DEV Community: Sarah Bartley Dye

Advice I’d Send Back in Time: Technology in 2026 and Four Lessons for My High School Self

Sarah Bartley Dye — Fri, 06 Mar 2026 19:35:14 +0000

*Author context: This WeCoded 2026 post is a twist on a writing challenge Future did last year. This letter is written to myself back in 2000-2001 (I was a freshman in high school at the time).

Dear Sarah,
Congratulations! You are officially a high school student. You are almost finished with your freshman year.

I bet you are thinking that one year is in the bag and you have three more years left to go. That’s how I felt when I was in your spot many years ago. Have you started looking at all the college flyers that are coming in the mail?

Don’t worry if you haven’t gotten any yet. You’ll be getting plenty of those for the next couple of years as you start thinking about the future ahead. You won’t start doing college applications for 3 more years, so you’ve got plenty of time to think about each of these for now.

Here’s how things are going in 2026. I turned 40 last month (I’m middle-aged now, and let me tell you it isn’t as scary as people make it seem). I am still in tech am coding. Now I am starting to diversify my skills in data analytics, AI, and project management.

I did follow the traditional path after high school by going to college and graduate school. After 6 years in school, I spent a few years out subbing and teaching once I finished with school. By 2015, I was ready for a change, and that’s when I discovered coding.

2015 was a life-changing moment in my life because the decision to learn how to code transformed my life.

Technology might sound like a strange choice since most of the technology you have been around so far is the family computer and typing lessons you took in school. However, you’ll reconnect with technology on a deeper level at this time when you write your first line of code. My first line of code was not the fanciest line of code ever written, but it gave me a lot of clarity and set me on a path to connecting with the person I always wanted to be.

Remember this feeling because being in tech isn’t easy. Being a developer in 2026 is hard to put into words because technology is always changing. It might not seem quite obvious at first, but it is always evolving. You will see things like phones, VCRs, and CD players turn into new devices and software over the next few years.

Yet there are no signs of it slowing down. There is new stuff waiting on the horizon that will change the way people live and connect each day. If you can think of it, chances are technology will play a part in making it a reality.

As technology changes, developers are behind the scenes making sure everything works smoothly. Developers don’t just write code and create amazing things. They read a lot and keep an eye out for potential errors in their code.

AI is a big topic in 2026, and it has disrupted every industry. AI has shown why developers are still. It may make code easier to write, but human eyes are still needed to help double-check everything AI creates and spot errors that even AI might not realize it is making.

Debugging and refactoring will be vital skills in this new AI world, as well as understanding the syntax in every programming language and framework. When I started learning how to code in 2015, Avi Flombaum used to talk about how reading code is just as important as writing code. This will be very important as AI continues to learn and be used in every industry.

There’s a lot of exciting stuff that is coming your way.

I don’t want to spoil everything that is coming for you. However, I want to share four pieces of advice I’ve learned over the past 40 years that can help you where you are now. This will help you get started on the path to where I am now, much quicker and make the most of this time of your life.

Advice One: Take those career assessments seriously!

I know. These tests are very annoying and take so much time to complete because there are so many questions. You would rather do anything else than take a very long test.

It is very tempting to randomly bubble in answers so you can get done quickly and move through the rest of your day. DON’T DO THIS! Take your time and most importantly, answer as honestly as you can.

Those answers will give you a picture of not just the careers that are the best fits for you, but what your personality is like when it comes to different careers. You are going to have a lot of people telling you what careers you should go into and what will land you a job. That is a lot of noise that will distract and make it hard to hear what your gut is trying to tell you.

The answers you put on these tests aren’t going to be judged by anyone, and no one is certainly grading you on what career best fit for you. However, these assessments provide information on what is the best fit for you based on your personality, interests, and the way you work. That information is powerful as you get older because it will form a picture of what you are and what works for you.

You might want to check out the book What Color is Your Parachute by Richard Bolles when you get a chance. This book includes some creative exercises that will help you even further figure out what you want to do. Take the information from the career assessments you take throughout high school and use them to really look at what you want and what you know best.

Advice Two: Start networking.

Word of warning: the job search is going to change as you get older. The way people find jobs is going to be heavily impacted by technology. The advice people will give you in high school and college won’t work by 2026.

Networking becomes much more powerful in the changing job market, and even in the most difficult job climates. Start building your network now. This is the perfect place to do it because you are in school. Your classmates are your first connections.

I am not saying you need to be best friends with every person you meet and hang out with them every weekend. Instead, you need to do things that keep you “top of mind”. That means saying “hello” to people and providing value to them.

The secret to networking is answering questions or asking them about things they know about. Specific questions work great here. You’ll learn that people like talking about themselves, so use that to help break the ice.

You will hear about a platform called LinkedIn when you are in college. Create this account immediately and start filling out your profile. Then send out connection requests to everyone you know ASAP.

Use this time as a way to practice networking. It will be tough because I know you are an introvert, but put yourself out there by going to events and talking to people in your classes. The key thing is to start now, and you’ll thank yourself later down the road.

Advice Three: Try different things to see what skills you like and what you don’t.

You will have a lot of stuff you are learning about right now, and chances are you have a lot of homework. So the thought of learning more things outside of school sounds like a crazy thing to do. However, you will thank yourself in the long run if you start learning more about things that interest you or just try out different skills.

The goal here isn’t to learn everything you can get your hands on. You want to use this time to learn and try different things to see how you feel doing them. Each time you learn a new skill, take a three-five weeks doing this skill and see how you feel after that.

That will help you see if it is a good fit for you. Some skills will sound scary and intimidating. You will immediately be less likely to try them and will immediately assume you will be terrible at doing it.

However, you won’t actually know if you until you try it yourself. It won’t hurt if you take a little time to try it for yourself. This way, you’ll know, and that information will give you lots of confidence.

This is the time to try that hobby you've always wanted to do or learn about something that makes you curious. You are in the right place to learn new things and might know people who are doing the things you are curious about.

Advice Four: Compare yourself to your past self.

Comparing yourself to others is the worst thing you can do. Trust me. It won’t make you feel better and will only make you feel worse.

I spent years doing this as a way to check how I was measuring up against other people my age. It made me feel horrible. I learned later that it makes no sense to do this, too.

Every person’s path is different, so you can’t compare things that aren’t the same. You’ll be tempted to compare yourself to others a lot, so you need to pay close attention when you start feeling that way. This way, you can catch yourself when you start going down that path and get yourself to stop.

When you do feel like you have made no progress, don’t look at others. Instead, look at your past self. These will be the previous versions of yourself.

What has changed?
What are you able to do now that you weren’t able to do then?

That’s going to be a much better way to see progress because you will see growth in each version. It doesn’t matter what size that growth is. All accomplishments, no matter the size, show progress.

While people get excited about reaching the big goals at the end, the small ones are the ones that keep you motivated in the long run and keep you going. We are our own worst critics, so don’t be too hard on yourself. Be kind to yourself in those moments and look for the lessons you can learn from that experience. Remember, Rome (and Beyonce) weren’t built in a day.

That sounds like a lot right now, but these are things that if you do them now, you’ll be setting a good foundation to help you in the future.

Underrepresented groups work twice as hard to get where they want to be in tech. However, each person is proof that it is possible to be in tech. If they are able to do it, then you can absolutely do it as well.

The journey through tech is an S-curve with lots of ups and downs. You might find yourself in a curve longer than you anticipated. That’s 100% ok because everyone’s path is unique.

Being a developer in tech is less about the final destination and more about the journey to getting there. That is the exciting part and what makes the story. Each curve along the path will teach you a lot about yourself and will make you stronger as you accomplish every task along your way.

At the end of the day, you will be the one who has to live with the decisions you make. You know yourself better than anyone, so start thinking about what you value, like, and don’t like. There are no right and wrong answers, but you need to listen to what your gut is telling you and what feels right for you.

Most of all, don’t be afraid to start before you feel ready. Confidence comes from doing the work, not waiting for the perfect moment. Keep going. The effort you put in now will shape opportunities you can’t even see yet.

Love,
Sarah

Advice I’d Send Back in Time: Technology in 2026 and Four Lessons for My High School Self

Sarah Bartley Dye — Fri, 06 Mar 2026 19:35:08 +0000

*Author context: This WeCoded 2026 post is a twist on a writing challenge Future did last year. This letter is written to myself back in 2000-2001 (I was a freshman in high school at the time).

Dear Sarah,
Congratulations! You are officially a high school student. You are almost finished with your freshman year.

2015 was a life-changing moment in my life because the decision to learn how to code transformed my life.

AI is a big topic in 2026, and it has disrupted every industry. AI has shown why developers are still important. It may make code easier to write, but human eyes are still needed to help double-check everything AI creates and spot errors that even AI might not realize it is making.

There’s a lot of exciting stuff that is coming your way.

Advice One: Take those career assessments seriously!

I know. These tests are very annoying and take so much time to complete because there are so many questions. You would rather do anything else than take a very long test.

Advice Two: Start networking.

Advice Three: Try different things to see what skills you like and what you don’t.

Advice Four: Compare yourself to your past self.

Comparing yourself to others is the worst thing you can do. Trust me. It won’t make you feel better and will only make you feel worse.

I spent years doing this as a way to check how I was measuring up against other people my age. It made me feel horrible. I learned later that it makes no sense to do this, too.

When you do feel like you have made no progress, don’t look at others. Instead, look at your past self. These will be the previous versions of yourself.

What has changed?
What are you able to do now that you weren’t able to do then?

That sounds like a lot right now, but these are things that if you do them now, you’ll be setting a good foundation to help you in the future.

The journey through tech is an S-curve with lots of ups and downs. You might find yourself in a curve longer than you anticipated. That’s 100% ok because everyone’s path is unique.

Love,
Sarah

Connecting Your Computer with GitHub - Part Five

Sarah Bartley Dye — Mon, 16 Feb 2026 18:43:03 +0000

Today’s post is the last post for the Connecting Your Computer with GitHub lesson. The last thing in this lesson is another lesson challenge. This is where students combine every concept they learned in this lesson together.

This challenge will focus on forking, cloning, and pushing to a repository. Skillcrush students use a repository to practice these skills. This repository is at github.com/skillcrush/105-project.

You can also do this challenge with another repository if you like. Just take time to find one you can use for this challenge. Before everyone starts this challenge, double-check you are on GitHub and have your command line open.

Step One: Once you have found a repository, look for the fork button and click it (hint: look at the top right corner).A pop-up window should appear. Look at all the options and make sure the “copy the main branch only” is checked. Click the button that says Create Fork when you are ready.

Note: Some repositories might show a message after you click the Create Fork button that asks where you want the forked repository to go. If you get this message, make sure you pick the option with your username.

Step Two: When your forked repository is copied into your GitHub account, make sure you are on the repository copy you just made. Click the green Code button when you are ready for the next step. You’ll get a pop-up window with the local and codespace tabs inside to appear.

Make sure you are on the local tab, then look for the SSH address. Click the clipboard icon to copy this address. This will start with git@github.com followed by your username

If you aren’t seeing the ssh address, double-check that the SSH link is checked. Once you’ved copied the link, we’re ready to move to the command line open.

Step Three: Go to your home directory in the command line. Use the cd and pwd commands to help you find the right one. Type git clone, then paste the SSH address you just copied from GitHub.

Press Enter when you are ready. I get asked for a passphrase on my computer often, so if you get this message, just type in your passphrase. Press Enter again, and the command line will show updates as the computer clones the repository.

The clone is completed when you get a message saying “Receiving objects: 100%” on the command line. Double-check using the ls command if you aren’t sure if it is in your directory.

Step Four: Go into the project directory. Skillcrush students would move into the 105-project directory. Use the cd command to move into the right directory. Don’t forget to use the pwd command if you aren’t sure where you are.

When you are in the right directory, open the directory. Your computer has different commands you can use to open a directory. Use the one that best fits your computer.

PC: explorer . or start .
Mac: open .

Step Five: When your directory is open, make changes to a file. Skillcrush students would right-click or control-click the index.html file that is inside to preview it in the web browser. If you are using a different repository file, you will want to see a preview of that project’s site with its index.html, if there is one.

After you look at the preview, go and make changes to the index.html file. Skillcrush students would open the 105-project folder in the text editor and make changes to the index.html file. These changes could be changing a headline, tagline, or images.

When you are done making changes, save your code. Make sure you refresh your browser window to see the changes you made and that were saved.

Step Six: Go back to the command line. Run the git status command. You will see it is under version control since the project is cloned directly from GitHub.

Once you see that the changes are ready to be added to staging, run the git add command on the file you made changes to. Don’t be afraid to run the git status command again to make sure the changes have been added.

Step Seven: Next, commit those changes. Use the git commit command and write a commit message. Keep this message clear and concise as you can.

Step Eight: Push your changes to the remote repository on GitHub. Use the git push command to move your changes. If you get asked for your passphrase, type the one you made and press Enter.

Go to GitHub and find the repository you are using for this challenge. Click the commits section. This section will have your latest commit now.

You can click on the commit message. The commit message will break down all the changes you have made.

Conclusion

This post marks the end of the Connect Your Computer with GitHub lesson. Now you have your computer connected to GitHub. You have also learned how to fork, clone, and push repositories on GitHub.

The next lesson in Skillcrush 105 is The Branding Workflow. This lesson is about how branches work in repositories and what git commands you need to create one. At the end of this lesson, you’ll be able to create your first branch on a repository.

Connecting Your Computer with GitHub - Part Five

Sarah Bartley Dye — Mon, 09 Feb 2026 19:08:36 +0000

Today’s post is wrapping up the Connecting Your Computer with GitHub lesson with the final Skillcrush. At the end of this lesson, Skillcrush challenges students to take what they have learned and apply all of it together. In this challenge, you will use forking, cloning, and pushing on another repository on GitHub.

Skillcrush has a repository students can use to practice forking, cloning, and pushing. You can find this project at github.com/skillcrush/105-project. However, you can use a different repository if you like.

Step One: Always make sure you are on GitHub and are logged in. Take time to find the repository you want to use if you don’t want to use the Skillcrush one. Once you have found a repository, look for the fork button and click it (hint: look at the top right corner).

The pop up window should appear. Look at all the options and make sure the “copy the main branch only” is checked. Click the button that says Create Fork when you are ready.

Note: Some repositories will give a message after you click the Create Fork button that asks where you want the forked repository to go. If you get this message, make sure you pick the option with your username.

Make sure you are on the local tab, then look for the SSH address. Click the clipboard icon to copy this address. This will start with git@github.com followed by your username

If you aren’t seeing the ssh address, double-check the SSH link is checked. Once you’ved copied the link, we’re ready to move to the command line open.

Step Three: Go to your home directory in the command line. Use the cd and pwd commands to help you find the right one. Type git clone then paste the SSH address you just copied from GitHub.

The clone is completed when you get a message saying “Receiving objects: 100%” on the command line. Double-check using the ls command if you aren’t sure if it is in your directory.

Step Four: Go into the project directory. Skillcrush students would move into the 105-project directory. Use the cd command to move into the right directory.

Don’t forget to use the pwd command if you aren’t sure where you are. When you are in the right directory, open the directory. Your computer has different commands you can use to open a directory. Use the one that best fits your computer.

PC: explorer . or start .
Mac: open .

When you are done making changes, save your code. Make sure you refresh your browser window to see the changes you made and were saved.

Step Six: Go back to the command line. Run the git status command. You will see it is under version control since the project is cloned directly from GitHub.

Step Seven: Next, commit those changes. Use the git commit command and write a commit message. Keep this message as clear and concise as much as you can.

Step Eight: Push your changes to the remote repository on GitHub. Use the git push command to move your changes. If you get asked for your passphrase, type the one you made and press Enter.

Go to GitHub and find the repository you are using for this challenge. Click the commits section. This section will have your latest commit now.

You can click on the commit message. The commit message will break down all the changes you have made.

Conclusion

This post marks the end of the Connect Your Computer with GitHub lesson. Now you have your computer connected to GitHub. You have also learned how to fork, clone, and push repositories on GitHub.

Connecting Your Computer with GitHub-Part Four

Sarah Bartley Dye — Mon, 02 Feb 2026 15:55:25 +0000

There is one concept left to learn in the Connect Your Computer with GitHub lesson. Today’s post will focus on pushing repositories to GitHub. Skillcrush students learn why developers push repositories to GitHub and how to push a repository to GitHub.

What does it mean when developers push a repository to GitHub?

Pushing repositories to GitHub happens every time you use Git and GitHub. You will use the git push command regularly when working with a repository. When a developer pushes a repository, the changes they have made to the local repository are sent to GitHub.

Consistency is crucial in programming, especially when collaborating with other developers on GitHub. The git push command helps make this possible, so everyone is on the same page. This command moves all the commits developers made to a local repository on their computers and sends them to the remote repo on GitHub.

Skillcrush instructs students to consider any changes they have made to the repository on their computers, as these changes are saved locally. That means this version is different from the original project saved on GitHub. You will need to use the git push command to make sure both the local version and the GitHub version are current.

The git push command takes the commits you make from the local repository and move them to the remote repository on GitHub. To push code from the main branch of the local repo, type git push origin [branch name].

git push origin main

The origin keyword means the repository the clone was copied from. Skillcrush says this is a forked repo on the GitHub account. The main keyword in this example refers to the branch you are adding your commits to.

You just need to check which branch you are sending your commits to. When I started learning how to code in 2015, GitHub used master instead of main, so some repositories could still use master instead of main. It never hurts to double-check everything when it comes to working with Git and GitHub.

Git Pull

After you type the git push command like the example, Git will take the main branch of your local repo on your computer and push any commits you’ve made to GitHub. GitHub will check the log of commits in the local repo with the commits on GitHub. If the commits aren’t on the local repo, Git will let you know by sending a message and telling you that you need to get these commits from GitHub.

A command that will help in these situations is the git pull command. The git pull command will pull commits from the GitHub repo for you. Type git pull followed by the remote repository name.

git pull example

Once you get these commits, merge them into your local repo. After you do this, you can push anything to GitHub. Type the git push command just like the example near the top of this post.

When you press Enter, Git will send commits to the main branch of that remote repository that the “origin” is going to. Remember, the only changes that have been added to staging and are committed will be moved to GitHub when you use the git push command. Make sure to run the git status command to check that everything you want to send to GitHub is committed.

When your code hasn’t been saved, added, or committed yet, the computer might send a message to let you know that the repository is up to date. All that is left to do is push your code to GitHub.

How to Push Your First Repo to GitHub

Ready to push the repository you have been working on to GitHub. Here’s a step-by-step guide to move your commits to GitHub.

Step One: Start on the command line (Git Bash or Terminal, depending on what type of computer you are using). Go to the repository you want to push. If you don’t have a repository yet, please revisit the post Create the First Repo in this series.

Sarah Bartley Dye

Aug 25 '25

Creating Your First Repo

#git

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6 min read

Don’t forget to use the pwd command to make sure you are in the right directory. Look for the repository name listed at the end of the file path. It might look like this:

/Jane/Documents/my-first-repo

The file path in this example is saying my-first-repo is going to be inside the Documents folder. The document folder is in Jane’s home folder. When you read a file path, start at the end and read to the left to find the right directory.

Step Two: Make sure you are also logged into GitHub and are on the GitHub dashboard. Look for a green button on the left sidebar next to the “Top Repositories”. Click this button.

When I create a new repository at the time this post is being published (2026), I am on the overview tab underneath my username. I switch to the repositories tab and click the “New” green button at the top of GitHub. It is next to the type, language, and sort dropdown menus.

Name your new repository. Skillcrush recommends using the same name as the repository you are trying to push. You can add a description if you like, but it isn’t required.

Keep the repository set to public and leave the default settings. Make sure the README checkbox is unchecked. Click the green “Create Repository” button when you are ready.

Step Three: GitHub will provide several different options for what you can do on this new page for creating repositories. Before exploring these options, ensure that you are using the SSH setup. Skillcrush has students push repositories from the command line so look at the headings for one that says “or to push an existing repository from the command line”.

When you find this heading, you can see all the commands you’ll use to push the code. You can type each of these lines in the command line, but GitHub provides an icon button that will copy everything for you so you can paste it in the command line.

These lines will do three things:

a.) Add the remote origin (GitHub) repository to your local repository.
b.) Change the brand name to main (if needed).
c.) Push the main branch to GitHub and set it as the default branch.

Step Four: Go back to the command line. Paste the lines you copied from step three and paste them in the command line. Press Enter when you are done. Let the command line process everything.

When it stops running, go back to GitHub and refresh your page. Your repository should appear now with all the files inside.

Are you not able to push to your GitHub repository?

You might get a message that says you don’t have permission to push any commits to GitHub. If you receive this message, you will need to run 'git remote -v'. When you use this command, it will display the remote origin repository associated with the directory.

When the computer displays this information, check the username. Is it set to yours or something different? If it is set to a different username, you will need to rename it. Use this example below to set the url.

git remote set-url origin the-url-you-just-copied

Press Enter when you are ready, and the computer will replace the username with your username in the url. Type git remote -v again to double-check everything has been changed. Next, try pushing your commits to GitHub again.

Connecting Your Computer with GitHub-Part Three

Sarah Bartley Dye — Mon, 26 Jan 2026 19:41:51 +0000

You know how to fork a repo, so it is time to talk about cloning. Cloning is often used with the fork command, so you will be using both of these commands together as you continue to work with Git and GitHub. Today’s post continues the “Connecting Your Computer with GitHub” lesson by talking about cloning.

This post will explain what cloning is and why developers want to clone a repo. Skillcrush students then practice cloning a repository with the forked repository they made from the last post.

What is cloning?

A clone on GitHub is a copy of the GitHub repo on your computer. This makes the clone command very important. Developers clone repos when they want to make edits to repos they have saved on their computers.

Before you start cloning repositories, remember that a cloned repository can be changed on the command line. However, clone repositories can’t be changed on GitHub. If you want to make changes to your cloned repositories, those changes need to be added back to the original repository.

Cloning often involves forking, so you’ll often see them being used together when you are working on GitHub. First, developers fork the repo they want to clone. Next, they clone the repo.

What should you do if you don’t need the connection back to the original repo? Skillcrush tells students they can just clone it without forking the original. It means you can make a copy and make changes without those edits going back to the original.

How to Clone a Repo

Step One: Always double-check where you are. Are you on GitHub? Go to GitHub and login into your account.

When you are logged in, find the repo you forked in the last post and double-check you are on this repo. If you haven’t forked a repo, go back to the last post and follow the steps to fork a repo. You can check if you are on the forked repository by looking at the username in the top left corner.

Step Two: Look for a green button that has Code printed on it. Click this button. A pop-up window will appear with different tabs.

Select the SSH key option. Click the icon with two squares overlayed on top of each other next to it. This will copy the URL.

Do you need to make sure that you are copying the right URL? The URL you need will start with git@github.com followed by the owner’s repo name and the name of the GitHub repository.

Step Three: Go to your command line. Next, navigate to where the cloned directory will be going. Skillcrush recommends students put their repositories in Documents or Desktop folders, but you can use whatever works for you.

Type git clone into the command line. Paste the SSH address you copied in the last step. Press Enter when you are done.

git clone git@github.com:redrambles/seasons

Step Four: You are ready to start making edits to the cloned repository you just made. Use the cd command to move into the new cloned repository. Make sure you use the pwd command to help you see what directory you are in.

cd seasons
pwd

Once you are in the right directory, start making updates. Open a file and make changes to your code. Edit this file as much as you like before moving to the last step.

Step Five: When you are finished with your updates, run git status. Type git add to add your changes. Type git commit to create a commit message.

git status
git add holiday.html
git commit -m "Added new holiday page"

Press Enter when youare done. Now you cloned your first repo. You can take time to find more repositories on GitHub and clone them for your GitHub account.

Connecting Your Computer with GitHub-Part Two

Sarah Bartley Dye — Mon, 19 Jan 2026 16:25:31 +0000

Now that you are connected to GitHub, the rest of this Skillcrush 105 lesson talks about everything you can do with this new connection you just created. This means you can work with any repository you find on GitHub. You can now add repositories to your new account.

This lesson talks about a few different commands, such as forking, cloning, and modifying repos. These actions are what developers use to add repos. This means that at the end of this lesson, Skillcrush students push their first repo to GitHub.

Today's post is part two and will focus on forking. Skillcrush students learn what forking is and how developers might use it when they are on GitHub. They walk students through the steps for forking their first repo.

What is forking?

Forking might sound a little bit strange. It did to me when I first heard about this command. When you are working in Git, forking is how developers connect computers to GitHub.

A fork on GitHub means that developers are connecting their computers to GitHub. When people make copies of a paper, a copy machine will make a copy of that paper. This is similar to how a fork works on GitHub.

The computer can make a copy of the GitHub user’s repo. Unlike real-life copy machines, computers can take that copy and replicate it to the GitHub account. That replicated repo will remain connected to the original one that the computer made.

Skillcrush explains this better than I can. They tell students to imagine they are helping a friend with their code. Chances are, when you help a friend, you will create a copy for yourself.

This way, you can make changes without impacting the original. That also means avoiding confusion as well as less stress and work in the future. That is why developers fork a repo.

Before you start to fork repos on GitHub, there is one thing you need to remember. You can only fork repos on GitHub. It will not work if you are trying to do this on the command line.

Therefore, double-check that you are on GitHub when you want to fork a repo. You will use the command line later, but always check where you are starting when you are working with Git and Github.

How to fork a repository on GitHub

Step One: Always double-check where you are. Are you on GitHub? If not, go to GitHub and make sure you are logged in.

Once you are logged in, find a repo you want to copy. Use the search bar at the top to find any repository you want.

Step Two: Now that you have a repo you'd like to copy, go to the top right corner of GitHub. Find a button called fork.

Step Three: When you press the fork button, GitHub will ask you if you want to copy all the branches or just your main branch. This will depend on what you want.

If you just want the main branch, check the option “Copy the main branch only”.
If you want to copy all the branches, remove the check.

Step Four: When you are ready, click the button that says Create Fork. GitHub will create a copy of the repository. That copy can be found on your GitHub account.

Connecting Your Computer to GitHub - Part One

Sarah Bartley Dye — Mon, 12 Jan 2026 16:33:15 +0000

You now have a brand-new GitHub account. Let’s start using it. The next lesson in Skillcrush 105 is about connecting your GitHub account to your computer, allowing you to access any repository from the command line.

Today’s lesson is about connecting your computer to your GitHub account. It also introduces forking, cloning, and pushing repos. There’s a lot of information in this lesson, so I’m splitting it into multiple posts.

Part one will focus on SSH and using it to connect to GitHub. The next few posts will concentrate on everything you can do after GitHub has been set up. This will guide you through steps such as forking, cloning, and modifying a repository.

Why would I want to connect my computer to GitHub?

Accessing any GitHub repo from the command line is a highly desired skill for many employers. Many job postings will even put GitHub as one of their requirements for a position. When I began interviewing for jobs, many employers mentioned that they use GitHub or an alternative to GitHub for their code repositories.

What makes this a desired skill is that it makes it so much easier for developers to work with each other on projects. They can stay up to date on the files and share what they are working on with team members. Everyone on a developer team can use some of the git commands you’ve been learning to push and pull information to the repo, so the entire team is up to date on what is happening in the project code.

This makes GitHub very similar to Google Drive. Google Drive makes it possible for team members to share each other’s writing, make copies, and comment on files. As long as team members have a link that grants them access to edit and make comments, they can work on the same project from anywhere in the world.

Another perk of having this connection is that GitHub is another great place for backing up any projects. Developers can push changes to GitHub. If something happens to their computer and they can lose their files, they can download or pull code from GitHub from the latest version they were working on.

GitHub comes in handy in future Skillcrush lessons. If Skillcrush students wanted to learn WordPress next, GitHub was frequently mentioned in these lessons for backing up site files and getting access to project files a client might have. Any developers who want to freelance in the future will be seeing SSH and using the commands in this lesson.

What is SSH?

Before you can connect your computer to GitHub, Skillcrush takes a few minutes to talk about Secure Shell (SSH). SSH is going to play an important part in working with GitHub, so you’ll be using SSH not only for connecting your repo, but with forking and cloning repos you will be doing in part two. Secure Shell (SSH) is “the protocol that makes a shared connection between computers”.

Skillcrush says that this is what creates the connection your computer and GitHub will share. To create this connection, Secure Shell uses an SSH helper program that is built into the command line. Secure Shell might sound very fancy, but the best news about SSH is that you just need to set it up once.

After it is set up, you’ll be able to get any content from GitHub you want as long as it is on your computer. However, SSH is specific to every computer, so if you get a brand new computer, you’ll need to set up SSH again. Skillcrush reassures students that SSH is very secure.

Secure Shell encrypts your data or changes it into a secret code that only the computer and GitHub understand. Secure Shell does this by sharing an SSH key pair between your computer and your GitHub account. This lesson tells students that the SSH key is like an answer key for a test.

The SSH key lets the computer and GitHub change data into a secret code, then revert the code into original data. That means a computer can turn data into a secret code. The code gets sent to GitHub. GitHub receives the code and will turn the code into the original data.

How to Use Secure Shell (SSH) to Connect to Your Computer to GitHub

Now that students know a little bit about SSH and how it works, they are ready to use it to create a connection between the computer and GitHub. It doesn’t matter if you have a PC or a Mac for this challenge. Skillcrush provides both, depending on what type of computer you have.

Step One: Open your command line. PC users will open Git Bash. Mac users will open the terminal.

Regardless of what command line you use, type cd ~ to go to your home directory. Type pwd command to check if you are in your home directory. You will know you are in your home directory if you see the following:

/c/Users/Sarah (PC)
/users/Sarah (Mac)

Step Two: You are going to create an SSH directory. Type mkdir .ssh command into the command line. Use the cd command after that to go into the new directory you made.

Step Three: Now create your SSH key pair. Type the following command in your command line. Skillcrush reminds students to replace the your_email placeholder with your email.

ssh-keygen -t rsa -C "your_email@your_domain.com"  in the command line.

Step Four: After you press the Enter key, the computer will receive a message saying something like this:

Generating public/private rsa key pair.
# Enter file in which to save the key (/Users/you/.ssh/id_rsa

This message is just checking to see if the location to save the key pair is correct. This location will work just fine, so press Enter.

Step Five: The computer will ask you for a passphrase. Type in the phrase you want. As you type your passphrase, you won’t see anything on the command line.

Computers do this for security purposes. Save your passphrase somewhere safe. Press Enter when you are ready.

The computer will finish creating your SSH keys. Your key pairs are ready. Let's add the keys to the SSH agent.

Your computer will use this key every time you need to communicate with the SSH.

PC user = You will see a message on the command line such as agent pid XXXX. When you see this message, you will need to put the following message:

eval “$(ssh agent -s)”

Mac user = You will need to type the following message in the terminal. You will need to run this command every time you update your operating system or restart your computer to autofill the passphrase when pushing things to GitHub.

ssh-add —aple-use-keychain ~/.ssh/id_rsa

Step Six: We need to copy-paste the public key from the command line. You can copy the public key with the code below. You won’t see any response letting you know the code has been copied, but your SSH key has been copied.

PC Users = You will use the command below:

clip < ~/.ssh/id_rsa.pub

Mac Users = You will use the command below.

pbcopy < ~/.ssh/id_rsa.pub.

Step Seven: Go back to GitHub. Click the profile icon in the top right corner. Click on settings. Look for SSH and GPG keys on the left sidebar menu and click them.

Click New SSH Key in the top right corner. Name your key. Paste the key you copied earlier here.

The key will be made up of letters, numbers, and characters. Click Add SSH Key Button when you are done.

Note: Naming your key is very important because keys are connected to specific computers. So be descriptive with the name as much as possible.

Step Eight: Go back to the command line. Type the following command in Git Bash/Terminal to check if the computer is connected to GitHub.

ssh -T git@github.com

You will get a message like this in the command line below. Ignore this message. It is just saying that you don’t have full access to GitHub’s server.

The authenticity of host 'github.com (207.97.227.239)' can't be established.
# RSA key fingerprint is 16:27:ac:a5:76:28:2d:36:63:1b:56:4d:eb:df:a6:48.
# Are you sure you want to continue connecting (yes/no)?

Type yes and press Enter. You will get another message that looks like this.

Hi username! You've successfully authenticated, but GitHub does not provide shell access.

Congratulations! You are now authenticated with GitHub. That means your computer and GitHub are connected.

New Year, New Habits: My 2026 Plan

Sarah Bartley Dye — Tue, 06 Jan 2026 19:40:07 +0000

2026 isn’t just a brand-new year. It is a blank canvas ready to become a new design full of possibilities. It also marks the beginning of a new phase in my life.

I’ll be turning 40 next month and will be entering middle age. 40 means different things for people, so it can create a very strong reaction. Some see it for all the possibilities it brings, while others see it as "The End" written at the end of a book.

Now that 2026 has started, I’ve been thinking a lot about habits. A new year is another chance to build the best version of ourselves. We can reflect and analyze everything we are doing now and what vision we have for the next 365 days.

This year, I want to focus on the things I can control and change. It will be less goal-setting and more on my vision for this next part of my life. I will examine the habits I already have, the ones I need to improve, and the new ones I want to adopt.

Today’s post is creating a plan for 2026. I will be looking at what habits I'll be building in six different areas. I like the progress updates I did in June and December in 2025, so you’ll see those again this year with updates on how everything is going and what changes I’ll be trying.

Coding

There won’t be any new projects or new programming languages this year. The only coding I’ll be doing is for Coding with Kids and any classes I teach. My class load isn’t finalized yet and will change throughout 2026, but I will still be teaching Python or Scratch to kids.

While there won’t be anything new in this area of my life, I will be revisiting past projects I’ve made. I’ll be fixing code, updating the code, and deciding which ones get archived. The ones I’m most proud of will be going on the LinkedIn Projects section on my LinkedIn profile.

Code may sound like it is being put on the back burner, but it is still an important part of my life and is part of what shapes who I am. I’m hoping that in 2026, I’ll explore more of the coding tools and software developers can use to help them write code. I especially want to learn more about AI and get more comfortable using ChatGPT.

Writing

This one might seem like I’m cheating a little bit since I started writing again last year. However, this one is more maintenance and making sure this habit continues strong. Right now, I write a little bit every day for 25 minutes using the Cuckoo pomodoro timer from the Job Hunt Virtual Coffee group.

I don’t know how many posts will be published in 2026 because I am still writing. New posts will be coming. Last year, I went through all the series I have set up on DEV and identified which ones will continue and which ones will remain unfinished.

Posts aren’t the only writing I want to do in 2026. I have so many empty journals that I haven’t gotten around to using yet. I’d like to get back to journaling again.

I have many prompts saved on Pinterest or in my old bullet journal that I’d like to write about. I’ve been exploring other Forem communities besides DEV, and I would like to try publishing posts there as well. I’m not sure what topics I would write about yet, so I’ll begin brainstorming potential ideas that could lead to future posts.

Learning

Learning new skills and concepts is a big part of creating a better version of ourselves. Last year, I got a library card from my local library and started using their online resources. I spent a lot of time on LinkedIn Learning and have been working on getting certifications for data analysis and project management.

I will be taking those exams in 2026 to see if I get certified, but I am planning on exploring more LinkedIn Learning courses. I am still going to continue learning Korean, but this year I will be using only Drops.

Professional Development

I’m back on the job search, but I would classify myself as a casual job seeker. I’ll continue to look at job postings and apply for jobs that are the right fit for me. I plan on attending the Job Hunt event again in 2026 to get more support with the job search.

However, no one completely knows what the job market is going to be like in 2026. I’ve been thinking about exploring other side project ideas that can supplement what I already do with Coding with Kids. This could me going back to freelancing, writing an e-book, or creating a YouTube channel.

One habit that will continue throughout 2026 is networking. I like to hang out in the Virtual Coffee Slack, but I’d like to step outside my comfort zone and explore other Slack groups I am a member of. I’ll be going through those Slack groups, Discord servers, and Facebook groups to see which ones I want to still be a member of and which ones I can leave.

Adulting

Adulting is one area I specifically want to be better at. I particularly want to be better at cleaning and cooking. During 2026, I will be trying to set a weekly cleaning schedule that has a to-do list of what needs to be done in each room of my apartment.

Self Care

2026 will be about getting back to the things that give me true joy and finding the right balance between adulting, work, and self-care. I will be returning to crafting in 2026 and plan on finishing the tree skirt. I realized during the November Creative Community Challenge, I didn’t like crafting every single day.

I will schedule days to craft each week so I can work on a craft project. As I work on crafting, I’ll continue to use the Focus Friend app and will be listening to podcasts. I’ll finish listening to Code Newbie as well as listening to The Diary of a Ceo and Mel Robbins.

I haven’t been doing a lot of reading over the past few years, so this year I’m going to try reading a little bit every day. I have a mix of reading apps and books I’ll be working my way through, so I’ll be reading something every day.

Back to Basics 2025 Wrapped

Sarah Bartley Dye — Mon, 15 Dec 2025 16:06:38 +0000

December is here. That means 2025 is almost done. I’m wrapping up 2025 by looking at the past 6 months to see how the goals for the second half of the year have been going.

Back in June, I set new goals for everything I wanted to work on during the second half of the year. You can see how 2025 has been so far by reading the last Back to Basics post I published in June below. Today, I will do a progress check on the goals I set in that post and share how things have been going in the second half of the year. I

Sarah Bartley Dye

Jun 1 '25

Back to Basics 2025: Progress Check Up

#newyearchallenge #career #careerdevelopment #beginners

Comments 1

5 min read

This post won’t just be a wrap-up of 2025. The next post will look ahead to 2026 and set up a plan for how I'll approach the new year.

How did the rest of 2025 go?

As 2025 wraps up, the past six months have been a bit of a roller coaster. While life is made up of equal ups and downs, the last six months haven’t had many highs and very deep lows. Although there weren’t many big highs, there were many small victories.

These small wins helped immensely during this part of the year. During this half of the year, I found myself stopping what I was doing and evaluating what was going on. After taking time to look around, I felt like I was digging a deeper hole that wasn’t going anywhere.

So I began pivoting over the last 3-4 months in different areas of my life and changing where I am putting my focus. These days, I’ve been getting into my head a lot more by thinking about what is next for me, what I’m doing now, and what I need. Time is very precious, so every moment matters.

I began to look closely at how I spend my time and what I can do to make the most out of each day. I’m still in my thoughtful mood as 2025 comes to a close. I have been looking at every aspect of my life, from what I do each day, what brings me joy, and what the next section of my life should be like.

Although 2025 isn’t done yet, here’s how the goals for the second half of 2025 are going.

Writing

A writing habit is starting to take shape. I write almost every day for at least 25 minutes. I use the Cuckoo tool from the Job Hunt group in Virtual Coffee to write, edit, and publish posts.

I was pretty consistent by publishing once a week for a bit. However, I haven’t published anything new lately. There might not be any new posts, but I am still writing and am working on posts.
Some series are finished. The CNC2018 Get a Job series was finished in June. There are some series I won’t be able to finish, and one series will completely get a redo in the future.

Coding

Most of the coding I’m doing these days is for Coding with Kids. I have 4 classes at the time this post is being published (2 Level M and 2 Level 2). That means there haven’t been any new projects.

I completed the Introduction to Java and Coding for Data courses on SoloLearn. I’m putting a new coding language on the back burner for now and focusing on the languages I do know instead.
I’ve been spending my time using LinkedIn Learning, exploring data analytics, and project management. I’ve finally gotten around to learning Agile and Scrum, two skills I’ve been meaning to learn for many years.

Professional Development

There was a good start on networking. I was attending Job Hunt and Feeling Fridays on the Virtual Coffee Slack for a bit. I attended my first two sessions in the co-working room in Virtual Coffee last month and was able to attend one Thursday afternoon chat back in October.

I applied for over a hundred jobs, but mostly got rejection emails or was ghosted. I did get one interview and received a job offer the next day. After giving it much thought, I turned it down.

I gave up on the technical post and podcast episode goal. I’m really bad when it comes to listening to podcasts.
I was able to update my resume, LinkedIn, and portfolio. My portfolio switched from Bootstrap to Bulma. Portfolio branding also received some updates. All social media has been updated.
I post on LinkedIn once a week. Alex Curtis-Slep gave me some great tips during job hunt meetups about LinkedIn. I’ve been using his tips to be more active on the platform.

Crafting

I’m slowly making progress on the tree. I managed to finish one section of the skirt and have started making elements for the next part. I participated in the Creative Community Challenge on Virtual Coffee last month

The challenge helped me make crafting a habit again. I was planning on doing a little bit of crafting every day during the challenge, but I had to stop when I got sick. I was able to complete 18 days despite it all.

I’m starting to make crafting a part of my life again. Kirk Shillingford recommended the Focus Fried pomodoro clock in the Thursday chat. This app made a big difference during the challenge.

Introduction to Python Module Three Part Three: Conditionals

Sarah Bartley Dye — Mon, 03 Nov 2025 16:35:35 +0000

There is one more topic to cover from the Introduction to Python's module three. The final topic in this module is conditionals. Today's post will explain why conditionals are important in programming and how to create different kinds of conditionals in Python. By the end of this post, you'll learn how to make each type of conditional statement and use some of the best practice guidelines to help you along the way.

What is a conditional statement?

When developers discuss conditionals, they are referring to making decisions. Computers must make numerous decisions, and they must do so quickly. Conditional statements help the computer accomplish this.

The way people make decisions is very similar to how computers make decisions. For example, people look at the weather to decide what they need before stepping outside. The forecast helps people make multiple decisions quickly.

If the forecast predicts rain, a person might want to take an umbrella. However, a forecast that predicts snow will encourage a person to bundle up completely. A forecast that predicts warm, sunny weather will encourage someone to pack sunglasses.

These kinds of decisions are encountered by computers every day in large quantities. To make lots of decisions quickly, they need to look at the conditions for each decision. The condition determines if the computer runs the actions or ignore them.

If a condition is true, the computer will run the actions that need to be performed. However, a false condition tells the computer to ignore the actions. It will move on to the next decision that needs to be made.

Conditionals are an example of selection. Think of them as the digital crossroads computers encounter as they go through their to-do lists. Conditionals depend on three statement types. They are:

if statement
if-else statements
if-elif-else statement

If Statements

The first statement you need to learn is an if statement. The if-statement is level 1 of the conditional statements because it makes only one decision. The computer checks if the condition is true and will run the code in a sequence.

If the condition is false, the computer will ignore the code and just move to the rest of the program. To create an if statement, you begin with an if keyword. The if keyword lets the computer know you are about to create a conditional statement.

Next, put your condition. Once you are have finished your condition, put a colon at the end. Press Enter so you are on the next line.

Underneath your conditional statement, put any code that you would like to run if this condition is true. Make sure you indent this code before you start typing. Your code might look like this code sample below.

temp = 40
if temp == 40
    print("Time for fall! Is Linus still waiting on the Great Pumpkin?")

This code sample has an example of an if statement. There is a variable with a string assigned to it. On the second line of the code is an if statement that checks if the temp is 40. If it is true, the code on the third line will run. If the temp is false, the code in this if statement won't run.

If-Else statement

The if-else statement is the level 2 of the conditional statement. You still have an if statement. The big difference is the else condition.

When the first condition is false in an if-else statement, the else statement is a second condition developers can use to add another condition to their code. If the first condition is false, the computer will automatically run the else code before continuing with the rest of the program. Sometimes you won't need an else statement so you can use an if statement or simplify your code to one line.

To create an if-else statement, create the if statement just like the example in the if-statement section. After you finish writing the code that will run if the first condition is true, press Enter so you are staring a brand new line.

Before you start typing, make sure you backspace so there is no indent. Next, put the else keyword. This tells the computer you are creating another condition. After the else keyword, put a colon.

Press Enter again so you are on a brand new line. Indent your code and type out the code you want the computer to run. Your code will look like this code sample underneath.

temp = 25
if temp == 40:
    print("Time for fall! Is Linus still waiting on the Great Pumpkin?")
else:
    print("Let it is snow and drink some hot cocoa!")

I added an else statement from the code I had earlier and changed the value assigned to the temp variable. When the computer runs this code, it will check the first condition to see if the temp variable is equal to 40. The variable's value is 25, making the first condition false.

The computer will ignore the first condition's code and move to the else statement. It will run the string inside the else condition in the console.

If-Elif-Else

Do you have multiple conditions for one decision? Level 3 of the conditional statements is the if-elif-else statement. This conditional statement allows developers to create multiple conditions when the first condition is false.

To create an if-elif-else statement, start by creating an if-else statement just like the example above. After you write the code, the first condition needs to run. Press the Enter key.

On this new life, backspace so you aren't indenting. Put the elif keyword. Elif is a shorter way of saying else if. It tells the computer we are going to check another condition.

After the elif keyword, put the condition you want the computer to check. Once you have finished writing your condition, end with a colon. Then press Enter to go to the next line.

On this new line, indent your code. Then add the code you want the computer to run if this condition is true. Press Enter when you are done.

If you have multiple conditions you need to check, create more elif statements in the same format. Just make sure you use elif when you start each statement. Here's how an elif statement is added to the code sample you have seen in the previous two levels.

temp = 80

if temp == 40:
    print("Time for fall! Is Linus still waiting on the Great Pumpkin?")
elif temp == 80:
    print("It is summertime! Pull out those sunglasses."
else:
    print("Let it is snow and drink some hot cocoa!")

This code sample keeps the original if and else statements from the previous levels. The new addition is the elif statement in between them. The elif statement has the condition after the elif keyword with the colon.

The line after the elif statement is indented, letting the computer know this code needs to run if the condition is true. This code will print a string if the condition is true.

Indent carefully!

Indentation isn't just important for functions and loops. Indentation impacts conditionals, too. If a developer indents incorrectly, the code won't work.

As you create conditional statements, make sure the code inside the if-statement, if-else statements, and if-elif-else statements is indented. When you indent your code, make sure you press the tab key and not the space bar. When you finish writing your conditional statements, always double-check your indentation to see if you missed anything.

Indentation is very important as you start creating nested conditionals. Nested conditionals are conditional statements inside another conditional statement. This means you might be able to have an if-else statement inside another if-else statement.

x = 20
if x < 50:
    if x < 40:
        print("Hello World")
    else:
        print("We're less than 50")
else:
    print("The number is greater than 50")

This code sample is an example of a nested conditional. Look closely at the if statement. Inside, you'll see another if-else statement.

There is a lot of indentation in this code to make sure the right code will run for the right conditions. If the code wasn't indented correctly, the computer would assume the code goes in another condition or was outside of certain statements. That would mess up any decisions the computer would be making when you run the program.

Pay attention to your sequence!

Sequence is just as important as good indentation. The way you order your code is important in creating good conditionals. This means you structure your code correctly when creating if, if-else, and if-elif-else statements.

When you create a conditional statement, you always start with one if statement. This is the first condition. If you want multiple conditions, you need to use elif followed by the condition you are checking for.

Your last condition should use the else keyword. The else keyword doesn't need a condition, so you just need to put your colon. You don't want to start a conditional with an else statement.

Here's another code sample of how good a sequence looks in a conditional statement. There is an if statement at the start of the code, and there are elif statements when the computer needs to check multiple conditions. At the end is an else statement.

x = 12
if x == 25:
    print("The number is 25")
elif x < 25: 
    print("The number is less than 25")
elif x > 25: 
    print("The number is greater than 25")
else:
    print("Is this a number?"

Your program might not need multiple conditions you don't need elif or else statements if you don't need them. The key thing to remember is how you organize your conditional statement the way the computer will understand and run your code.

Take advantage of the comparison and logical operators.

Developers often use comparison and logical operators when they are creating conditional statements. As programs try to solve more real-life problems, there is a lot of logic that goes into making these programs possible. To make these programs, comparison and logical operators can be used to create the conditions that computers are deciding on.

x = 10
if x > 10 and x != 10:
    print("Try again")
elif x < 10 or x != 10:
    print("Keep trying!")
elif x == 10:
    print("Correct")
else:
    print("Game not working!")

This code sample uses comparison and logical operators as part of the code. Look closely at the if statement and the first elif statement. The if statement will only be true if both conditions are true, while the first elif statement only needs one of the conditions to be true to run the code.

Conclusion

That's a wrap on module three. Conditionals and loops are two important programming concepts that will help you as you continue to code in Python. Now you know how both concepts work in programming and how to create both in Python.

Module four is coming up next. The theme of module four is working with lists. This is the module where you'll learn how to create lists, indexing, and slicing.

Introduction to Python Module Three Part Two: Loops

Sarah Bartley Dye — Mon, 27 Oct 2025 15:05:22 +0000

Introduction to Python continues with Module Three, starting with loops. SoloLearn will only focus on two loops, but I teach three loops to Level M students at Coding with Kids. Today's post will show you for, while, and for each loops.

By the end of this post, you will have a better understanding of loops and why they are important in code. You will be able to create each type of loop in your code. Next week, the third part of this module will discuss conditionals.

Iteration Review

Before diving into all of these loops, let's take a minute to expand on iteration. Iteration is a part of good control flow. Iterations solve real problems by combining comparison operations and iterations.

Looping is the most popular example of iteration. SoloLearn describes iteration as automating the tasks that need to be repeated. In real life, people see assembly lines made of different stations that repeat tasks to create a final product.

For example, if you went to a pizza shop, some stations repeat parts of a pizza over and over again. You might find:

areas for making dough
putting the entire pizza together. These could be stations for sauce and putting on all the pizza toppings
an area near the oven where someone manages what pizzas are coming in and out of the oven.
an area for taking pizzas and putting them into boxes so they are out for delivery or pick up.
dishwashing area that cleans pans and equipment needed for other stations.

Computers have many imaginary assembly lines, like the pizza shop, that repeat lots of different tasks. They have a lot of things that they are trying to do, so repeating tasks need to be simple, fast, and have no errors. That also means less work for you because you will have less code to write.

Level M students see this by looking at examples where there is code with no iteration and one with it to decide which one they prefer. Using iteration helps you write code only once, and having the computer repeat it for you instead of you copying and pasting the same code over and over again.

While Loops

The first loop you need to learn is the while loop. It is the first loop that Level M students learn when they start learning about Python. While loops repeat only if a condition is true.

Once the condition of the loop becomes false, the loop stops. To create a while loop, start with the while keyword. Next, put your condition.

This condition will be true and keep the loop repeating. Finally, you put your colon.

i = 0

while i < 5:
  print(i)
  i = i + 1

This code sample has a variable with an integer assigned to it. Underneath is a while loop that will run if i is less than 5, followed by a colon. As this condition is true, it will print i and update the counter variable by adding one. When this condition becomes false, the loop will stop.

For Loops

The second loop you will use often in code is for loops. A for loop repeats code for a specific number of times. To create a for loop, you begin with the for keyword.

Next, you put a counter variable. This will keep track of the iterations you make or how many times you repeat your code. After that, you put the range function.

The range function tells the computer how many times it needs to repeat the code. Put a number in parentheses. Finally, close the parentheses and put the colons.

for x in range(10):
  print("Couch!")

This code sample features a for loop. After the for keyword, there is the x counter variable to track the iterations. The range function is going to repeat 10 times. Underneath the for loop, the code indented inside will print a text.

For Each Loops

A for each loop is another kind of for loop, but this loop isn't covered in this course. When I teach Level M students, for each loops are part of the curriculum and act differently from a for loop. So I'm giving them a separate section.

A for each loop still has some similarities with a for loop as it iterates through things and uses the for keyword. However, the big difference is that for each loop goes through the elements of a list or an array. You can see them when a program needs to iterate through data structures (i.e. lists, arrays, dictionaries).

To create a for each loop, you start with the for keyword. Next, you will create a temporary variable. This will hold the values for the data structre being looped through.

Temporary variables give loops a chance to check the changes being made. They can even delete values. SoloLearn encourages students to think of them as a temporary name being used to access each element in a data structure.

After the temporary variable, put the in keyword followed by the data structure you will be looping through. The data structure is the structure holding the values that the computer needs to look at.

for sprite in sprite_list:
  sprite.set_x(random.randint(-220, 220))
  sprite.set_y(random.randint(-220, 220))

This code sample is an example of a for-each loop that Level M students create in one of their games. This for each loops start the same as a for loop with the for keyword. The temporary variable in this code is sprite.

After “in”, this loop will iterate through a list called sprite_list. Indented on the next two lines is the code that will be repeated. In this sample, the code will set the x and y for the sprite by randomly picking a number between -220 and 220.

Best Practice for Loops

Now that you know how to create each type of loop, let's talk about some best practices you need to keep in mind as you work with this concept.

Indentation

Indentation is something every developer needs to be careful with since it can create big problems in code. Pay attention to how you indent your code. Indenting incorrectly can confuse the computer and create errors because the computer will assume the code might not be inside or outside a loop.

Loops can repeat multiple statements. They all need to be indented. As you make loops in your code, make sure the code that needs to be repeated is inside the loop.

That means you will need to indent your code. Anything that isn’t going to be repeated doesn’t need to be indented and goes outside of your loop. After the loop is finished, the computer will continue to execute statements in sequence.

game_over = True
score = 0
player_one = codesters.Sprite("person1")
player_two = codesters.Sprite("person2")

while game_over = False:
  # code for loop goes inside. 
  print("Hello World")

function greeting():
  # function code goes inside
  print("This is a function")
greeting()

The code sample above showed some variables, a function, and a while loop. The print statement inside the while loop is indented, telling the computer that this code needs to be repeated inside the loop. When I start my function at the bottom, the function is not indented, so it isn’t inside the loop.

A common mistake new developers make with indenting their code is using the space bar. Avoid this in your code. You will want to use the tab key to make sure you indent correctly.

Indentations are the spaces at the beginning of the lines. Python isn’t picky about how many spaces you use. You can use 2 or 4 spaces, depending on your needs. You just need to make sure you are consistent.

Level M students use Codesters to get their feet wet in Python. One of the nice things about Codesters is that it includes color guides to help students double-check their indentation. As they indent their code, the text editor creates colorful bars to show students what goes inside a loop or function. Your editor might not include a color guide like Codesters, but I still encourage Coding with Kids students to double-check how they are indenting their code.

Colons and Counter Variables

Colons and counter variables play an important part in setting up while and for loops. The colon is the last thing you need to add when you set up a loop. When you press Enter in your text editor, some will immediately start indenting your code because they know you are creating a loop.

If your text editor doesn't do this, you will still need to indent your code. For loops and while loops both use counter variables to keep track of how many times the code is being repeated. Every time the loop repeats, the counter variable will update in each iteration. When developers initialize (set up) code, they will set a value outside the loop for where the loop should begin.

When should I use a for loop or a while loop?

It can be tough knowing when to best use a for loop or a while loop. However, SoloLearn tells students to think about the iterations. If you know how many iterations you need to do, a for loop would work best for you.

If you don't know how many iterations you need to make, a while loop works the best. For example, a developer might want to use a while loop to ask a user to enter a password correctly. If you have to print a label for 50 items, a for loop would work best for you.

Beware Infinite Loops!

One of the things you will often hear about loops is the dreaded infinite loop. Infinite loops are common in loops, but they can create big problems in your code. Infinite loops happen when the condition remains true forever, so it never stops repeating.

That might sound like a good thing, but infinite loops are bad in code because they can break your program. So you will want to be careful when to use a while loop.