Learn programming online for free
There are thousands of free online tutorials for learning programming on the Internet. The selection of programming languages and script languages is just as large, which are more or less suitable depending on the application. First of all, you should ask yourself the question: what do I want to program?
Programming websites and web applications: these languages are suitable for this
If you are primarily interested in designing websites, you are well advised to start with classic HTML and CSS.
- HTML and CSS form the basic structure of a website. With HTML you build the elements of a page and with CSS you give them position, color and other design properties. You can use it to program simple, functioning websites. HTML 5 can do even more. Although the language is still in development, you can use it to integrate video and audio and display dynamic graphics that are otherwise more likely to be done with Flash.
- If you want to create websites that should be more than just a representation of static texts and images, then you should look at simple script languages. For example, it is common to make HTML pages dynamic with JavaScript. With JavaScript you can, for example, automatically adjust the size of your HMTL page to the browser or program an image gallery.
- Would you like to program forum pages or company portals? Even if you find the development for content management systems such as WordPress or Joomla exciting, PHP and SQL must not be missing in your vocabulary.
This is just a small selection of all languages for the web area. Comprehensive documentation and tutorials for all of the languages mentioned can be found at w3schools.com in English. You should also make friends with it, because you can find most of the information in English on the Internet. If you prefer to learn it in German, the SelfHTML page is a good reference for everything related to HTML, CSS and some JavaScript. You can find many PHP tutorials on YouTube, for example.
Learn programming in a playful way online
The online portal code.org is ideal for absolute beginners. Here you play through a tutorial that deals with the graphics of well-known games such as Angry Birds or Plants vs. Served zombies. In the online course you learn above all the logic of programming by solving tasks in a playful manner and optionally being able to view the program code of your clicked-on solution.
- You don't have to register at code.org. However, it is advisable to register, as you can then save your progress.
- Code.org is only intended for absolute beginners, as the logic and understanding of coding are conveyed.
Programming applications: C ++ and Java to get you started
Applications sound very dry, but games, image editing programs and apps also fall under this term.
- C, C ++ and Java are good for getting started. Their syntax, roughly the spelling, is very similar and easy to learn. A video tutorial with manual for C can be found at c-howto.de. On the highscore.de site there are some good books and articles on C ++, Java and C # (pronounced C-Sharp). Although these are not based on the very latest versions, they do provide a far-reaching overview for entry into programming.
- You can program apps for iOS and OS X using Cocoa. Cocoa is not a language, but a programming interface for Apple's Mac OS X. You use Cocoa together with the Interface Builder from Apple and with the tool Xcode. Programming is done in Objective C or some other languages.
- Android apps are usually written in Java. You need Android Studio and the Java Development Kit from Oracle. By the way, you will find another practical tip on how to create your own Android app.
- If you later want to use the programming to control robots or devices, you can include this right from the start. With the help of Lego Mindstorms, many students have already learned programming. The simple Arduino control board also teaches programming with a simple language for controlling electronic circuits.
CHIP job market
In our CHIP job market you will find thousands of current jobs in the digital world. Whether as a software developer or marketing expert, at Microsoft or Amazon - we cover the entire breadth of the German tech world. And if you want to start one of these jobs as a career changer, distance learning is worthwhile. Request an information brochure about the current distance learning courses from ILS, Germany's largest distance learning school.
If you want to start now, look for a suitable editor for programming. For Windows there is for example Notepad ++, for Mac Ultra Edit. Both emphasize the syntax of the programming language used, so you keep an overview. In another article you will get some tips for getting started.