World Book Day

It may feel quite unrelated - computer programming (also known as coding) and books. However, it is books that allow for all these programming marvels. I’m not writing about printed books of course - it’s all about books - widely referred to as documentation available online.

Video by Elen Lackner from Pixabay

Scratch

You may be surprised, but there is a wonderful collection of Scratch documentation dedicated to more advanced users. While Scratch may seem like a toy coding (pun intended - you can literally program LEGO in it), it is a fully fledged programming language. Here, at Educademy our favourite is Scratch Wiki and in particular Other Tutorials which discuss more advanced techniques to use in Scratch.

Python

Python, being one of the most popular programming languages, has an abundance of great online resources. The one that stands out of the crowd is Real Python. However, if you really want to dive deeper into the language and what it can do in real life, check out opensource.com 

JavaScript

JavaScript, being another of the most popular languages, is also very popular on various websites explaining how things work. The trouble is - as JavaScript evolved, a lot of information about it got a little “outdated”. It’s not like a piece of JavaScript from 20 years ago will suddenly stop working. It’s just - this is not how things are done now. And if you want to find out, how it’s done now, head right to javascript.info 

And one website to rule them all

Stack Overflow is the website that consistently shows up at the top of search results. Wonder why? That’s because if there is a question in computer programming worth answering, it has already been asked there.

Which language should you learn in Secondary School?

When you are starting to learn a new programming language in secondary school, or possibly even your first programming language, it can be quite overwhelming with the number of options that you can choose from. There are loads of great options but they all do everything slightly different and have different features and abilities. This blog post should hopefully help you understand these differences so you can make the best choice for yourself!

Python Logo

Python

One of the first languages which usually gets recommended to new programmers is Python, and there is a good reason for this. Python is a great bet if you are new to programming or have learnt Scratch previously, or even if you have experience in other languages. Companies like Google, Spotify and Amazon use Python on a daily basis for various projects. It has a simple and concise syntax, which helps you to learn to program using it faster! Python supports both Procedural and Object-Oriented Programming which allows you to learn two different styles of programming. There are loads of great libraries to use in Python which allows you to do a lot with a small amount of code. Due to Python's concise syntax, it is really great for learning Computer Science concepts as well. Python can be used to build games, websites, machine learning programs and mathematical models as well, so it has a lot of flexibility.

JavaScript Logo

JavaScript

JavaScript is another great choice if you are new to programming. It’s the most popular programming language in the world according to GitHub and is used in most websites we visit, including this one! JavaScript is a lightweight, interpreted, Object-Oriented programming language. One of the best-known uses for the language is being the scripting language for Web pages. It controls the various behaviours of the web pages. By knowing JavaScript you can then use Node.js with a small learning curve. Node.js lets you code JavaScript outside the browser often for server-side scripting. Companies such as Microsoft, Netflix and PayPal use Node.js software on a daily basis, and many popular JavaScript libraries such as React, Vue and Angular use Node.js. Node.js can be used to build dynamic web pages and cross-compatible ios and Android apps.

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C#

C# is an Object-Oriented programming language designed by Microsoft. C# is a great language to learn to program using Object Oriented Principles. It is statically-typed, so the code is checked before it is turned into an application, which makes it easier to find errors. C# can be used to create almost anything but is particularly strong at building Windows desktop applications and games. It is most widely used to create games in the Unity Games Engine, which is the most popular game engine today! This makes C# a great language to learn if you have an interest in the game industry and want to develop your own games.

Hopefully, with this small guide, you can make the best informed decision for yourself and choose the language which is best for you.

Online Summer Coding Camps For Kids And Teens

If you would like to learn how to program in one of these languages join us in one of our Summer Camps.

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References:

http://www.dpaonthenet.net/article/169372/Continuing-coding-education-in-secondary-school.aspx

https://journeyofthegeek.com/2019/01/08/using-python-to-pull-data-from-ms-graph-api-part-2/

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:JavaScript-logo.png

https://seeklogo.com/vector-logo/363285/c-sharp-c

Author: Robert Nimmo