How to: Nov 3, 2023
1. As you may know, each week I host The freeCodeCamp Podcast where I interview software developers. Well, I decided to do something special for our 100th episode. I recorded a full-length audiobook version of my 2023 book “How to Learn to Code and Get a Developer Job.” If you've been meaning to read my book, you can now listen to it on the go – in its entirety. I consider podcasts to be my own personal “University of the Commute.” I listen to them every day while I'm getting around town. And I encourage you to do the same. Just search for The freeCodeCamp Podcast in whichever podcast app you use, or listen right in your browser. (full audiobook – 4 hour listen): https://www.freecodecamp.org/news/learn-to-code-book/

2. This in-depth course will teach you Web Development for beginners. You'll learn key tools like HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. You'll even learn how to commit your code with Git and deploy it to the cloud. My friend Akash teaches this course. He's not only a developer – he's also the CEO of a machine learning startup. This man knows webdev like the back of his hand, and he's stellar at teaching it. (20 hour YouTube course): https://www.freecodecamp.org/news/learn-web-development-with-this-free-20-hour-course

3. If you're already comfortable with web development, and want to learn mobile app development, this course will teach you how to code your own Android quiz app – and from scratch. You'll build on top of your webdev knowledge by learning Android Components and the Kotlin programming language. Then you'll get some practice applying design principles and app logic concepts. (10 hour YouTube course): https://www.freecodecamp.org/news/kotlin-and-android-development-build-a-chat-app/

4. If you're building a large website or app, you're going to want a Design System. This is a set of reusable components that helps get everyone on the same page. Developers can then use these components to build User Interfaces that are more consistent and harmonious. In this case study, Faith will show you how one startup uses a Design System to simplify collaboration. (20 minute read): https://www.freecodecamp.org/news/how-to-use-a-design-system/

5. Manually deploying your codebase to the cloud several times a day can get tedious. If you learn how to use Infrastructure as Code (IaC), you can automate this process. And with improvements in AI, you can simplify this even further. Beau Carnes teaches this course, and he'll show you IaC concepts in action. You'll learn how to use natural language – plain English – to describe what you want your infrastructure to look like. Through a combination of tools like GPT-4 and Pulumi, you'll build out your architecture. You'll even learn about Serverless Function Chaining. (1 hour YouTube course): https://www.freecodecamp.org/news/create-and-deploy-iac-by-chatting-with-ai/

Quote of the Week: “The most disastrous thing that you can ever learn is your first programming language.” — Alan Kay, programmer, Turing Award winner, and pioneer of Graphical User Interfaces (GUIs)