One aspect of programming that makes it such an interesting profession is the continual learning process that you’re forced into.
Hardly a day goes by during my time developing iOS apps that I don’t learn something new out of necessity.
Whether it’s to fix a bug in my code or implement a new feature that I have no experience in, I constantly find myself looking up code samples and tutorials to gain more knowledge and become a better developer.
Here are a few of the top resource websites for programmers when learning and improving on the job:
Stack Overflow
Stack Overflow is the granddaddy of coding resources.
Whenever you copy and paste a debugging error into a Google search or look up “how to” do some very specific task in one coding language or another, the top result is almost always a user question posted to Stack Overflow.
The community of developers that form Stack Overflow’s user base is what makes the website such a valuable resource.
Users post questions when they get stuck coding, and other users submit answers which almost always contain sample code to solve the problem.
The community can vote answers up or down, and the original poster can chose one to be the “correct” answer when they’ve found a working solution.
Don’t neglect to read the “incorrect” answers, too.
They can sometimes be just as useful if they give a different approach to solving the problem that happens to be more relevant for your specific situation.
Whenever you find yourself in a programming jam—and can’t find the answer after a thorough search—come back to Stack Overflow and post a question.
Aside from the high probability of getting your question answered, you’re also helping to build out this resource for others who will have the same question as you in the future.
GitHub
GitHub is the world’s largest Git repository hosting service. You’re no doubt familiar with using it to manage version control in your projects.
As a resource, GitHub’s value lies in the many open-source projects hosted there. When programming, we want to avoid reinventing the wheel.
Often you can find that someone else has already developed a framework or specific component that will reduce your development time if implemented in your project.
Bugs can be reduced, as well, by using code that others have already tested for stability.
Udemy
If you wish to invest some time by following an online coding course, Udemy is the first place to go.
You’ll find courses covering tons of different topics for nearly every programming language out there (as well as many other interests such as personal development, business, music, and photography).
Since Udemy is an educational marketplace, be sure to check the ratings and reviews before purchasing a course.
I’ve found exceptionally high quality tutorials there, but it really does depend on individual instructors.
You have the option when watching video tutorials to increase the viewing speed to 1.25x, 1.5x, or 2x, which is great for maximizing use of your time.
Sometimes it can be a great idea to zip through a more basic level course at quick speed, to see not only if you can keep up and understand everything, but you may be surprised and come across a few new tips and tricks that you weren’t aware of.
W3Schools
W3Schools is one of the most comprehensive resource sites for web developers.
They’ve got tons of tutorials, reference articles, and code examples for HTML, CSS, JavaScript, PHP, Python, and more.
W3Schools has a super handy sandbox feature that lets you run snippets of code right there and see the resulting output.
With their colors tutorial, you’ll learn everything you ever wanted to know about RGB and hexadecimal values.
In addition to all this, W3Schools is also one of the cleanest and most well-organized websites you’ll come across.
The intuitive navigation makes it easy to quickly find exactly what you’re looking for.
The only thing to clutter the page is a few Google Ads, but they can be tolerated if it keeps the website free to use.
The field of computer programming increases in complexity daily, making it physically impossible for any single person to have total knowledge.
If you’ve chosen to enter this profession, then you’ve also volunteered to become a lifelong learner by default.
Getting familiar with these websites first will give you a good start towards becoming a more complete and resourceful developer.
