How to: Oct 18, 2024
1. freeCodeCamp just published a comprehensive course on how to build mobile apps using React Native. In the past, if you wanted to build mobile apps, you needed to learn iOS and Android-specific tools. But over the past decade, the JavaScript tool ecosystem for building mobile apps has improved dramatically. This course will teach you how to code your own ecommerce mobile app using React Native, Expo, Supabase, and the Stripe payment API. You'll also learn how to build an admin panel using Next.js, which you can use to browse inventory, customers, and transactions. (12 hour YouTube course): https://www.freecodecamp.org/news/mobile-app-development-course-with-react-native-supabase-nextjs/

2. My friend Eamonn is a coffee shop owner turned software engineer, and a prolific contributor to freeCodeCamp's open learning resources. He's written this excellent guide to Excel keyboard shortcuts. Learn how to center cell contents, hide gridlines, auto-fit column sizes and more – all with just a few keystrokes. No mouse necessary. I'm somewhat of a shortcut connoisseur myself, so I found these super useful. I think they'll save you a lot of time, too. (10 minute read): https://www.freecodecamp.org/news/microsoft-excel-keyboard-shortcuts/

3. On this week's freeCodeCamp podcast, I interview Roadmap SH founder Kamran Ahmed about his journey into open source software development. We talk about his early career as a dev in Pakistan, and how he worked abroad in Berlin, Dubai, and now London. He shares his passion for open source and practical tips for how to get involved. This is a perfect conversation to listen to during Hacktoberfest – the month-long celebration of open source – where you can get involved and make your first code contributions. (2 hour watch or listen in your favorite podcast app): https://www.freecodecamp.org/news/roadmapsh-founder-kamran-ahmed-podcast-145/

4. Learn how to build a full-stack MERN stack app. MERN stands for MongoDB, Express, React, and Node. Developers have used this time-tested stack for over a decade now. And now you can, too. This beginner's course will walk you through building a bookstore app. You'll start by coding a Dynamic, Responsive front end using React. You'll learn how to create Reusable Components for your navigation bar and shopping cart system. Then you'll dive into back end development. You'll build an API that can process book orders and store them in your database. You'll also learn about Authentication, State Management, and Deployment. (9 hour YouTube course): https://www.freecodecamp.org/news/build-a-full-stack-book-store-app-using-react-node-mongodb/

5. Learn how to leverage the powerful Binary Exponentiation Algorithm to calculate large powers of numbers. Developers use this all the time when working on cryptography and computer graphics. The reason Binary Exponentiation is so powerful is that it reduces the amount of multiplications you need to do, and each iteration through the loop re-uses previous calculations. This tutorial will show you how to implement this algorithm step-by-step with a simple Python script, and understand what's happening under the hood. (10 minute read): https://www.freecodecamp.org/news/binary-exponentiation-algorithm-explained-with-examples/

Quote of the Week: *"The power of Open Source is the power of the people. The people rule."* — Philippe Kahn, software engineer and founder of 4 tech companies