DEV Community: Alex

Coding Goals for 2021: the Reasons to Learn Java

Alex — Tue, 25 May 2021 13:59:57 +0000

In terms of a pandemic situation, many large companies were forced to take all their processes online. So, they need someone who can build an enterprise-level server-side application, create website content, and keep up maintaining it promptly. In this case, many projects choose Java to build the apps and, consequently, need as many Java programmers as possible to implement that. So, if you still ask yourself “Why should I learn Java”, this is supposed to be an answer.

But, this is not the only reason, and I will explain why becoming a Java developer in 2021 is a fresh start.

Why Choose to Become a Programmer in 2021

Right before considering the other reasons for starting to master Java, it makes sense, to begin with fundamentals and discover what’s so good about becoming a programmer.

Stable Industry

Software engineering is a fairly stable industry. Even the study of the Bureau of Labor Statistics showed that the percentage of unemployed the workforce in computer and information technology occupations not only remained consistently low but also fell by May 2020. The percentage of unemployed individuals in all other occupations, in its turn, increased up to 13.5%.

Regardless of industry stability, the technology is still evolving fast, and you won’t be likely to use the same skills you are acquiring today in five or ten years. But this should not prevent you from learning to program. The companies are interested in the constant development of their employees and usually support them in adopting up-to-date technologies, tools, and concepts. So, you can keep up polishing your skills and remain an in-demand programmer.

Considerable Income

I won’t reinvent the wheel if I say that programmers can make considerably more than the specialists of the other mass career choices. The skills of software engineers are wanted by many companies, and the next list of salaries by Glassdoor clearly illustrates that statement:

Java developer — $79,137 / yr
Python developer — $76,526 / yr
Go developer — $75,715 / yr
Ruby developer — $75,715 / yr
C Net developer — $75,715 / yr
Swift developer — $75,715 / yr
C++ developer — $76,526 / yr

Positive Work Culture

There is a black sheep in every flock, and annoying people are everywhere. But, the chance to meet such coworkers and face discrimination in the IT world is still miserable. Apart from that, there is a great variety of job offers on the market, and the rumors spread promptly among local programmers. So, you can easily avoid bad companies, which is hard to do in many other spheres.

Besides, more and more software companies strive to adopt effective practices that help them care about the level of productivity and well-being of their employers. Feedback sessions, one-to-one meetings, retrospectives are just a small part of the adopted processes that allow managers to stay in touch with a team.

Many companies hiring Java devs are telecommuter-friendly, they allow flexible working schedules and remote work, so you can accomplish your professional duties from anywhere in the world.

Reasons to Learn Java in 2021

Now you know that becoming a programmer in 2021 is a good prospect for your future career. Let’s move further and talk about why Java is worth selecting for the coming projects.

Java Remains a Leading Programming Language

TIOBE Index has recently come up with new results for December and Java is now the world’s second most popular programming language.

The test conducted on Devskiller made Java a winner, while SQL and JavaScript took second and third place, respectively. The reason for being so popular lies in the constant development of Java, which leads to new, up-to-date features. The latter makes the development process easier and more optimized and hence significantly helps developers.

Among other things, Java is known for its wide application. It is used literally everywhere, be it desktops, mobile platforms, smart cars, and houses, etc. At the moment, the so-called “Java ecosystem” contains about 8 million Java coders all over the world. Because of an extensive pool of experienced specialists, many companies choose to use this language for their projects. This is especially true for large organizations that have demand for building enterprise-level server-side apps, and Java developers are just perfect for that role.

Java remains popular, despite the fact more and more new technologies pop up, and given the stats, this tendency is not going to change any time soon.

Knowing Java Opens Plenty of Career Doors

When it comes to the employment rate, Java confidently beats many other programming languages. As I’ve already mentioned, it is frequently used in big companies launching big projects and requiring a lot of specialists to join. There is also enough work and money that allow big companies to hire Juniors, so the beginners can land a job right after mastering Java fundamentals.

These and other projects usually require the following skills:

Spring (incl. Spring Boot) and Hibernate
Unit testing
Android development
Git
Servlets
Docker
JSON/Jackson
Java API for RESTful Web Services
Jenkins
Design and architecture patterns
Build automation tools (Maven, Gradle)
SQL databases, etc.

Whereas the most popular areas of Java application are as follows:

Enterprise-level server-side applications
Mobile app development
Reactive programming
Work with Big Data
IoT
Finance
Marketing
Gaming
Retail

The mentioned wide Java application allows developers to grow in their career and count on upward mobility. The specialists, working on large projects, often learn other languages to be able to do some part of tasks in Java, and the rest — in another language if needed. Java developers are not afraid of being fired as they are allowed to learn a new language while working (after Java, almost all languages are easy and fast to learn). These and other reasons make the coders satisfied with their working conditions so that they don’t often switch to another profession.

Online Courses Are For Every Taste and Budget

Now that you’ve started your programming journey, it’s high time to choose the right learning course. Fortunately, the web is full of many resources that offer interactive classes and challenges. Next, you will find a few I can highly recommend.

So, let’s get to them.

CodeGym

CodeGym is known for its practice-based approach to learning Java. The course contains over 1200 tasks to complete, ensures instant verification by the virtual mentor, allows building your own version of classic video games in the Game section, and offers to join the community.

Codewars

Codewars is another online learning platform that allows mastering over 20 programming languages, including Java. You will be offered to train with your peers on challenges called kata, as well as create your own kata and challenge your fellow-developers.

Cyber-Dojo

Consider Cyber-Dojo if you are in search of an effective gamified source to improve your skills in programming. The platform offers multiple tasks to complete, and each comes with a detailed description and examples of how the result should look.

CodeChef

Other than teaching you a programming language, CodeChef makes it possible for you to hone the skills by participating in coding contests. You can also use this platform to learn more about binary search, algorithms, and other technical topics.

The Complete Java Masterclass

This is an ideal course for beginners as it allows learning Java from scratch. As soon as you acquire fundamental topics, you can move to more advanced Java concepts, such as multithreading, OOPs, ArrayList, and others.

Java Programming for Complete Beginners

This course promises that you’ll master Java programming language in a bit more than 250 steps. It also contains over 200 code challenges, quizzes, and examples you should pass to hone your knowledge and skills.

Java Certification by Duke University

Consider the other course that covers Java programming and software engineering fundamentals. Other than learning about arrays, lists, and structured data, principles of software design, and solving problems with software, you can also grasp an idea of programming foundations with JavaScript, HTML, and CSS.

The Community Is Ever-Growing, Active, and Friendly

Other than a myriad of learning courses, tutorials, books, and challenges, Java is also known for its huge and active community. It plays a key role in the life of everyone who sooner or later joins it — the community supports both newbies and professionals, helps to solve problems, allows sharing knowledge, and remains one of the biggest sources of the latest coding news.

There are hundreds of active Java forums and groups, but I would like to distinguish just a few of them:

GitHub
StackOverflow
HackerNews
SitePoint
Reddit channels
r/programming
r/learnprogramming
r/codetogether
r/programmingtools
r/gamedev
r/prograrticles
r/webdev
r/dailyprogrammer
r/java
r/javahelp
Javaforum

The Java community encourages active participation and engagement in discussions, as well as promotes assistance and help. This allows newcomers to feel confident and safe — they will not be left without support.

There Are Numerous Publicly Available Libraries at Hand

Another reason to go ahead with Java is its extensive libraries used by developers from the whole world. Moreover, many non-profit organizations and large companies, such as Google and Apache, continue releasing libraries available in open access. They significantly influence the process of Java development, making it faster, easier, and more efficient.

Because most libraries are publicly available, newcomers are often recommended to google the needed functionality before even starting to write code. The chances are the functionality already exists across the open-source library and has been previously tested by professional devs.

If you are casting around for Java libraries to start with, consider several of them:

Did I manage to answer your question “Why should I learn Java?” Hope a little information about this programming language has convinced you that it is a good option to start with. So, go ahead with Java and make the next year your game changer.

First published on Quick Code.

Tips On How to Learn Java at Home and Not to Get Nuts During The Process

Alex — Mon, 30 Nov 2020 11:28:56 +0000

The pandemic situation is the point when many people face the difficulties of remote work. It is also forcing more and more students to study at home. How to learn Java and other programming languages at home, when no one is around to watch over you? In this case, you have to acquire not only distance learning skills but time management and self-control.

I’ve got good news for you! You can definitely handle it. I prepared some tips on how to improve self-learning skills based on my experience as a Java self-learner. So, stay tuned to find out what they are.

Goldfish Surpassed Us in Attention Span

Let’s face it: many of us have experienced hard times at least once while forcing ourselves to focus on work, studying, or other major activities, and being distracted by the Internet, phone notifications, web, or mobile games. We’ve all been in the same boat.

These days, only a few people can boast of the superpower of being concentrated on the task ignoring all sidetracks.

Back in 2013 Microsoft Corp. conducted a new study and surveyed two thousand participants to measure attention span. It turned out that since the year 2000 people stay concentrated on a single task without interruption from twelve to eight seconds, on average. Quite shocking, isn’t it? For comparison, the goldfish stays focused on something on average 9 seconds.

Whose fault is that? I suggest you look in the mirror to find the answer. We have become so captivated by new technologies, diving into social media posts, games, news, YouTube videos, dating apps and haven’t noticed that we are lacking time for work and study, not to mention simple life pleasures. All these technologies are attacking us all the time. And sad to say, they are successfully keeping us from doing other important things.

Yet, there are a few tips and tricks that still can help us improve self-performance and the ability to stay focused.

6 Tips to Boost Your Self-Performance

1. Limit “Junk” Activities in Your Daily Life

First and foremost, start your week by scheduling it. Set a time frame for work and training and make sure you follow your daily plan — only in that case you can succeed in learning at home. Other than that, remove all distracting and unnecessary activities from your schedule.

Let’s start with your phone — it is one of the main time eaters and energy wasters. You first think that five to ten minutes will be enough when opening it to check for new emails or notifications, but soon get stuck there for hours without even noticing. Then, you get back to work or study and can hardly focus on what you’ve done a few hours before. This is where setting a screen time, muting the phone, turning off notifications and even the Internet can help you improve the ability to focus on important things.

Another way to study more effectively is to use specific tools and services, such as distraction blockers, pomodoro technique tools, study apps, habit tracking tools, and much more. Bookmark the following services:

AntiSocial allows you to take control under your time spent in social media and block distractions.
Tomighty is a free desktop timer following Pomodoro technique.
Habit List is a simple tool with an intuitive interface that allows creating new habits.
Evernote is a good old-fashioned app for your notes and ideas.

2. Sign Up for Interactive Courses that Will Keep You Motivated to Learn Programming

Until recently, finding interactive Java (and other programming languages) courses was quite a challenge. Regardless of the good content and a myriad of hands-on tasks the courses boasted, they were still boring and didn’t encourage students to keep up the training.

Everything changed when programmers headed for creating engaging learning programs that would motivate people to learn Java. Today, the number of Java platforms full of interactive coding games, quizzes, and challenges is huge, so students can easily pick the one that meets their needs. Here are a few Java courses that will interest you for sure. I used all of them while learning and as a Java Junior Developer still do it from time to time.

CodeGym

CodeGym is an online Java programming course created using the latest teaching methods, including gamification, visualization, storytelling, etc. It consists of four courses, ten levels each.

The students learn Java with a young robot Amigo in an alternative futuristic reality, which makes training inspiring and motivating. CodeGym is a platform, where students write lots of code from the very beginning. They get access to 1200 practical tasks of increasing complexity to get enough experience needed to land a job.

Codewars

Codewars is an online platform created by community members to encourage students to practice code challenges called kata. While challenging themselves on kata, programmers acquire different techniques and strengthen their skills. As soon as they progress through the ranks, they get new more complicated tasks.

Cyber-Dojo

Cyber-Dojo is another gamified online platform that allows mastering and practicing 30+ programming languages, including Java. Unlike other gamified courses, Cyber-Dojo sets a goal for students to improve their skills rather than finish a game as soon as possible by reaching the final level. All tasks are well-described and come with solution examples. Students can practice coding on their own or join a group session and even compete with others.

CodeChef

CodeChef is a unique platform that hosts programming contests once a month and two smaller programming challenges twice a month. The platform forces specialists to put themselves up for recognition and win prizes and goodies. Other than that, any programming community, including major institutions and organizations, can use CodeChef to run their own contests.

3. Watch Your Health

I’ll be honest with you. When I started learning to program, I liked it so much that at first I forgot about sleeping. I had a job, I studied mostly until the early morning hours, slept for about 3 hours and returned to work. This schedule put me under a lot of stress.

Once, when, after a hard day at work and an almost sleepless night, I sat down at the computer to do programming, a question arose in my head: why not give up all this, why am I torturing myself like that? I realized that the programming process no longer gives me pleasure. I decided to think carefully, maybe programming is not mine … And I went to bed. The break lasted several days, I slept well, walked a lot, and thought about my health. And, I must say, I happily returned to programming, slowing down. Paradox: I slowed down, but started doing more! Don’t underestimate healthy sleep and walking.

Sad to say, but few people talk about the significance of well-being and taking a proper rest for learning progress. While a significant factor in restoring working capacity is compliance with the correct schedule, changing periods of work, and rest. However, many of us don’t stick to those patterns and have no idea how to rest — we either work hard or can’t pull ourselves together.

What should you do to achieve that routine? There are no special secrets, and you’ve probably seen these tips on the Internet or heard from your friends. Here are some common recommendations:

Set aside 7–9 hours for DAILY sleep. Getting enough sleep only on weekends is not effective.
Get your eating on track. Refuse junk food and pastries, add more veggies, fish, and herbs.
Do sport regularly. If you are not a big fan of the gym, you can do simple exercises at home and take regular walks breathing fresh air.

4. Be a Loyal Tutor for Yourself

Another factor that made me almost quit my learning: at some point, when everything began to work out more or less for me, I began to demand that I jump over my head. I tried to make the code as beautiful as possible, I was constantly looking for new ways to code, new libraries, and classes. I didn’t consider the problem solved if I solved it “primitively”, I was very angry with myself if I could not find a solution … All this is good for growth, but you need to know when to stop! The constant thoughts that I was not good enough and what needed to be done even better did not allow me to budge.

Don’t be a strict mentor to yourself! I know you want to learn Java as fast as possible, but too intense studying may also have an adverse effect. Self-learning consumes too much energy, so consider taking a break, which is primarily important for your mental health. You can spend this time walking around the streets, working out, meditating, reading books, etc. Avoid checking your phone — that activity doesn’t count as proper rest.

5. Make Learning Habit Stick

Habits are literally everything, and learning is no exception — with daily practice and the right mood, you can make this habit stick. Despite popular belief, it takes on average around two months to create a new habit. Herewith, some people need only 18 days for a certain behavior to become a new habit, while others — over 250 days.

6. Reach Other Programmers and Find Tutor

At first, I was very shy about asking questions. It seemed to me that they would laugh at me and say that my questions were stupid. To be honest, such a development of events is possible, however, there will always be those in the programming community who will help you!

Teaching yourself to code requires spending literally eternity at the computer, which sometimes makes you lose touch with reality. While self-education may be the best way to master programming skills, outside help is never superfluous.

You can reach other developers, attend all sorts of tech talks, hackathons, and startups, or visit online forums, such as:

GitHub is a community that allows specialists to share their projects with others, and attract recruiters.
StackOverflow is a Q&A platform where both beginners and skilled developers can make the most of, finding answers to coding questions, sharing mastery, and finding a job.
HackerNews is a social news website focused on computer science, attracting programmers, hackers, and other technologists interested in the latest IT news.
SourceForge is a web service that allows software developers to keep track of free and open-source projects and manage them.

Other than sharing knowledge and finding answers to your toughest coding questions, you can also find a mentor on these forums. The importance of having a coach during a programming journey is often underestimated, as they can provide strong support and emotional encouragement.

You can always turn to GitHub, Stack Overflow, and SourceForge communities, where many programmers are willing to help others and become mentors for beginners. And when you feel confident in programming, pass it on — return to the community to give a helping hand to novice developers.

Closing Words

When you find yourself studying at home, you may wonder how to learn Java without someone around to watch over you and stay sane. Although self-learning causes associated difficulties with time-management and the ability to schedule your day, it is still a habit you can make stick. Moreover, with this list of tips, you can significantly increase your self-efficiency in learning Java. Let me know how it goes when you try the recommendations in practice.

First published on JavaRevisited.

How Fighting Programming Anxiety Made Me a Better Code: 5 Tips to Follow For Dealing With Coding Stress

Alex — Mon, 30 Nov 2020 11:04:12 +0000

As a beginner programmer, you might often hear how fun coding is from your peers. When I talk to senior developers, they share a lot of reasons for why they love what they do so much — the field challenges you constantly, it’s highly stimulating, and the thrill of building new things from scratch and seeing your code is hard to compare to anything else.

The way experienced programmers feel about coding can be summarized with this quote from Linus Torvalds:

“Most good programmers do programming not because they expect to get paid or get adulation from the public, but because it is fun to program”.

Programming wasn’t all fun and games to me (and many others)

Inspired by countless r/coding posts and Freecodecamp articles about developers who build websites after months of learning, I couldn’t wait till I finally started learning.

However, when I actually hit Java courses and books, all of a sudden, I realized I am facing the issue programmers don’t talk that much about — stress. Lots, and lots of stress.

A while back, I saw this post on r/learnprogramming that, in my opinion, summarizes the way beginning coders feel perfectly:

“So I’m nearing the end of the semester in software eng undergrad and what the hell! programming is seriously hard.

Like I’m doing maths, physics, and Chinese, and learning java is seriously a struggle.

I am actually overwhelmed with it at the moment like I’m reading chapter 2 and I just don’t get it and the book is saying things like everyone should just automatically assume. So many buzzwords. they just tell you to this and that and I’m asking myself why all the time but no answer.

Am I the only one in this situation?”

Before I got into coding, I was surprised. Can programming really feel more overwhelming than learning a challenging foreign language?

Only months after becoming a beginning Java student, I fully understood the feelings of frustrated students. Juggling a day job, a social life, and programming classes was too much for me. I felt like I was burning out — and I had barely started.

Programming anxiety is a problem too big to ignore

I didn’t want to quit Java — so when I felt that I started hating the learning curve, I had to look for ways to deal with programming anxiety. Now, 4–5 months later, I am still not fully at ease when programming — however, stress levels have become manageable and learning has become an integral part of my routine.

For the sake of other Java students who, too, struggle with integrating programming into your daily life and feel overwhelmed by the large volume of new concepts, I decided to share a few tips that helped me deal with programming anxiety.

Tip #1. Stick to few resources (choose the good ones)

The first thing that helped me lose sight of the rut of stress where I was steadily heading is understanding that there’s no such thing as “having learned” programming. I started learning programming as a huge perfectionist — instead of settling on the simplest way to solve the problem, I wanted to find the best (and often, quite a complicated) one.

Long story short, I was lost before I knew it.

Solution: The first thing I would suggest to beginner developers is to not waste too much time following multiple courses, books, tutorials at once. While such a thorough approach might give you a deep understanding of concepts, at the end of the day, you will feel like you are not going anywhere.

To stay focused on improving and make constant progress, I needed to wring out the resources I use regularly. Right now, my study material list goes as follows:

Books: Java: A Beginner’s Guide (6th Edition)

Courses: CodeGym Java Course

Youtube channels: Derek Banas

Text-based tutorials: Oracle Documentation

Having such a defined list of resources helps me avoid chaos when learning and get a feeling of tangible progress after each learning session.

Tip #2. Take breaks

At the beginning of my programming journey, I was a faithful follower of the “Practice makes better” principle. I made it a goal to code as much as I could — before and after work, at traffic, during a party I didn’t enjoy.

After just months of learning, I became the accurate representation of this meme:

Solution: As I was nearing burnout, I realized that I can no longer let programming suck out joy and energy out of my life. Although I did feel guilty about it in the beginning — I started taking much-needed breaks from studying.

If you are thinking “I am a slow coder as it is, how am I supposed to get better if I don’t practice”, take a look at some reasons why a 15-minute break can actually make you a better programmer:

According to statistics, people can’t be fully concentrated at complex tasks for over 50 minutes. After an hour of intense work, we need a 15-minute break to recharge our focus.
For the sake of our eyes, ophthalmologists recommend taking a 2-minute screen break after 20 minutes of intense work (and coding is a highly straining activity, even if you use a large monitor).
Workplace exhaustion leads to embarrassing mistakes and can tank months of work (not to mention your job interview).

If you are at a loss for things to do when you are on a coding break, here are some ideas that work for me:

Have a quick workout — it’s been proven to stimulate cognitive functions.
Take a shower — it’ll help you refresh both your body and mind.
Go for a morning walk when no one is around (for the sake of social distancing).
Play an instrument — I discovered that learning how to play music and programming require similar skills so jamming some guitar is actually a boot camp for your brain.

Tip #3. Programming is a means, not a goal

When coding errors pile up and you can’t discover what’s wrong or when you can’t get the hang of multithreading, I would inevitably ask myself — what am I doing this for? At the beginning of my path, I didn’t have a clear reason as to why I chose Java or programming in the first place.

It took me a while to define the “whys” for my development journey — here’s what I came up with.

A lucrative job market. As a programming student, I recently became friends with a physics graduate who had a hard time finding a job related to his major. As a developer, he sent barely 20 CVs out and still keeps getting recruiter emails. He was extremely pleased to discover that, thanks to coding, he’ll never be in a job pickle again.
A wide range of roles I can apply for. After doing some research, I discovered that learning Java can land me a position in back-end development, mobile programming, even big data or embedded devices development. Having access to so many different tasks will help me prevent burnout and stay challenged even after 10+ years in the field.
A lot of remote opportunities. When I get too fed up with Java, thinking that knowing how to program allows me to not spend a single day at the office really keeps my spirit up. If workplace flexibility is important to you, remind yourself of a wide range of remote opportunities developers have to stay motivated throughout the learning curve.

Another piece of advice I’d give to beginner developers is to join as many professional communities as you can. Exchanging experiences and getting support from your peers is a powerful way to not stray from the learning path.

Here are the groups and forum threads I follow:

Reddit

Slack

Tip #4. Don’t expect to click with Java right away

In the beginning of my Java development journey, I believed that once I start doing programming, it will be love at first sight. I thought “I should watch out for practicing too much”.

However, later on, days were coming when I didn’t want to program at all. I could still reluctantly read a coding book or watch an inspiring video, but I hated to practice.

Then, I realized that coding is similar to playing a musical instrument or doing sports. While, to some, the aspects of technique come in a flash and, in a few years, they are ready to play professionally or run full marathons, others need years to get to the same point.

In other words, when we start learning a programming language, we often expect to become prodigies who just get it. However, statistically speaking, only 1 in 5–10 million learners is a prodigy, and only 10% can be classified as gifted. So, whether we like it or not, we’re likely to end up on the average side of the spectrum.

How can an average programmer get better?

There’s no other answer but through discipline and consistent practice. At one point, I realized that if I don’t hone my craft, I’ll end up losing the progress I already have.

So, even on days when I don’t click with Java well, I commit to 3–4 hours of studying. I am not doing it because I am convinced that studying every day makes me better.

I just know that not practicing will definitely make me a worse coder.

Tip #5. Create a deadline-based learning plan

When I talk to Java programmers on Reddit or Stack Overflow, they often point out that the learning curve has no end in sight.

That’s why it’s so hard to draw a line between a learner and a junior, then a junior and a middle and, finally, define someone as a senior developer.

To make sure I don’t get stuck in the student mentality, I needed to add some external pressure to my learning curve. That’s why I decided to find out how much time it takes to learn Java and create a step-by-step learning plan that will allow me to hit the estimate.

How much time does it take to learn Java?

Depending on whether you are a busy, average, or a committed learner, the timeline will vary for you. According to statistics, these are the estimates for learning Java:

Fast learners — 16 months.
Regular students — 26 months.
Busy students — 39 months.

Since I have a full-time job, I chose to classify myself as a busy Java student and built a Java learning plan that spanned three years. I put main Java arguments and deadlines next to each one in a spreadsheet.

I marked the completion status next to each concept to track my learning progress. It was extremely helpful for me as it helped define the limits of my learning path.

After all, the number of things to learn in Java might be infinite — but the number of rows in a spreadsheet isn’t. Two and a half years from now I’ll complete my learning plan — that will be my clue to switch from the learner to the junior developer mentality.

Conclusion

I am frustrated that few people mentioned and publicly share coding anxiety experiences. It’s painfully common among developers — that’s why I would strongly encourage the programming community to open up about it.

As for ways to fight coding anxiety, most of the tips I shared above boil down to pacing yourself. Armed with the right resources, ready to take breaks and commit to the language, you will be much calmer and more confident when it comes to coding.

Learning Java might feel like a dark tunnel — but, with enough determination and discipline, we’ll definitely reach the end.

First published on LevelUp GitConnected.

Best Mobile Apps to Learn Coding on the Go

Alex — Mon, 30 Nov 2020 10:28:50 +0000

Thanks to the advent of technology, code learning is now accessible. Therefore, the number of people who want to build a career that requires coding skills is growing fast. Although, now is the best time for learning, it still often happens that today’s students may not get time to use computers to practice, so that’s why mobile devices have come in handy. Students can download coding apps on their mobile devices, and start learning the art of coding immediately. For your insight, below are the best code learning apps I compiled for you.

Best Mobile Apps For Learning Code From Scratch

CodeGym

Using your phone, the CodeGym app will teach you Java programming from the very beginning. You will undertake 600 mini-lectures and 1200 tasks to complete the entire class.

The course includes four quests in playing format, with each journey containing ten levels that involve tasks and lectures. As it might be hectic to type long codes in a smartphone, this app developers incorporated a system that will enable the learner code faster through auto tips and examples. Every solution can be written and reviewed immediately. It also comes with a help section to lend you a hand when you are stuck.

From level 1, the company offers two paid subscriptions. The learner can either choose the Premium package of $30 per month or $300 per year, or the Premium Pro cost of $50 per month or $500 annually.

Udacity

You will get insight into using all popular coding programs through Udacity application. The student learns how to create Android Apps through theoretical materials and practical tasks. The application comes with a guide to ensure you understand how to build cloud-connected Android apps.

The courses are on artificial intelligence, programming, business, data science, autonomous systems, and development. The content taught is rich and conducted by professionals. The app comes with great support from the learning community. The students also undertake interactive quizzes and schedule their learning hours, making the training convenient. What’s impressive about this training is that it contains approximately 200 free lessons. However, be aware that you won’t get certification in the end.

To graduate with an Udacity Nanodegree,you will need a smartphone and $399 per month paid for the coming five months.

SoloLearn

SoloLearn is an excellent app to use in learning various coding languages like JavaScript, Kotlin, SQL, Python, PHP, and many more on any Android or iOS device.

Upon enrollment, a group of friendly coders will make you feel like home. The learner also enjoys friendly support from fellow learners and the teaching team. During the training, you will undertake numerous coding topics and tackle various assignments. The students get an idea of how to run real code using your mobile code editor. Communication within a community will also play a significant role in ensuring you understand and finish your lessons effectively.

Though the download is free, you pay $6.99 monthly or $47.99 annually for the lessons.

Codemurai

If you are searching for an app designed to have fun while learning code with your Android or iOS devices, consider Codemurai. It allows students to learn many programming languages, like JavaScript, TypeScript, Swift, etc.

The app was designed to help any beginner take high-demanding programming skills and become a pro through pocket-size coding lessons. The courses in this app were developed by industry gurus on applications, and game and web development. The training includes exciting challenges and exercises. The students earn coins or badges as a reward by completing courses.

Whether you are a pro or a newbie, the Codemurai has something for you.

Mimo

If you have an Android or iOS gadget, use the Mimo app to discover how to come up with your own project spending five minutes a day on training. The app covers the most popular programming languages, including Swift, Kotlin, Java, HTML, PHP, Python, Ruby, and lots more.

The students quickly build websites using various coding languages with its curriculum called “Learn to Code”. Other than getting insight into using SQL to communicate with databases and Python to analyze data, the learners get to know how Netflix and Google use extensive data to recommend movies or websites. The course is a great deal for both advanced coders and beginners.

You can download the application for free and subscribe to Mimo Pro if you like — a $9.99 monthly subscription will give you unlimited access to all courses, hands-on tasks, and weekly additions and updates.

Grasshopper

You can download the Grasshopper on your Android or IOS device. It is a perfect app for beginners as it allows mastering JavaScript by playing quick games. As you gain skills, this app takes you through challenging levels. Passing each level means graduating to the next coding class. The Grasshopper uses visual puzzles to help students develop problem-solving skills as they harden their coding skills. You also get guided in real-time using a feedback feature guiding you like a real teacher.

Programming Hero

With this app, learning programming is exciting. The students learn programming languages like Python, Java and practice on CSS, HTML on their Android or iOS device. Programming Hero allows building a game while you learn to code. After the lesson, you are supposed to apply the concepts immediately and show your published work. You can work anywhere and at any time. You have access to instant help in case of any issue.

The app comes with over 100 coding tasks containing solutions and explanations. You’ll also learn various data structures like Stack, Map, Array, or Linked List. The use of multiple games to explain critical features makes the courses easy to understand and fun. For example, the space shooting game helps the learner to understand Basic Programming.

Though the cost may vary by the country, the courses cost $9.99 per month or $39.99 annually for a US premium package.

Tynker

Although Tynker is created initially for kids, it is suitable for adult students as well. Kids aged five to fourteen years teach various languages like JavaScript, or Python. Courses on this app come structured in three phases based on the kid’s age. There are courses for five to seven, eight to thirteen, and fourteen and above years. Adult students and professionals with previous coding experience can also benefit from using this app for training.

Kids at the age of five to seven years get voice instructions on simple apps creation, logic problem solving, and mastering of coding basics. Children at the age of eight-thirteen explore subjects in STEM, develop games and applications, design and create Minecraft mods, and control drones and robots using a drag and drop coding approach. Users over fourteen years gain knowledge on real coding such as JavaScript or Python.

Subscription is done quarterly for $16 per month, annually at $8 per month, or a lifetime plan for $200.

Enki App

Utilizing the Enki app will help any student learn the art of coding on any Android or IOS device. This award winning app has proven its effectiveness. You will master programming languages, like Python and JavaScript, learn about blockchain and security, dive deeper into a Git version control system and Linux OS. Every topic comes with a structured curriculum for learning easily. You are also able to test your knowledge by answering interactive quizzes.

You may wonder how long it takes the Enki app to turn you into a programming expert. The time frame will surprise you. Within only a few weeks of using this app, you will start seeing the results. The app offers exercises every day, ensuring you keep up with your training.

Enki usually offers all its lessons for free, but the final tier requires you to pay $4.99 per month or an annual fee of $35.99.

Programming Hub

Next comes another app for learning to code on your iOS or Android, and it is Programming Hub. The students learn JavaScript, C++, Swift, Python, R Programming, Artificial Intelligence, HTML, CSS, etc.

Learning to code with Programming Hub is simple and brings you much joy. The app brings together over 5000 code examples, 20 courses, and the fastest compiler, which all makes it a one-stop-shop for your programming needs and daily practice. Lessons from this app turn a learner into a professional coder.

A membership fee at Programming Hub Pro costs $.99 monthly, $14.59 quarterly, or $41.99 annually, in the US. The cost varies by the country.

Easy Coder

Consider Easy Coder if you want to master Java programming on the go. The app’s coding lessons are simple and come in a few categories. The tutorial begins from basics and progresses to upper levels. The training is conducted excitedly through videos and quizzes. There is not a single element of a particular topic that is overlooked, which allows you to get a full understanding of each subject.

The app doesn’t have a free version or trial, but a one-time payment of $84.

Khan Academy

It’s kind of a library of all things. Learn anything by using your Android or iOS device. An impressive thing about this app is that, despite its rich information, it is free! Just download it on your mobile devices, and you’re good to go.

The app offers you numerous videos, interactive exercises, and articles to study. It is the best app for sharpening your skills. The learner enjoys tests, practice exercises, instant feedback, and quizzes which make the learning process really exciting. This app can be used offline, by downloading any content or videos to read or watch later when you are offline.

Conclusion

Coding applications are amazing educational tools that help any person to become a programmer. Many of them are perfect for complete beginners, others are good to go if you already have some previous experience. The apps downloaded on your smartphone will help you sharpen your coding skills while on the go. In short, they are designed to bring much value in the long run, especially if they are used in combination with other training materials.

First published on LevelUp GitConnected.

6 Effective Java Courses for Beginners

Alex — Fri, 06 Nov 2020 14:38:18 +0000

As a seasoned Java tutor, I can see that through the years Java is still one of the top popular languages. The recent TIOBE Index supports the evidence. This language remains to be one of the most in-demand in the job market. That’s why many people are trying to learn it and become a Java developer.

The good news is that Java is possible to learn by yourself with the help of some great online resources. In case you spend enough time and effort on the studies, of course!

So if you made up your mind to master this technology, have a look at the great options you have right within your reach. Here are some of my favorite online places to learn Java.

6 Effective Java Courses for Beginners

1. CodeGym

CodeGym is a meticulously structured and very convenient Java learning platform based on the concept “learn by doing”. It greatly fits people with many commitments and those who struggle to allocate much free time for learning. It is gamified and well-organized. 80% of the course is practice and only 20% — theory.

The main benefits:

The resource is based on more than 1200 coding tasks. They are all practical and include real-world examples
The course contains explanatory lectures and covers all the topics from the beginner level to the advanced. You can easily start from scratch and gradually become an experienced coder
One of the great advantages is a user-friendly mobile app. You can learn wherever you are, right on the go, in the park, at home, at any place of your choice
The Virtual Mentor will get you through the learning process.
For some sort of discussion or moral support, CodeGym has an active community of Java learners
The well-structured curriculum will guide you through the learning process step by step. You won’t have to figure out what to do next every time you move on

Platforms supported: desktop, Android.

Pricing: includes free option and up to $50 per month.

The main features:

The access to over 1200 coding tasks
Lectures on Core Java topics and more advanced levels
Instant code validation function, tips for solving code tasks
The course is organized as a linear gamified story
Small-sized lectures allow you to plan your time for studying

2. Java In-Depth: Become a Complete Java Engineer!

“Java In-Depth” is a very detailed Udemy course that perfectly helps to achieve the goal to learn Java from scratch. The explanations are easy to understand. And the very topics cover the core subjects a newbie learner wants to know like Collections Framework, Generics, Multi-threading, etc. Spending enough time on this type of learning will bring you an in-depth understanding of these aspects.

The main benefits:

The course opens up not only core and advanced features of the Java language but also teaches the internals of Java Virtual Machine (JVM)
As a more complicated challenge, the learner can get real-world experience by developing a web app based on Java EE with the help of the instructor
Possibility to learn how to use technologies like JSP, Servlets, and MySQL on practical tasks
The course includes an overview of Java-related technologies, for example, web applications
TV or mobile access available

Platforms supported: desktop, Android, and iOS.

Pricing: $74.99 for the whole course

The main features:

The learning path would lead you through over 66 hours of video, 22 articles, 291 downloadable resources, and 15 coding exercises
Project-based learning gives hands-on experience from the start
Successful students would receive a certificate of completion. Even more, one can become an Oracle Certified Associate

3. Java Fundamentals by Pluralsight

The course is aimed at providing an initial basic knowledge in a short time. It does not require any previous programming experience and covers all the major development environments like server-side, client-side, or Android.

The creator of the course has over 30 years of experience in software development. His course is very practically-driven and is easy to complete due to a relatively short number of tasks. You will definitely feel like you are an achiever upon finishing “Java Fundamentals”!

The main benefits:

The course offers a grounded introduction to the concept of SOLID. SOLID is an acronym of five main object-oriented design principles that make your code have a meaning
Practical tasks are a great way to learn the technology by doing something related to reality
Short number of lessons makes it easy to complete the course in a very short time

Platforms supported: desktop, Android, iOS

Pricing: monthly fee $29, annual fee — $299, premium fee — $449. Team and enterprise packages are available as well.

The main features:

The course is short and concise, it does not require much time per one study shift
It contains interactive videos and quizzes, which is kind of fun by itself
There are many real-world examples helping you to figure out how it all really works
It covers not only syntax but design patterns as well

4. Java Certification by Duke University (Coursera)

The course by Duke University covers several important topics besides Java itself. It is focused on teaching coding with the problem-solving approach. This is achieved through project-based learning and providing foundation skills on software development in general. The course does not require any previous programming experience. Moreover, you will learn the basics of Android development as well.

The main benefits:

The course is project-based. During the learning, you will make a recommender engine, an interactive webpage, and other types of work. By the end of the course, you will have a portfolio to show
The learning process implies receiving graded assignments and feedback from peers
There is an option to get a certificate of completion which you can share on your LinkedIn

Platforms supported: desktop, Android, iOS

Pricing: free

The main features:

The course teaches foundational skills required by any software engineer
You will learn how to design algorithms, test, and debug your programs
Certification is subdivided into five sub-courses that cover various aspects of the language
The course includes several practical projects to apply your knowledge to

5. Java Programming for Complete Beginners in 250 Steps

This is one of the most recent Java courses. It includes news tools that were only introduced to Java 9 (e.g. JShell). The course covers both basic programming notions and advanced object-oriented concepts. Moreover, it contains over 200 code examples. The creators of the course promise that by the end of the learning you will have enough expertise to handle a job interview.

The main benefits:

A very clear explanation that covers functional and objective-oriented programming and quite a modern approach to teaching
The course is structured into 302 lectures with an overall duration of about 26 hours
It does not take any previous programming experience to start learning

Platforms supported: desktop, Android, iOS

Pricing: $149.99

The main features:

The course contains over 200 real-world code examples
Students learn both the basics of functional programming and object-oriented ones. Advanced topics included
Successful learners receive a certificate of completion

6. The Complete Java Masterclass

This is one of the top Udemy courses on Java. The instructor has over 18 years of Java programming experience and teaches how to use Java 8 and Java 11. The course contains an essential foundation that would further lead to an understanding of the Spring framework, Android development, and more. If you successfully complete the course you will be able to pass the Oracle Java Certification.

The main benefits:

The instructor takes students’ feedback seriously and really makes improvements based on that. Moreover, he reviews the knowledge of the previous lecture before starting a new one
The course is so comprehensive that many students were able to find their first jobs upon completion
Besides the tech side, you will also learn about the ways that engineers use to increase productivity

Platforms supported: desktop, Android, iOS

Pricing: $149.99

The main features:

400 lectures, around 80 hours of content
36 coding exercises
Challenges after every topic
Certificate of completion
Access on mobile and TV

Wrap Up

So as you can see you do have a choice on how to learn Java. Just choose what fits you best and have fun in the process of learning. The main point is actually to start learning and keep doing it regularly. Then step by step you will become the one you wanted to: an experienced Java developer. This might add up to your motivation: once you land your first job, you will be a highly demanded professional for many years on. See for yourself!

First published on Java Revisited.

The Best Platforms for Learning Java From Scratch

Alex — Thu, 05 Nov 2020 19:04:03 +0000

The consensus in the programming world is that Java is one of the prime languages for kickstarting your software development career. However, many beginners struggle to find the right platform for learning it. If you’re in these shoes, you’ll be glad to know that this piece was specially prepared for you.

I have carefully curated a list of the top platforms/courses for learning Java based on several years of the learning experience. But before delving into the courses, I’d like to share some programming tips I wish I knew when I began my journey. So, join me as I take you on a ride into the world of learning Java.

How to Make the Java Learning Process Effective

Before I delve into the best platforms for learning Java, I’d like to share some fool-proof tips on how to approach Java learning for beginners.

Create a learning plan and code consistently

It would be best if you viewed learning Java as a journey and not a destination. You cannot possibly master all aspects of Java within a few weeks. But with consistent learning and practice, you can make significant progress within that time frame.

When creating your learning plan, it’s important to set realistic objectives alongside reasonable timelines. List down the aspects of Java you wish to learn and go for a course that aligns with your objectives. Remember not to cram too much within a short time; else, you could become overwhelmed thinking about all the things you have to learn.

Don’t just write code, Read!

Reading code is as integral to learning Java as writing. If you wish to become a great Java programmer, you should develop the habit of reading flawless open-source codes already written by expert developers. First of all I recommend reading from Java Classes. You can do it right from your IDE, let’s say, IntelliJ IDEA. For example, you have a piece of code:

StringBuffer s = new StringBuffer(“my String Buffer is here”);

Place the cursor on StringBuffer, press Ctrl + LMB — and the code of the StringBuffer class written by Java developers will open in a new tab.

Also, you can use GitHub and StackOverflow as your go-to platforms for this purpose.

Checking how experts solve problems greatly increases your versatility as a programmer as you’ll learn multiple ways to solve a single problem. There is a high chance most of your time as a developer will be spent examining already existing codes and figuring out ways to improve them. Starting early gives you a clear advantage.

Network with other learners and developers

If you wish to learn Java faster, you should join a community or several communities of like minds. When you’re in the right community, you’ll have access to knowledge that tutorials may not provide.

You also get to communicate with other budding developers, share your experiences, and gain valuable tips that could aid learning. Importantly, the exploits of fellow learners, as well as other members of your network, can motivate you to be more serious with your learning.

Below are some of the top forums and communities I recommend for beginner developers:

Reddit channels

r/java
r/javahelp
r/programming
r/learnprogramming
r/codetogether
r/programmingtools
r/webdev

Slack communities

Hashtag Developers
European Dev Explorer

StackOverflow
SitePoint

Never stop learning

When trying to learn Java or any other programming language for that matter, agility is an invaluable skill. You should strive to always learn new things or new ways of doing old things. I set daily learning targets for my students and it works like magic. Pick up something new every day — a new syntax, a new API, a new design, or architectural pattern, and in no time, you’ll become a pro.

Don’t spend too long on a problem

Even the best programmers get stuck with coding problems from time to time. However, their approach to the problem differentiates them from learners. When you encounter a coding problem or bug, do not spend too long trying to figure it out.

Give yourself a break from time to time or even go ahead with other projects. The more time you spend at a particular point, the less efficient you’ll become. Furthermore, you should always remember that developers’ communities are quite strong, and help is almost always just around the corner. Take advantage of your network and ask questions whenever it appears you’ve hit yet another insurmountable roadblock.

The Best Platforms to Learn Java in 2020

CodeGym

Price: from a free option to $50 per month

Main features

80% practice-based
User-friendly mobile app allows you to learn coding on the go
Automatic code validation
Be part of an active network of Java learners
Well-designed and structured curriculum
More than 1200 engaging exercises
Instant grading of completed tasks
Lectures divided into smaller parts to ease the learning process
Covers different topics for beginners and intermediate learners

Course Description

CodeGym firmly believes that the only answer to the question “How to learn Java quickly?” is practice, and this is evident in the structure of their Java course. The over 1200 tasks allow learners to practice every principle discussed in the class extensively. Moreover, the assignments are graded instantly to increase the zeal to learn as well as learning speed.

Another exciting feature of CodeGym is that the courses are structured into levels. When you complete a level, you’ll have access to the next. The gamified structure significantly increases learners’ enthusiasm and commitment. Furthermore, there is a mobile app that facilitates learning anywhere and anytime.

2. Java Programming Masterclass for Software Developers

Price: $129.99

Main features

The instructor uses feedback to improve the course
Knowledge shared in previous lectures is reviewed before starting a new one
Teaches the general techniques and tools used by developers to increase productivity
Around 80 hours of content
36 coding exercises
You get challenges after every topic
Certificate of completion
Watch the videos on TV or your smartphone

Course Description

Having garnered almost 500,000 enrollments and an equally impressive number of positive reviews, this masterclass comes with huge popularity and social proof. An Udemy veteran handles the course, and you can trust that learning Java couldn’t be easier.

Beyond the popularity, this video stands out for me because the lecturer has consistently updated the content to accommodate new versions of Java. All the lessons are concise, and the classes are well-organized to aid learning.

3. Java Programming for Complete Beginners in 250 Steps

Price: $179.99

Main features

A healthy mix of theory + practice + solutions
Highly recommended for novice learners
Hundreds of coding assignments
All the lecture’s code and supporting files have been uploaded to GitHub
Features a comprehensive troubleshooting guide

Course Description

The 28-minute video covers everything a beginner needs to learn about the most popular programming language. Although brief, the knowledge served provides a solid foundation to build on. I particularly appreciate the fact that it’s a new course, and it dares to deviate from the norm.

The curriculum is based on Java 9, and lessons are structured in a step-by-step manner. The video further features a direct teaching style with the lecturer employing the most recent Java tools to teach the coding.

4. Java Fundamentals by Pluralsight

Price: monthly — $29, annually — $299, premium — $449

**Team and enterprise packages are available as well.

Main features

Concise lectures on the foundational concept of SOLID
Chiefly practice-based
Short and concise
Interactive lectures and practical assignments
Thorough explanation of concepts
Countless examples that border on practicability

Course Description

This lecture is one of my favorites because, unlike most other courses, it doesn’t just help students get the hang of API and syntax. It further focuses on understanding design patterns, a foundation most students miss out on.

From my experience, the most efficient developers are those with a mastery of design patterns. So, it’s no surprise that this excellent Pluralsight course makes my list. The content is short and concise, placing a greater focus on practice ahead of theory.

All the concepts are comprehensively explained, and real-world examples are used to make abstract terms relatable. The pricing structure is also quite flexible, making it easier to learn Java on a budget.

5. Java Certification by Duke University (Coursera)

Price: Free

Main features

100% project-oriented, allowing you to build a portfolio while learning
Graded assignments with peer feedback
Subdivided into 5 modules that span across the most relevant aspects of Java
Learn to design algorithms, test, and debug your programs
Includes a Capstone Project to help you practically apply all that you learn

Course Description

This Duke’s University Java certification goes out of its way to disprove the truism that the best things do not come for free. The course teaches the foundational concepts all Java programmers need to know. Besides, you’ll gain a solid software engineering background as the course covers everything from designing algorithms to testing to debugging programs.

At the end of the program, you should be able to confidently solve real-world problems via programming. Being 100% project-oriented, learners also get to build a portfolio while sharpening their Java skills. This makes it easier to get a job after project completion.

Wrap Up

There you have it! I have shared the best platforms to learn Java, well as some useful tips to make the learning process more effective. Are you already thinking about putting the tips to use? Why not enroll in any of the courses on this list? And as you do, have it in mind that consistency and practice are the keys to becoming a top Java programmer.

First published on JavaRevisited.