DEV Community: Coffmans

Take Control of Apps on Startup of Windows 11

Coffmans — Sun, 21 Jul 2024 11:22:33 +0000

Windows is a powerful operating system, but it has its annoyances. One of those annoyances is the launching of unwanted applications on startup of Windows.

Here are three methods to help a user take control of applications on startup for Windows 11.

(1) Settings⇾Apps⇾Startup

Here is a simple approach using functionality baked into Windows 11.

1) Open the Settings for Windows 11 and select the Apps option.

2) Select the Startup option.

3) From the Startup window, the user can scroll through the many applications installed on the machine. If an application is set to startup on the launch of Windows, it will have the option set to On. A quick toggle to off will disable the application from launching on startup of Windows.

(2) Task Manager

Another great option that is baked into Windows is using the Windows Task Manager. I think there are better options for a task manager other than Windows Task Manager for many operations. But Windows Task manager is a great alternative for viewing the applications configured to launch on startup.

1) Right-click on the Taskbar and select Task Manager.

2) Select the Startup apps tab to view the list of applications.

3) Select an application. Click Disable on the top right to disable the application from launching on startup. Alternatively, right-click on the application will display the context menu with the same option.

(3) SysInternals Autoruns

1) Download the Autoruns application from Microsoft.

2) Extract the files from the zip file. The utility is set to be portable, so extract the files to any directory.

3) Autoruns.exe is built for 32-bit machines, while Autoruns64.exe is for 64-bit machines. The 32-bit version will work the same on 64-bit operating system.

4) Once the application is launched, it will scan the computer for startup items and start displaying them on a list. The list might seem a bit intimidating, especially when compared to the other methods. But do not fret, it is simple to use.

To disable an application, there are two options. I recommend the first option.
A) Select the application and uncheck the box. That’s right, uncheck the box, it's that easy.

B) Select the application, right-click, and select the Delete option. This approach will remove the application from startup permanently.

Conclusion

Listed in this article are three methods to control which applications can be launched at the startup of Windows. These are not the only methods available to the user. Other methods include:

shell:startup (which I found is not useful for Windows 11)
The registry
Third-party tools such as Startup Delayer.
Settings within the application itself.

I should make mention that these same options are available for Windows 10. The steps should be very similar, if not identical.

Fighting the Battle of the Bulge Against Windows

Coffmans — Mon, 15 Jul 2024 22:27:13 +0000

On an average day many years ago, I found myself using Multi-Commander to look for a file I had just downloaded. It was at this time I noticed my C drive was showing less than 100 GB of free space on my 500 GB hard drive. What could possibly be taking that much space?

I could have performed a search manually through all the different folders. Right-click and display properties to see the size of the folder. I would have started with the obvious, which was my temp folders under my user. I didn’t have all year to take this approach, so I decided to use a simpler approach: WinDirStat.

What is WinDirStat?

WinDirStat is an application that stands for Windows Directory Statistics. It is a powerful tool in the long-standing battle for free space for drives. This tool allows the user to select the drive(s) to be processed and shows the space for each folder in real-time.

How To Use WinDirStat?

Usage of this tool is extremely simple.

1) Open the WinDirStat application.
2) Select the drives to be processed. Three options are available:
       a. All Local Drive
       b. Individual Drives
       c. A Folder

3) Allow the application to do its magic.

That’s it, easy-peasy.

While the directories are being processed, little Pac-Man animations will be shown to show the directories that are currently being processed.

When completed, WinDirStat will display the folders as well as a Treemap of what was found. The Treemap can be a bit intimidating with the in-depth analysis display.

To quote the WinDirStat website:

"The treemap represents each file as a colored rectangle, the area of which is proportional to the file's size. The rectangles are arranged in such a way, that directories again make up rectangles, which contain all their files and subdirectories. So their area is proportional to the size of the subtrees. The color of a rectangle indicates the type of the file, as shown in the extension list. The cushion shading additionally brings out the directory structure."

From this window, the user can see the folders that are taking the most space. In my case, the AppData folder uses the most space, with the Local folder being the primary culprit.

I can drill down even further and determine Microsoft Edge Dev is using 20.6 GB of space.

Alternatives

Though I consider WinDirStat to be my go-to tool for analyzing the space usage for my drives, there are a variety of alternatives. I could spend a few hours listing the different alternatives. Because everyone's time is valuable, and attention spans are limited, I will provide a TL;DR listing of alternatives.

TreeSize
TreeSize comes in three different flavors:

Free
Personal
Professional

WizTree
Of all the alternatives to WinDirStat, WizTree seems to be the most favored (IMHO). WizTree is extremely fast in its analysis with a user-friendly interface.

WizTree comes in three flavors:

Personal Use
Small-Medium Organizations (from 1 to 100 Employees)
Large Organizations (Unlimited Use)

Windows' Built-In Storage Usage Tool
What list of alternatives would be complete without the mention of a tool baked into Windows itself. That's right, Windows 10/11 has its very own analysis tool.

Under Settings⇾System⇾Storage, Windows has the ability to analyze the drive and provide information related to the different folders and files. The data is displayed in a very basic manner, allowing the user to filter down into each folder.

And the list goes on…

Beyond File Explorer: Alternatives for Windows File Explorer

Coffmans — Sun, 30 Jun 2024 18:26:08 +0000

While the built-in Windows File Explorer handles basic file management, power users and those seeking a more efficient workflow often crave additional features. Luckily, there's a plethora of alternatives offering a significant upgrade.

Here are several free options to consider:

1. Multi Commander

Overview: Multi Commander is a powerful, dual-pane file manager designed for efficiency and advanced functionality. It offers numerous features that surpass the standard Windows File Explorer.

Key Features:

Dual-pane interface: Simplifies file transfers and organization.

Customizable layout: Tailor the interface to your workflow.

Extensive plugin support: Extend functionality with plugins.

Advanced search capabilities: Find files quickly and accurately.

Built-in file viewer: Preview files without opening them.

Why It's Better: Multi Commander's dual-pane interface makes file management tasks much more efficient, particularly when moving or copying files between directories. Its extensive plugin support and advanced search capabilities provide functionality that goes beyond what Windows File Explorer offers.

2. FreeCommander

Overview: FreeCommander is a dual-pane file manager that offers a range of features to improve file management efficiency and organization.

Key Features:

Dual-pane interface: Facilitates easy file transfers and comparisons.

Tabbed browsing: Keep multiple folders open and easily switch between them.

Built-in archive handling: Manage ZIP files and other archives.

Quick access toolbar: Access frequently used commands quickly.

File synchronization: Sync directories effortlessly.

Why It's Better: FreeCommander's dual-pane and tabbed browsing features enhance productivity by making it easy to manage multiple folders simultaneously. Its built-in archive handling and file synchronization capabilities provide additional tools for efficient file management that are not available in the standard Windows File Explorer.

3. Explorer++

Overview: Explorer++ is a lightweight, portable file manager that aims to offer a more feature-rich experience compared to Windows File Explorer.

Key Features:

Tabbed browsing: Open multiple tabs and manage folders easily.

Customizable user interface: Adjust the layout to suit your preferences.

Advanced file operations: Perform operations like merging, splitting, and filtering files.

Fast search: Quickly locate files within directories.

Portable: Use without installation.

Why It's Better: Explorer++'s tabbed browsing feature allows users to keep multiple directories open at once, reducing the need for multiple windows. Its advanced file operations and customizable interface make it a versatile and powerful tool for file management, all while remaining lightweight and portable.

4. Q-Dir

Overview: Q-Dir, also known as the Quad Explorer, offers a unique multi-pane interface, allowing users to manage multiple directories simultaneously.

Key Features:

Quad-pane interface: View and manage four directories at once.

Lightweight and portable: Minimal resource usage and no installation required.

Color filters: Improve file visibility with color-coded filters.

Quick access links: Easily access frequently used folders.

Drag-and-drop support: Simplifies file transfers.

Why It's Better: Q-Dir's quad-pane interface is ideal for users who need to manage several directories simultaneously. Its lightweight nature and portability make it a convenient alternative to the standard Windows File Explorer, with the added benefit of color filters for better file organization.

5. Double Commander

Overview: Double Commander is an open-source, cross-platform file manager with a dual-pane interface and a wide range of features.

Key Features:

Dual-pane interface: Efficiently manage files between directories.

Customizable interface: Adjust toolbars, panels, and keyboard shortcuts.

Built-in text editor: Edit text files directly within the file manager.

Advanced search: Powerful search capabilities with regular expression support.

Total Commander plugins: Compatible with many Total Commander plugins.

Why It's Better: Double Commander's dual-pane interface and customizable features make it a highly efficient file manager. Its advanced search functionality and support for Total Commander plugins provide additional tools and flexibility, making it a powerful alternative to Windows File Explorer.

6. Files

Overview: Files is a modern file manager designed with a user-friendly interface and a focus on performance. It integrates well with Windows 10 and 11, providing a seamless user experience.

Key Features:

Modern design: Clean and intuitive interface that aligns with Windows 10/11 aesthetics.

Tabbed browsing: Manage multiple folders with ease.

Dark mode: Supports dark mode for comfortable use in low-light conditions.

Cloud integration: Easily access cloud storage services.

Git Integration: Easily manage your Git projects.

Quick access: Pin frequently used files and folders for easy access.

Why It's Better: Files offers a modern and visually appealing interface that aligns with the latest Windows design guidelines. Its tabbed browsing and quick access features improve productivity, while cloud integration ensures easy access to files stored online, making it a more versatile option than the standard Windows File Explorer.

Here are several paid options to consider:

1. Directory Opus

Overview: Directory Opus is a powerful and highly customizable file manager that has been around for a long time, known for its rich feature set and flexibility.

Key Features:

Dual-pane interface: Allows for easy file transfers and comparisons.

Customizable layout: Tailor the interface to your workflow.

Advanced search: Enhanced search capabilities surpassing Windows File Explorer.

Scripting support: Automate repetitive tasks with scripts.

FTP and archive support: Integrated FTP client and archive management.

Why It's Better: Directory Opus offers a dual-pane interface, which makes file management much more efficient, especially when moving or copying files between directories. Its customization options allow users to create a workspace that fits their specific needs, and the advanced search functionality is significantly more powerful than what is offered by Windows File Explorer.

2. Total Commander

Overview: Total Commander is a classic file manager known for its robustness and a vast array of features designed for advanced file management.

Key Features:

Dual-pane interface: Facilitates easy file transfers and organization.

Built-in FTP client: Manage files on remote servers.

Archive handling: Support for numerous archive formats.

File comparison: Compare and synchronize directories.

Extensive plugin support: Enhance functionality with plugins.

Why It's Better: Total Commander's dual-pane interface simplifies file management tasks, and its built-in FTP client is invaluable for users who regularly manage files on remote servers. The extensive plugin support allows users to extend its capabilities far beyond those of Windows File Explorer.

3. XYplorer

Overview: XYplorer is another highly versatile file manager, known for its speed and efficiency. It combines the best features of traditional file managers with innovative new ideas.

Key Features:
Tabbed browsing: Keep multiple folders open and easily switch between them.
Tagging and coloring: Organize files with tags and color coding.
Scriptable: Enhance functionality with scripts.
Portable: Can be run without installation.
Preview capabilities: Extensive preview options for various file types.

Why It's Better: The tabbed browsing feature of XYplorer makes it easy to manage multiple folders simultaneously without cluttering your workspace. The tagging and coloring system helps in organizing files more intuitively, which is a big step up from the standard Windows File Explorer.

Conclusion

While the standard Windows File Explorer is suitable for basic file management tasks, these alternatives offer enhanced features, greater efficiency, and more customization options. Whether you need a dual-pane interface, advanced search capabilities, or extensive plugin support, these file managers provide a range of options to improve your file management experience. Give these alternatives a try to see how they can enhance your workflow.

How to Read a Book Without Reading a Book (Free Alternatives to Blinkist)

Coffmans — Sun, 05 Mar 2023 18:58:28 +0000

Are you the type that likes to sit down with a book and read it cover to cover? If so, this article is not for you. This article is for the type of person that doesn’t like to read, doesn’t have time, or is just lazy and doesn’t want to read an entire book. Whatever the reason, if you want to read a book but do not really read a book, there is an alternative for you. That’s right, get the core message/content of the book without reading all 150 pages.

BOOK SUMMARIES

Over the years, there has been an explosion of sites and apps dedicated to providing condensed summaries of books. In under 20 minutes, you can have the core of the book. If you prefer listening, these resources offer an audio version in addition to the print version.

One of the most popular book summary resources is Blinkist. It likely contains the largest collection of books. But it also comes at a price, literally. Blinkist requires a subscription to access the books. The subscription is currently $8.34 per month or $99 per year.

Let’s be real, I, like so many people, am cheap. I like to find free alternatives that are just as good. Below is a small list of a few FREE alternatives to Blinkist and other paid summary resources.

This article is short, concise, and straight to the point. Everyone’s experience is different so I didn’t feel it necessary to detail my experience with these resources. I want to allow the user to have access to these resources and make up their own mind. Enjoy.

QuickRead

QuickRead offers you over 500 free book summaries in both audio and text format in many categories.

QuickRead is a great alternative to Blinkist. It has a large selection of free book summaries available in audio or print. The book selection consists of non-fiction books in a number of categories. The service is entirely free and each book has a summary completed by one person and narrated by another person.

QuickRead is available via website, Android, and iOS.

One unique feature of QuickRead is the ability for offline listening or reading. The website offers free options to download as PDF or MP3. Unfortunately, the mobile app requires a subscription for offline content.

Pros

Free
Mobile app for Android and iOS
Offline options (PDF or MP3)

Cons

No search functionality on the website
Not the largest collection of books
Mobile offline content requires a subscription

In order to search for a book on the website, I found it simpler to search the site via a search engine by entering the book name and quickread.com.

Here are the simple steps:

Navigate to your favorite search engine (my preference is DuckDuckGo)
Enter the name of the book and quickread.com
Perform the search
If the book is found on the website, it will show in the results.
Click the link

StoryShots

StoryShots is the world’s only microlearning app with thousands of free book summaries in text, audio and animated formats. It’s featured worldwide as one of the best educational apps and called “very clever” by Steven Pinker, Bill Gates’ favorite author. Download StoryShots to get the key insights of bestselling nonfiction books today.

IMHO, StoryShots is the closest book summary service to Blinkist. I think the collection of content is unmatched by other free services. The book selection consists of non-fiction books in a number of categories. The service is offered in a free version that is ad-supported and a premium version via subscription.

StoryShots is available via Android, iOS, and the website (with a subscription though there is a workaround).

Pros

A huge collection of books
Freemium version
Mobile app for Android and iOS

Cons

No search functionality on the website
The Freemium version is ad-supported
Lack of access via the website without a subscription
Limited access to all content without a subscription

An interesting note is access to books on the website requires a subscription. That’s right, free access cannot access books. Except, I have discovered a means to get free access.

Here are the simple steps:

Navigate to your favorite search engine (my preference is DuckDuckGo)
Enter the name of the book and getstoryshots
Perform the search
If the book is found on the website, it will show in the results.
Click the link

BOOM — you can access the book on the website.

BestBookBits

What is Best Book Bits you ask? Simply put we take a book, read it, study it, find the best book bits, the golden nuggets and present them in this presentation. I believe this is the Fastest & Easiest way on the Planet to get the information you need in the shortest amount of time
Best Book Bits is a unique service created by Michael George Knight. The service boasts a variety of book summaries via the website, podcast, and YouTube.

Each book summary is around 20 minutes in length to listen to. It could longer or shorter to read the print version. You can browse the collection of book summaries alphabetically, by category, or by author.

BestBookBits is available via the website, podcast, and YouTube.

One of the best features, IMHO, is the ability to perform a search on the website. Instead of having to perform a manual search via a search engine, the user can type in the information directly on the website.

Pros

Entirely free
Search functionality on the website
Large collection of books

Cons

No mobile app for Android or iOS
Offline content only available in PDF format

The Interview —A Disaster In The Making?

Coffmans — Fri, 20 Jan 2023 11:12:23 +0000

Throughout my not-so-illustrious career in the technology industry, I have had the fortune/misfortune to perform hundreds if not thousands of interviews. I have learned many things from this experience. I wanted to share one of the more memorable and unfortunate interviews. Some might find the information beneficial. Others may just find humor in the situation.

My company had an open position for a software developer experienced in Windows development. A number of candidates applied for the position so a number of interviews were conducted with the candidates. One of the candidates stood out with his experience which included working for Microsoft. He passed the screening interview so he was invited for a formal interview. It was pre-COVID so the formal interview was held in person in our office.

Red Flag #1.
This candidate showed up several days prior to the scheduled interview. I believe a candidate should arrive early but my thinking is 10 to 15 minutes early. Showing up a few days early was, well, strange.

Is that a good sign that he was excited about the opportunity?
Is that a bad sign that he has extremely poor listening and time management skills?
I brushed it off as being overly eager. I could sense he was excited about this opportunity.

Red Flag #2.
On the day of the interview, he failed to show up at the scheduled time. The interview was scheduled to start at 08:00 AM. It was 08:00 AM and no candidate. Then 09:00 AM, no candidate. Next was 10:00 AM, no candidate. At a little after 1 PM, he arrived at our office. In hindsight, I should have said it was nice to meet him but he missed his opportunity. After all, first impressions are critical. And he made one of the worst first impressions possible. He wasn’t just late, he was LATE. I was forced to make a decision — follow through with the interview or kick him to the curb. I elected to give him the benefit of the doubt.

Red Flag #3.
Upon entering my office, I immediately noticed his appearance. Cuts and bruises on his knuckles and an eye that was badly bruised. It was apparent he was in an altercation. His answer for his appearance was he had been hit with a ball during a softball game. I didn’t get a good sense that it was the truth. Even if I give him the benefit of the doubt that he was hit in the eye with a softball, it doesn’t explain the bruising and cuts on his knuckles. I should have thrown the BS flag but again, I elected to give him the benefit of the doubt.

When Will It End?
I started the interview by asking a few standard questions. What do you know about the company? What interested you in the position? Then I started to ask technical questions related to his experience. His answers didn’t seem to make sense. Then things really took a turn for the bizarre.

As I was asking questions, he stood up, waited about 10–15 seconds, then sat back down. Stand, wait, sit, stand, wait, sit. It lasted for a few minutes. I had no idea what was happening. Then came the biggest “oh you didn’t just do that” moments in my interviewing history. Upon sitting down for the last time, he draped his leg over the side of the chair as if we were watching football and eating nachos. I was forced to ask myself:

Was he under the influence of alcohol?
Was he under the influence of drugs?
Was he just that unstable?

For someone that should be trying to impress me, he was doing a very poor job. The interview continued as I quizzed him on the different technology listed on his resume. He struggled to answer my questions, responding with “I know what you are talking about.” I’m thankful you understand what I am talking about, now answer the questions. I was relieved when the interview was completed.

It Wasn’t Over Yet
The fun didn’t stop there. Oh no no no. A few days after the interview, I received an email from the candidate. The email was a last-ditch effort to make his case. He stated he was forced to visit the emergency room on the morning of the interview (he didn’t go into detail and I didn’t ask). No apology for his tardiness or behavior anywhere in the email. As I continued to read the email, he made a bold claim that I will never forget. He would increase the productivity of the team by 200% (that was his number) without the team knowing it was him. Let’s recap a handful of things he didn’t know.

He wasn’t familiar with our industry.
He wasn’t familiar with our applications.
He wasn’t familiar with our codebases.
He wasn’t familiar with our architecture.
He wasn’t familiar with our development process.

But he was going to increase productivity by 200% without the team knowing about it.

I decided to not make an offer of employment. It might have been the first good decision I made in this situation.

Resources to Stay Up-to-Date For Developers

Coffmans — Thu, 17 Nov 2022 12:45:51 +0000

Resources to Stay Up-to-Date For Developers

As a software developer and tech geek in general, it is important that I stay on top of current trends. Constant learning is just part of the norm for the tech industry. But how does one go about trying to stay on top of things? Everyone should have a go-to list of resources that provide the information needed to stay on top of their game. I thought I would list some of my go-to resources.

A handpicked list of resources I find useful in no particular order.

Daily Resources

The Morning Dew - created and maintained by Alvin Ashcraft, this blog is one of my first choices when it comes to staying up-to-date. The blog is a valuable resource for web, windows, and .NET developers.
The Morning Brew - created and maintained by Chris Alcock. The blog is updated daily. This blog is geared towards .NET software development.
Daily.dev - an online community for developers to stay up-to-date on the latest and greatest developer news. The content of the site can be personalized to a person's specific interests.
.NET Ketchup - a daily collection of posts, tweets, and articles from a variety of sources relating to .NET development.
Same Stuff, Different Day - created and maintained by Michael Eaton. This blog is updated daily with a variety of different content involving Technology, Leadership, Project Mgmt, GitHub Repos, and more. It is not just for developers.

Other Resources

Medium.com - an online community with articles and posts from a variety of creators. One unique thing about Medium.com is it is a site for everyone, not just developers and technology professionals/enthusiasts.
Twitter - If you don't know what Twitter is, you've been living under a rock
Flipboard - an online smart magazine that makes it easy to stay informed about all topics that interest you the most. Topics include health and fitness, mobile, entertainment, and so much more. This site has an excellent selection of technology and software development magazines/sources.
C# Digest - a weekly digest of articles related to .NET development.

A small list of other generic sites for technology news include:

One last site I would like to recognize is Udemy Freebies. This site provides a list of Udemy videos that are free for a limited time. The site is updated daily and contains videos for a variety of subjects including developer/technology topics.

On a final note, I would be interested in learning about other people's go-to resources for staying up-to-date with software development and technology, in general. If you have a site, please comment on this article.

If someone were interested in software development, where would that person start?

Coffmans — Wed, 16 Nov 2022 13:54:02 +0000

Not so long ago, I was having lunch with a friend of mine. We were in an airport awaiting our flight home. He looked at me and asked a question. "If someone were interested in software development, where would that person start?" My first thought was this question is easy to answer. Before I responded though, I took a few additional seconds to think about my answer. Okay, this question is not so easy to answer.

Background To My Thinking

When I was in college, software development was a field found to have the most people drop out at least according to a couple of articles. Many people entered the field thinking it would be fun and easy. Only to discover it is a discipline that takes hard work, commitment, and a love for what you are learning. Anyway, I digress from the main topic of this article. Back then, a number of avenues were available for software development. A developer would go mainframe with Assembly or COBOL. A developer could go to Windows with Visual Basic or C/C++/MFC. A developer could go web with HTML and CSS. I am simplifying things, I know, as there were more technologies available. But I wanted to provide some context.

In today's world, there are an endless number of possibilities. Mainframe development is still going strong though it consists of more older-generation developers. Advancements in Windows development with C, C++, VB.NET, C#, and other languages add a plethora to the mix. Web development exploded years ago with so many frameworks and languages such as Angular, Node.js, Go, Python, ASP.NET, Blazor, and much more. Throw in mobile development for iOS and Android. Or hybrid development that encompasses Windows, iOS, and Android. Again, I am simplifying things. Below is a basic list of the possibilities.

Web Development
Mobile Development
Desktop Development (Windows, Linux, Mac OS)
API Development
Game Development
Front-end Development
Back-end Development
Security Engineering
Cloud Development
Database Development
Embedded Systems Development
IoT Software Development
Block-Chain Development
VR Software Development

I pondered the original question: "If someone were interested in software development, where would that person start?" I asked about the person's interest to which the answer was they didn't have a specific interest in any certain area of software development. The answer makes things a little more difficult.

College/University

A good Computer Science program will provide exposure to a lot of the technologies utilized in today's technology industry. It will provide a foundation to allow a person to see the different areas and technologies to determine what might interest that person. By Computer Science program, I am not referring to the traditional CS program where hardcore geeks are pounding on keyboards knocking out code based on different algorithms. Below is a small list of concentrations available from colleges and universities.

Artificial Intelligence
Software Engineering
Computer Forensics
Computer Programming
Computer Science
Data Science
Database Management
Information Systems
Information Technology
Network Administration
Software Engineering
Web Development

Pros

Exposure and learning of the basics of software development
Formal exposure and learning to the different areas of software development
Official degree from college or university

Cons

Cost of the formal education can be expensive
The associate degree requires 2 years while Bachelor's degree requires 4 years (or longer)

Is formal education a requirement for software development? IMHO, the answer is NO, a formal education is not required. Independent learning and boot camps are avenues that can be utilized to learn software development.

Boot Camp

Boot camps provide the more focused learning on topics or technologies. Coding boot camps typically specialize in teaching proficiency in the coding language relevant to the chosen career path. Boot camps may specialize in focusing on a specific topic/technology such as Java programming or front-end development. Other boot camps may combine several topics into one course to prepare students to become full-stack software developers. Languages utilized in boot camps generally include JavaScript, Python, Ruby, NET/C#, Java, or PHP stacks.

Pros

The cost is relatively less expensive than a traditional college or university
Time commitment is much less than in a traditional college or university
Many are online

Cons

Lack of fundamentals
Bootcamp degrees are still not universally accepted; Employers may still require an official degree
Programs may not be accredited
Limited financial aid options compared to traditional colleges and universities

Independent Learning

It is a fancy way of saying the person will learn at their own pace on their own time (self-taught). The internet provides a wealth of resources to allow anyone to learn the field of software development. A google search will bring up an endless list of resources including Microsoft Learn, LinkedIn Learning, Coursera, Udemy, Khan Academy, and Free Code Camp. Another avenue is to utilize the free online classes from many colleges and universities. As mentioned, this approach allows a person to learn at their own pace as well as decide what to learn. One drawback to this approach is knowing where to start with the different areas available.

Pros

Learn at a personal pace
Cost is minimal (likely free)

Cons

Lack of formal exposure to technology
Lack of fundamentals
The length of time to learn may be much longer
Employers may still require an official degree

What Was My Answer

With all that being said, how did I answer the question? Well, I'm not sure I really did answer the question. I told him the first step is to research the different areas available in software development. Research what is available and find what sound the most appealing. It doesn't need to be a single area. Then seriously consider the next step. My formal recommendation would be to consider the traditional route of a college or university. But at the same time, don't rely solely on formal education. Utilize independent learning at the same time. The college will provide exposure and fundamentals but a great software developer needs to always be learning.

I am old-school meaning a gen-x and not a boomer. I started my software development career in the 1990s and I have seen unlimited changes in the tech industry. If someone is interested in software development, the possibilities are limited only by the person's drive and willingness to learn.