How to: June 28, 2024
1. freeCodeCamp just published a GameDev course on Godot, an open source game engine similar to Unity 3D and Unreal Engine. You can use Godot to build multi-platform games, then publish them on mobile and desktop platforms through Steam, Epic, Itch, and other game storefronts. This beginner course will teach you Godot fundamentals by walking you through step-by-step as you code your own fully-playable 3D RPG game. You'll learn how to build your game environment, spawn monsters. You'll add inventory systems, leveling systems, combat sounds, and even lighting effects. (6 hour YouTube course): https://www.freecodecamp.org/news/learn-to-create-a-3d-rpg-game-with-godot/

2. Vim is a powerful code editor that comes built-in with most operating systems, including Linux and MacOS. Vim lets you to do almost anything with just a few keystrokes. You'll never need to take your hand off your keyboard to reach for your mouse again. This course by CTO Andrew Brown will give you a solid foundation in using Vim in just a few hours. Then if you want to become as proficient as he is, you can keep practicing while coding over the coming months, and feel that sheer build-up of speed. Ride like the wind! (4 hour YouTube course): https://www.freecodecamp.org/news/mastering-vim-your-guide-to-efficient-text-editing/

3. On this week's podcast, I interview Adrian Twarog. He's a software engineer who started his career by working as the office IT guy for 10 years. He's since published YouTube courses that millions of people have watched. We talk about how he learned to code by volunteering to take on web design projects at work. He started making design tutorials on YouTube and published 300 in a single year. And he accomplished all this from Perth, Australia – as far as you can get from Silicon Valley. I think you'll dig our conversation. (1 hour watch or listen in your favorite podcast app): https://www.freecodecamp.org/news/why-are-senior-developers-learning-low-code-and-ai-tools-adrian-twarog-interview-129/

4. React is a truly ubiquitous web development framework. And the React team just released their long-awaited Version 19. Well, freeCodeCamp moved quickly and published a comprehensive guide to all of React's new features. You'll learn about the new React Compiler that can find performance optimizations in your code for you. You'll also learn about improvements like the new Form Actions for managing states and handling user interactions. This course is an excellent starting point for React Newbies and returning React veterans alike. (1 hour YouTube course): https://www.freecodecamp.org/news/whats-new-in-react-19/

5. There's a ton of hype around Generative AI. But it's not all hype – there's some real utility there, too. This new handbook will lay out some of the ways companies are using GenAI to discover new medicines and coordinate responses to emergencies. It's a breezy read written with non-developers in mind, summarizing a lot of recent research papers. (full-length handbook): https://www.freecodecamp.org/news/generative-ai-handbook/

Quote of the Week: *"Whether it's a 2D game or a 3D game, I always try to create a believable world for that game. Even the text of a game can contribute to that world feeling alive, I think. Having text prepared for every place you investigate, and having that text change depending on the circumstances, I think really helps create the illusion that you are “in” that world."* — Hideo Kojima, Creator of Metal Gear Solid