I’ve been a software developer for a few years now and have learned a ton. Like many developers I started out doing everything by hand until I was told about the right tools to use to get my job done faster. In this post, I’m going to cover the best coding software for beginners.
Coding software is a part of every programmer’s life. There are different kinds of coding software available online and offline, but knowing about the best ones will make a big difference.
Sublime Text 3
The best code editor overall – but you’ll have to pay for it
SPECIFICATIONS
Price: $80 (free indefinite preview)Platform: Windows, Mac OS, LinuxDeveloper: Sublime HQTODAY’S BEST DEALSVISIT SITE
Sublime Text really changed the way the best code editors work. It’s lightweight, open and ready to edit your file almost as soon as you’ve managed to click the button. This responsiveness is one of the things that makes it the best code editor in its class overall. If you want to open a file and make a quick edit, waiting a few seconds for loading may not sound like much, but the delay can quickly grow tedious.
Another big benefit of Sublime Text is that it’s wildly extensible, with a huge and ever-growing list of plugins available to install via the package manager. Options include themes to customise the editor’s appearance, code linters (which can assist with more quickly locating any errors in your code), Git plugins, colour pickers, and more.
Sublime Text is free to download and start using, but for extended use you’ll need to shell out $80 for a licence – and the programme will remind you fairly regularly about payment until you cough up. If you decide to pay, you can use the same licence key for any computer you use, so you can enter the same code on all your machines to get rid of the payment reminder popup. The paid licence, however, is perhaps Sublime Text’s biggest downside since there are a number of competitive products available at no cost.
SoloLearn
- Price: Free to download
- In-app purchases: Yes
- Android version: Varies with device
SoloLearn has one of the largest collections of free computer coding and programming content. Whether you are a beginner or an advanced learner, this app has something for everyone. You can learn web development, including HTML5, CSS3, JavaScript, and JQuery, as well as several coding languages such as Python, Java, C, C++, C#, PHP, SQL, Machine Learning, and a lot more. New content is added regularly, so there’s no limit to what you can learn.
A community of friendly coders is there to provide you with all the necessary support to help make you feel at home. You can write and run real code in the app’s mobile code editor. There are also various assignments to test your knowledge. You must receive a passing score to move onto the next chapter of your coding lesson.
ScratchJr
- Price: Free to download
- In-app purchases: No
- Android version: Varies with device
ScratchJr is a drag-and-drop visual programming environment designed to introduce programming skills to kids. There are characters and backgrounds, as well as a kind of programming script in the form of interlocking blocks. These blocks cause the characters to perform certain actions – move, jump, dance, disappear/reappear, and more. Kids can customize colors, add sounds, and created an animated story along the way.
While the interface is designed to appeal to kids, the programming blocks are only explained in the text instructions. So this app requires a lot of guided practice in the beginning. However, once your kids have gotten a grove of it, possibilities are endless and the app is very well-structured to keep your kids engaged for hours.
Udemy
- Price: Free to download
- In-app purchases: Yes
- Android version: 6.0+
Udemy is an online learning platform featuring over 130,000 video courses covering more than 2,000 topics. As far as coding is concerned, you get courses on everything from web development and game development to coding basics and programming languages (Python, Java, JavaScript, Ruby, Swift, C#, and more).
Since Udemy is kind of an online marketplace where experts offer lessons on various topics, teaching styles may differ greatly. We recommend you check previews before enrolling in a paid course. However, having a real person on the other hand does help make learning easier, as you would always get the right answers for your questions.
Once you’ve enrolled in a course on Udemy, you’ll have lifetime access to the content. You can also download the courses for offline access anytime anywhere.
Brackets
Price: Free | Platform: Windows, Mac OS, Linux
One of the best ways to move forward in web development is to unify and create links between design and implementation. Brackets is an editor developed by Adobe for CSS, JavaScript & HTML that aims to do just that. It is a powerful yet lightweight and modern text editor.
The best function that separates Brackets from the rest of the code editors is its remarkable “Extract” feature. This feature allows you to pick colors, measurements, fonts, gradients, etc. from a photoshop file into a ready-for-web CSS.
Key Features:
- Real-time visualization with connection to your browser.
- Lightweight (only 40 MB).
- Clean and minimal user interface, making it easier to write and organize code.
- Code syntax is automatically highlighted.
- Easily customizable being an open-source platform.
- Uses Inline editors for faster access to a particular part of the code.
- Pleasant looking user-interface.
Netbeans
Price: Free | Platform: Windows, Mac OS, Linux
Whether it is for writing PHP, CSS, HTML, or other languages, we all want to have to use only one, a simple-to-use editor which looks great and has good features to boot. If this is what you are looking for, you may find it in Netbeans.
It is an open-source code editor tool for developing applications using many languages. If your applications were developed in the recent past, NetBeans allows you to upgrade all your applications to benefit from the new and improved Java 8 language constructs.
Key Features:
- Powerful debugging options.
- Offers fast and smart code editing.
- Cross-Platform support.
- Static analysis tools.
- Easy & efficient project management.
- Multiple language support.
- Provides expert assistance for optimizing your application’s speed and memory usage.
Read more: Software Requirements Document: Definition, Steps, and Template Included!
Notepad++
Price: Free | Platform: Windows, Linux, and UNIX.
One of the most well-known code editors that developers all over the world have been using for quite a while is Notepad++. It’s far simpler, without too many bells and whistles. Once on your hard drive, the editor only takes up about 4MB. However, it packs a heavy punch in that little space! This code editor has an amazing execution speed, which is great for modern machines.
Notepad++ is jam–packed with standard features and supports more than 50 programmings, scripting, and markup languages, including syntax highlighting and code folding. Users can even define their own, a first among these code editors. It is an easy-to-learn tool for your most basic text editing needs if you’re willing to overlook its outdated look and feel.
Key features:
- Auto-completion: Word completion, Function completion
- Multi-language environment support
- Syntax highlighting
- A lightweight application that launches quickly.
- Supports tabbed editing.
- Collaborative editing
- Auto-saving
Codemurai
Codemurai offers hundreds of bite-sized coding lessons that were created by industry experts on web development, mobile app, and game development. The app has lessons for languages that include HTML, CSS, JavaScript, Python, TypeScript, Angular 2, MongoDB, Node, React, and more. You will learn programming through fun coding challenges and then have the ability to test your knowledge with quizzes.
Mimo
Mimo is a programming app that allows you to develop programming skills that will help you develop an app or a game, make a website or become a hacker. Based on your preferences and interests, you will get a personalized track that will teach you the necessary skills. It’s available for both iOS and Android devices and offers courses in JavaScript, Ruby, Swift, C, C++, and other popular languages.
Grasshopper
Grasshopper is a free iOS and Android app that teaches you how to code through JavaScript puzzles that you have to solve in order to progress. This app is very easy to use as it allows you to use blocks and arrange them in a logical order in order to create a working code. You also get real-time feedback and unlock achievements as you become more proficient.
Programming Hero
Programming Hero is an Android-only app that offers personalized paths towards coding mastery. The emphasis of this app is on making coding fun and it does so through teaching you how to build your own game while learning how to code at the same time. The app also offers forums where you can chat with other app users and exchange knowledge and tips.
Codecademy
Codecademy is one of the most popular free coding websites for beginners. On their platform, you can learn how to program among other technical skills. Its reputation as one of the best free coding websites is well-deserved. Codecademy revolves around interactive learning; that is, you read a little, type your code right into the browser, and see results immediately.
What free coding lessons they offer: HTML & CSS, JavaScript, PHP, Python, Ruby, Angularjs, The Command Line, and more
Read our full Codecademy review here.
2. freeCodeCamp
This free online coding school, created by Quincy Larson, teaches coding first through an established curriculum (approx. 800 hours total), then by giving you hands-on experience working on projects for nonprofits. It’s perfect for learners who want to learn how to code online by getting practical, hands-on experience that will do some good and look impressive on a resume.
Free coding certifications on offer: HTML, CSS, JavaScript, data visualization, DevTools, QA testing, Node.js, React, jQuery, and more
Coursera
Coursera is one of the best places to learn to code for free, with its professional and versatile course options. The site is a large online course library where classes are taught by real university professors. All courses are free of charge, but you have the option to pay for a “Coursera Verified Certificate” (prices range between $30-$100) to prove course completion. Sometimes paying for a certificate also grants access to content not available in the free versions. Coursera also offers “Specializations,” which are collections of courses on a specific topic, typically with a capstone project at the end.
What free coding courses they offer: Many (far beyond your basic coding/computer science topics)
Read our full Coursera review here.
Conclusion
Everyone knows that the age of computers has changed our world, but it’s often hard to pinpoint what computers have changed. Just look around you right now…