5 best resources for learning how to code web stuff
I have been learning programming on the side for over a year and collected some of the best free resources for learning web programming and even build your first web app!
This article is perfect for you, if you want to get into web programming — no matter what your prior programming experience is. Everyone who is new to web programming will find helpful resources to get started.
If this is your first time learning programming — ever — you should also check out my “what to know before starting to learn coding” article.
Number 5: w3schools
Ok, so web-developers kind of have a hate-love relationship with w3schools. You will probably hear things like “w3schools is not a real resource” and “real programmers don’t check w3schools” etc. — and in some extend they are all right.
You will not learn any programming language in depth on w3schools, but especially for beginners it is a great resource to look stuff up.
W3schools uses very simple language and usually offers a quick hands-on exercise after every chapter.
w3schools is good for:
- quickly looking something up
- practicing a specific concept that you didn’t quite understand yet
- reading about something complicated in easy language and getting the first hang of it
w3schools is not for:
- guiding you through your coding journey — it’s not a start to finish course
- learning a concept in depth
Number 4: Codecademy
Codecademy is a browser-based coding school for all kinds of programming languages. It is awesome for getting your first dive into programming, because you don’t need to install anything to get started — you simply code on their website.
The the courses are tailored to walk you through the programming language you want to learn without requiring any prior skills — you start at ZERO.
Another cool thing of codecademy is, is that you have your own profile and any progress you make will earn you badges for your profile.
Codecademy is good for:
- real beginners
- people without technical background
- to learn the basics and get a first taste of programming
Codecademy is not good for:
- learning real-life programming, because you are coding in a browser-based bubble! In real life you need to know how to install everything to work locally
- giving you a learning path of which languages to tackle first
Number 3: FreeCodeCamp
FreeCodeCamp is an open source online coding school with a really great community. They don’t only have the best free coding school you can find on the internet, they are also a great resource for coding and career related articles — find them on medium.
And let me tell you: number 3 is totally undeserved!
FreeCodeCamp is the greatest online school for learning web-programming! I am a FreeCodeCamp fan! You guys rock! You are the best!
FreeCodeCamp provides you with two learning paths + certifications (all free).
First you need to finish the front-end-developer certification and then you can (if you desire) move on to the full-stack developer certification.
FreeCodeCamp is awesome because…
- …you don’t have to know what you need to learn (the hardest thing to figure out these days, because there is just so much)
- …they award you with a certificate without charging for it
- …there is an awesome community you can turn to for questions
FreeCodeCamp is not my number1 because…
- …it’s a browser based coding school, so you don’t learn how to build real things in a real-life local (on your computer) environment
Number 2: Mozilla Developer Network
The Mozilla Developer Network is a THE best resource for web-developers. They have articles and courses on nearly everything you can imagine. Beginner or advanced coder — you will find really, really good articles and exercises here and you will definitely learn something new.
The best thing about it, is that the exercises are not browser based.
You will learn how to code real-life programs, local on your own computer. You will build real stuff — that you can actually use — from the very beginning.
Mozilla Developer Network is good for:
- learning how to code like a real-life programmer from the get go
- learning how to build real-life things on your computer
- reading up on how everything actually works on the web
Mozilla Developer Network is not good for:
- early, early stage beginners, because you will need to read a few pages and install a few things before getting to your first success moment
And the winner is …
Number 1: HelloWebApp
This is my absolute favorite! The book was free for promotional purposes when I got it and I am not sure if it is still free now. So be aware that you might have to pay for it — it’s worth every penny though (I still bought it, just because it is sooo good).
The best thing about it: By the end of the book you will have build a fully functional web-app!
This book was written for me: A non-programmer who just wants to figure out how to build a website, without actually giving a shit about learning every little bit of theory.
It’s basically the fast track to just building something, without understanding 100% of how it actually works. I LOVE SHORTCUTS!
But this means, if you really want to become a programmer and fully understand the theory this is not the book for you!
You will also need some basic front-end and command-line skills before diving into this book.
HelloWebApp is good for:
- people that want to just build something without fully understanding the theory
- people with some basic web-development skills
- entrepreneurs
HelloWebApp is not good for:
- someone who thrives to fully understand everything and wants to become a full-time developer
- total beginners
Honorable Mentions
I know I said 5 resources, but you do really need to know about StackOverflow. This is where programmers go to ask questions, so if you ever get stuck on a piece of code, you should go to StackOverflow and ask fellow programmers for help!
Final Advice
You can’t do it all at once! Find your course and stick to it, if you really want to see progress. This is the only way to actually see results.
Good luck, don’t give up and most importantly don’t forget to have FUN! And if you enjoyed this little article go ahead and hit that little heart.
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