How to: Nov 29, 2024
1. If you already know a little JavaScript and want to learn Python, too, this handbook is for you. It will turbo-charge your learning by teaching you the similarities between these two high level scripting languages. You'll learn how each language approaches Syntax, Data Structures, Modules, Error Handling, and more. You'll even get some side-by-side script comparisons so that you can appreciate the nuanced differences in how these languages get things done. My humble advice is to learn both of these languages, and to learn them well. They will only become more and more central to software development over the next 20 years. (full-length handbook): https://www.freecodecamp.org/news/learn-python-for-javascript-developers-handbook/

2. Learn how to run Large Language Models on your own computer – no cloud servers required. This course will teach you how to use Ollama to run the Llama LLM. You'll be able to access its APIs and Python libraries so you can build AI-powered apps locally. Along the way, you'll apply these new skills to build your own grocery list organizer, Retrieval Augmented Generation system, and recruitment agency app. (3 hour YouTube course): https://www.freecodecamp.org/news/local-ai-development-with-ollama-course/

3. On this week's episode of the freeCodeCamp podcast, I interview Eamonn Cottrell. He's a software engineer who taught himself how to code while running a local chain of coffee shops in Knoxville. He has largely automated a lot of the back office tasks for his shops, and is helping other people do the same. He's already published 37 freeCodeCamp tutorials on productivity and automation using spreadsheets. We talk about his love of coffee and latte art, ultra-marathoning, and how he balances being a musician with the practical realities of providing for a family of 6. Super inspiring. (2 hour watch or listen in your favorite podcast app): https://www.freecodecamp.org/news/self-taught-coding-automating-coffee-shop-chain-eamonn-cottrell-interview-151/

4. Learn HTML Canvas by coding your own meme generator website. You can code along at home with this tutorial and build a simple website that creates memes where you can customize the text that appears on top of an image. This is a beginner-level project that will only take a few hours. It will give you hands-on practice with some powerful web development tools. (15 minute read): https://www.freecodecamp.org/news/create-meme-generator-using-html-canvas/

5. When you run a popular app, you probably don't want to deploy new features to all of your users at the same time. You instead want to test those features out with a small subset of your users. That's where Feature Flags come in handy. This tutorial will teach you how to add Feature Flags to a Golang app, so that you can more safely roll out new code. (25 minute read): https://www.freecodecamp.org/news/build-a-flexible-api-with-feature-flags-using-open-source-tools/

Quote of the Week: *"Language choice is not as important as all the other choices: if you have the right overall architecture, the right team of programmers, the right development process that allows for rapid development with continuous improvement, then many languages will work for you. If you don't have those things you're in trouble regardless of your language choice."* — Peter Norvig, Software Engineer and AI researcher at Stanford