need to go back to the drawing board and make a fresh start when you can use the already designed tools for your programming projects? Why make things harder on yourself by learning coding from scratch? Well, the answer is pretty simple and is explained covering every pond and pool.

Working with the application framework is all well and good. They are useful and saves time but have you ever thought about real progress? They are nothing less than a slow poison to your coding abilities. If you are feeling on top of the world for creating an app using a framework, then sorry my friend because in reality you just did a small-easy part of the job. 

Think this way, not even Steve Jobs or Mark Zuckerberg were born coders; they worked with the fundamentals, invested time, and effort in learning programming from the ground up. If you will program everything on your own you will no longer need to think about how the syntax works. Moving away from application frameworks and building things yourself will take you a long way. If you have terrible butterflies in your stomach on reading this, take it easy because by the time you will finish reading this piece you will know what should be your next step!

Part I: How to learn coding from scratch?

Whether you hail from a business or an arts background, what matters is your burning curiosity and interest in technology. Your previous experience with programming languages, web designing, or databases is not a sine qua non when it comes to learning coding from scratch. 

Here are some tips on developing your skills from the ground zero, after all, it’s not all Greek to understand!

• Someone may just want to learn the basics of coding or others might be willing to make a career in programming. Whatever your needs are, figure out what drives you. Whether you just want to throw a technical degree or expertise on your resume or you want to build apps, know why you want to learn to code. This will be the foundation and everything else will come after.
• Pick up a relevant programing language, let’s put the extra focus here. We mean ‘relevant’ and not ‘the best’. Why? Because your language should go along with your end-goal. Think carefully about how well that language can work and scale with your dream project.
• After getting done with the prerequisites, start learning from the beginning. No matter to what degree it tempts you to skim through the pages or courses delve deeper into the details. It can be an uphill task but can be made easier by dividing your work into smaller chunks. Try it!
• Network! Get in touch with the coding community. Gain knowledge from the more experienced players and teach the naive. Let the protégé effect show its magic!

What are you waiting for?

Hit the ground running! It’s time you order that book, enroll in that course, or join that program. Nothing will happen if you don’t start, neither your dream project will come to life nor you will be able to get where you want to. There has to be a beginning and why to put off things until tomorrow what you can do today? 

Also, accept the fact that the short-cuts will always be there to distract you. But you need to block out the negative voice. Remind yourself of your end goal and for that learning coding from scratch is a must!

Part II: From where to learn coding from scratch?

Application frameworks make your life easier but who wants it that way? When all we want is a better and more promising future in programming. Here is a listing of some of the simplified and free resources that can boost your process of learning coding from scratch.

• Google Android Training

Get a Google Developers Certification along with coding tutorials, guides, and the best practices for building your web knowledge from the experts. One can explore different programs including Android Development, Web Development, Firebase, Machine Learning, and Tensor Flow. 

For more information, visit: https://developers.google.com/training

• MIT Open Courseware

Garner MIT-level education sitting at home, and here we are not just talking about Computer Science but there are other bundles of topics, sub-topics, and specialty to choose from. For instance, you can look for Introductory Programming Courses, which include Java, Python, Data Science, MATLAB, C, C++, and more.

For more information, visit: https://ocw.mit.edu/index.htm

• Code Conquest

‘A free coding guide for beginners’ - it has all the step-by-step information you need to get started. It will tell you every nook and corner of the coding: how it works, benefits of learning coding, the best place to start coding, Web design, App development, how to get paid for coding, and more. If you want to learn programming languages like HTML and CSS, Javascript, Python, MySQL, PHP, Ruby, and jQuery among others, don’t forget to have a look at this site. 

For more information, visit: https://www.codeconquest.com/

• edabit

If your learning approach is quite different from watching tutorials and then applying fundamentals, this site is for you. They believe that the fastest way to learn to code is by coding itself. It offers bite-sized challenges so that you can progress at your own pace until you're able to master the toughest challenges. Learning coding from scratch at ebadit is absolutely fun and easy.

For more information, visit: https://edabit.com/

• Solo Learn

Get started from square one with this mobile-friendly website. Learn languages like jQuery, Swift 4 Fundamentals, SQL, C#, JavaScript, etc., collaborate with people and share your project, read blogs, and stay updated with recent news on apps and technology with just one app. Be a part of their family of 3,85,73,489 learners to date.

For more information, visit: https://www.sololearn.com/

These free resources are more than enough to get you started for learning coding from scratch and succeed as a programmer. Be judicious when selecting the course and then put your heart and soul in it! 

We are linking some more resources that can help you on your way:

• Do not miss these 7 app ideas for leveling up your coding skills
• Learning to code? Here are 5 popular coding jobs, salary and required skills
• Looking to develop your tech skills? Here are 10 entry-level programming languages for you to choose from!
• Everything you need to know about programming in python
• IIT Madras launched online Bachelor’s degree in Programming and Data Science
• Virtual platforms every coder should use to stay on top of the game