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Web Development |
Welcome to the Web Development Program |
Web Development |
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web/Module-1 |
👋 Welcome to the Web Development Program at Code Academy Berlin!
Consistency is very important when you are learning a new language. We recommend committing to code every day. It may be hard to believe, but muscle memory plays a large part in programming. Committing to coding every day will help develop that muscle memory. Though it may seem daunting at first, consider starting small with 25 minutes every day and working your way up from there.
As you progress on your journey as a new programmer, you may wonder if you should be taking notes. Yes, you should! Research suggests that taking notes by hand is most beneficial for long-term retention. This will be especially beneficial for those working towards the goal of becoming a full-time developer, as many interviews will involve writing code on a whiteboard.
Once you start working on small projects and programs, writing by hand can also help you plan your code before you move to the computer. You can save a lot of time if you write out which functions and classes you will need, as well as how they will interact.
When you are learning, it is important to step away and absorb the concepts. The Pomodoro Technique is widely used and can help: you work for 25 minutes, take a short break, and then repeat the process. Taking breaks is critical to having an effective study session, particularly when you are taking in a lot of new information.
Breaks are especially important when you are debugging. If you hit a bug and can’t quite figure out what is going wrong, take a break. Step away from your computer, go for a walk, or chat with a friend.
In programming, your code must follow the rules of a language and logic exactly, so even missing a quotation mark will break everything. Fresh eyes make a big difference.
Though coding may seem like a solitary activity, it works best when you work together. It is extremely important when you are learning to code that you surround yourself with other people who are learning as well. This will allow you to share the tips and tricks you learn along the way.
Pair programming is a technique that involves two developers working at one workstation to complete a task. The two developers switch between being the “driver” and the “navigator.” The “driver” writes the code, while the “navigator” helps guide the problem-solving and reviews the code as it is written. Switch frequently to get the benefit of both sides.
Pair programming has many benefits: it gives you a chance to not only have someone review your code, but also see how someone else might be thinking about a problem. Being exposed to multiple ideas and ways of thinking will help you with problem solving when you got back to coding on your own.
People always say there is no such thing as a bad question, but when it comes to programming, it is possible to ask a question badly. When you are asking for help from someone who has little or no context on the problem you are trying to solve, its best to ask GOOD questions by following this acronym:
G: Give context on what you are trying to do, learn how to describe the problem for your mentor.
O: Outline the things you have already tried to fix the issue.
O: Offer your analysis before asking your mentor. This helps the person who is helping you to not only know what you are thinking but also know that you have done some thinking on your own.
D: Demo what is happening. Include the code, a trace back error message, and an explanation of the steps you executed that resulted in the error.
This way, the person helping does not have to try to recreate the issue. Good questions can save a lot of time. Skipping any of these steps can result in back-and-forth conversations that can cause conflict. As a beginner, you want to make sure you ask good questions so that you practice communicating your thought process, so that people who help you will be happy to continue helping you.