Top 9 Resources for Beginner Programmers

Contents:

• Why it's difficult on the strategy
• Selection of resources
• How to get started

Why it's hard at the start

In his book "Code," popular among programmers, Charles Petzold describes how complex computer systems are built from simple logical elements. Likewise, a developer's success is built on the right learning resources. With an abundance of services and content, it's easy to get lost in the flood of information. Articles, forums, and channels are more confusing than helpful. That's why it's difficult for beginners to find suitable materials.

Remember that not all resources are equally useful. Choosing the wrong service—for example, for experienced programmers—can only complicate things.

Resource Collection

We've collected sites that will help beginners understand programming languages ​​and other technologies for work.

Programming Language Documentation

We provide documentation for popular programming languages: Python, JavaScript, C++, and GO.

Python

The official Python documentationis a comprehensive guide to the programming language from its developers. Here you will find information for learning and working with Python:

• Description of the basic concepts of the language: What are variables, functions, classes and how to work with them.
• List of built-in functions and modules:Ready-made solutions for various tasks - from working with files to creating web applications.
• Library Guide: How to install and use additional libraries to extend the capabilities of Python.
• Description of the syntax and semantics of the language: rules for writing code and its meaning.
• API Reference: A detailed description of all functions and classes.

The documentation is available online and is constantly updated by Python developers. It is written in English, but there are also translations into other languages. However, Belarusian and Russian are not among them.

JavaScript

There is no official JavaScript documentation. To learn the language, they often use the site MDN Web Docs.

Here you will find:

• JavaScript Reference. It describes all the elements of the language: operators, variables, functions, objects, and others.
• A Guide to JavaScript. A step-by-step guide for beginners will help you master the basics of the language.

C++

Microsoft provides detailed documentationon C++. It will help both beginners and experienced programmers.

What's here:

• Language Reference.Describes all elements of the language: from simple data types, such as numbers and text, to complex concepts, such as patterns. All elements are described in detail with code examples.
• Developer Guides.Microsoft has guides on various C++ topics. For example, how to create applications for Windows or work with libraries.
• Code Examples.The documentation contains various code examples that show how to use the features of the language and libraries.

GO

GO is a programming language developed by Google. Official documentationContains: 

• Beginner's guides. 
• Description of Go features.
• Releases — information about new versions of the language.
• Standard Library Reference.

MDN Web Docs 

This resource has already been mentioned in the article - let's take a closer look at it. MDN Web Docs is Mozilla's website for learning web technology. It contains documentation for HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. You'll also find information about APIs and how to build websites correctly.

HTML is the HyperText Markup Language used to structure web pages. CSS is responsible for the appearance of a site: colors, fonts, and the arrangement of elements. JavaScript adds interactivity: animation, pop-up windows, and handling user actions. MDN Web Docs contains information about these three languages:

• Beginner's guides.
• Detailed descriptions of technologies.
• Code examples and practice exercises.
• Information about modern web standards.

StackOverflow

StackOverflowis a question and answer site for programmers. It's like a forum where you can ask a programming question and get answers from other developers.

On StackOverflow, you'll find a solution to any problem: from simple coding errors to complex architectural issues. The site is divided into topics. For example, Java, Python, JavaScript and other programming languages, databases, web development. This helps to quickly find the information you need. Users can vote on answers, marking the best and least successful solutions. This way, useful information rises to the top.

Medium

Mediumis a platform for bloggers, journalists, and companies. It is similar to X - Twitter, but with an emphasis on quality materials. Texts on various topics, including technology, are published here.

Posts on programming can be found under the tags "programming" or "software engineering." There, experienced developers describe their experiences and give advice to beginners.

For example, in this articlea programmer wrote 20 Python scripts to automate routine tasks.

Habr Development

Habr is a platform for IT professionals and anyone interested in the internet and technology. Habr is like a collection of blogs organized by topic—hubs. Here they publish news, analytical articles and thoughts about IT, business and the Internet.

The content is created by users themselves. They write for public and personal blogs, publish podcasts, translate articles from other languages, conduct surveys, and communicate.

Under the "development" tag, you'll find articles about programming languages, news, and various guides. Here, for example, is a guide to creating a data search application.

Reddit

Reddit is a platform for communication on various topics. It has sections - subreddits. One of them - r/learnprogramming - is dedicated to programming.

In r/learnprogramming, people share tips and resources on programming. Here, people discuss different programming languages, such as C. Beginners can ask questions, and experienced programmers can help them.

GitHub

GitHubis a site where developers store and share code. You can browse public projects, study other programmers' code, and even contribute to development. It's a good way to learn and improve your skills. Here, for example, is an open-source repository for the game "Warzone 2100".Warzone 2100"Warzone 2100"

Working with other people's code helps you quickly understand new technologies and programming approaches. By contributing to open source projects, beginners gain hands-on experience and learn to collaborate with other developers.

Hacker News 

Hacker News is a website with news for programmers and entrepreneurs. Hacker News publishes everything for people interested in technology. There is also a thread on the forum with vacancies called "jobs".

The name of the site, Hacker News, uses the word "hacker" in its original sense. Here, a "hacker" is a person who loves to understand how technology works and create new things.

LeetCode 

LeetCodeis an online platform for practicing programming skills. Here are collected tasks of varying difficulty that will help you prepare for interviews or improve your skills.

On LeetCode you will find tasks on:

• data structure;
• algorithms;
• system design.

The platform allows you to write code directly in the browser and immediately see the result. LeetCode also provides access to other users' solutions, which will help you learn.

How to get started

Answer: Go to any of the resources and start learning. Choose what's most convenient for you: interactive lessons, tasks, forum discussions, or reading the news.

These resources are suitable for getting started, but they don't replace full-fledged training. Self-education is a long journey, because without a mentor, mastering programming is more difficult and takes longer. An experienced developer will help you avoid common mistakes, tell you how to move up the career ladder or find your first project.