You're struggling to learn a new programming language. How can you make the process less daunting?

Learning a new programming language can be a daunting task, but there are several strategies you can employ to make the process less overwhelming. Here are some tips: Start with the basics Break it down Practice, practice, practice Use online resources Join a community Take breaks Be patient and persistent. Remember, the more you practice and immerse yourself in the language, the more comfortable and confident you'll become over time. Stay motivated, and don't be afraid to seek help or guidance when needed.

I agree, the first step is to choose a language that suits or align with your goals and what platform you intend building for. For some people their goal is to build create dynamic user interfaces, while for some their goal to write backend logics and database management. Some people, their goal is to build decentralized web applications. Achieving these goals requires different approaches, and that is why it important that you know what your goal is and choose a programming language that will bring you closer to achieving that goal.

Choosing a suitable and easy language will always make our development work very easy. We must use a simple to understand language for developing web applications. Also we have to use good and popular Frameworks those are widely used in industry, this will help developers to work efficiently because all the documentations are available in the web with good explanation. Also, We should not use some random fancy Frameworks for developing web applications. We must understand the necessities of the system to be built, and then decide the suitable tech stack. For Example: If I want to build some very basic calculator, then preferably I will be using JavaScript or React. There is no point to implement backend for such a basic project.

The first step is to understand if the language being chosen is well suited to fully accomplish the project goals. Then, determine if the language is generally object-oriented, composition based, procedural, or memory safe (or all). After that, get a basic overview of variable declaration, control structures, and looping. All of this should help get an initial feel for personal comfort level before beginning the project.

Start using source control right from the beginning. Check in early and often. Write tests for your working code. Improve your software little by little. If you try something that goes off the rails, revert to your last working state.

While learning any new language or framework we must utilise various sources available on the web. - We can read the official documents of the specific programming language or framework. - We can also utilise some of the popular YouTube channels those are producing quality content. - We can even utilise the features of AI tools such as ChatGPT, Blackbox.ai, Gemini, etc...

I totally agree, while it is good to use multiple sources, make sure you focus on one or two sources at a time. So, how do you know sources to focus on? People have different preferences when it comes to learning. Some prefer books, others prefer videos and some prefer learning from both. So you have to try them all in the beginning and stick with the one that helps you learn better.

I always advise using multiple sources to learn a programming language, you're essentially not putting all your eggs in one basket. You get to see different angles of the same concept, and sometimes a certain source might explain it in a way that just makes it click for you. It's like getting a second and third opinion on something — the more opinions you have, the clearer the picture becomes.

I also like tutorials like Head First for a better approach. I totally love their way to explain things the way they stick in memory.

When learning a new language, good places to start are: - The official language documentation - Discord/community channels - GitHub contributions/pull requests - Books - Search engines - Stack Overflow One source that should not be forgotten and is probably most important, is yourself through the use of debuggers and trial and error. Step through every part of code execution when struggling with a problem and make the connection between each step. Doing this consistently will better ensure that what you learn will stay with you for a much longer period of time.

For being relevant and updated in the industry, one must have to practice a lot in his/her preferred language or framework. As practicing improves problem solving skills in the particular field. - We can make groups of like minded people, and can give challenges to each other to work on the specific programming language to develop something by ourselves. - After watching tutorials, we must have to practice the same thing by ourselves. This practice will introduce many bugs, errors, issues etc while developing the projects. But these errors and issues will eventually improve our debugging and problem solving skills.

A good way to practice regularly is to come up with a small project you would like to do, create an outline, and then break that outline into smaller parts. The smaller parts of the outline will quickly become tasks centered around finer concepts that can be individually focused on for learning. Consistently progressing through each task will come with its own challenges and connections to other parts of the project that will develop skills which will come full circle.

Coding along with a tutorial is another great way to practice what you’re learning. I made this mistake while learning TypeScript. I didn’t code along with the tutorial I was learning from. And when I tried using TypeScript in a project, I had forgotten most of the syntax. It is important that you code along with any tutorial you’re learning from when learning a new language so you don’t forget the syntax on time. Coding along helps register what you’re learning in your muscle memory. In beginner stage I wouldn’t recommend building complex projects on your own. Build simple projects, and then increase the complexity as move up the ladder. This would make the learning experience easier so you don’t get frustrated while building.

Whenever I get the chance, I do a small poc for a problem or something that isn‘t clear. It‘s also helpful to add those small snippets to a personal library

I have been a professional developer for many decades (my first programming job was writing COBOL on a mainframe) and, when I must (or wish to) learn/master a new technology I devise a ‘personal’ project and commit to complete it using the new language/technology.

Additionally, a crucial yet often underutilized resource is the official documentation of the language. Diving into the documentation can provide comprehensive insights and foundational knowledge, covering not just specific problems but also best practices and nuanced aspects of the language that you might not encounter in isolated tutorials or forums. While it's tempting to search directly for solutions to immediate problems, spending time with the documentation can equip you with a broader understanding and the tools to tackle a wider range of challenges on your own.

When learning a new language, one thing I’ve always done is building a practice project while in the middle of a course. I don’t wait until I’m done with the whole course before I evaluate myself. I built a todo-list after I was done with the DOM manipulation and local storage section of the course I was taking. I used everything I had learned up until that moment in the todo-list app. If I hadn’t been able to complete the project on my own, then it means I had not yet understood what I learned and so I would start the course all over. Thankfully I was able to build the project on my own and I was so happy I could. And then I continued with the course and moved on to Asynchronously JavaScript where I learned about network requests.

It is important to celebrate yourself about passing each evaluation phase. Getting something done I’ve never done on my own before gives me this pleasure and fulfillment I cannot explain. This was how I felt after I completed the todo-list app, I was so proud of the code and concepts I used in building the project. I celebrated by sharing the project on my socials and let people know how I went about building the project. There are many other ways you can choose to celebrate your milestones, just make sure to enjoy yourself while at it.

After completing any project we should appreciate ourselves. Should celebrate the achievement that we have just made even if it is too small or simple. Developing something by ourselves will create a huge impact in learning and we should be happy with our work.

Adopting a playful mindset towards the learning experience can significantly enhance your receptivity to new concepts and facilitate a quicker, more enjoyable adaptation to the language. Engaging in coding challenges, building small projects, or even gamifying your learning process can instill a sense of wonder and curiosity, making the journey more engaging. Additionally, celebrating milestones, no matter how small, serves as positive reinforcement, motivating further exploration and learning.

I totally agree with this! Without fun and motivation you won‘t learn a new language, cause you‘ re also fighting against yourself.

Absolutely, celebrating small achievements and milestones is a great way to stay motivated and acknowledge progress. Remember, celebrating small achievements is not just about the event itself but also about recognizing the effort, perseverance, and growth that lead to success.

Welcome to this planet. The world is not Club Med One. Things are not always fun. It's often hard, but it's hard for a reason. You can improve your learning experience by changing your methodology, buying different books or using better tools, but at the end of the day, learning a new language involves a considerable amount of effort and self-sacrifice. If what you're learning is tedious and complex, that's good news. If you apply for a job that requires this skill, you won't see 1500 people applying for the same job yesterday. When something is easy, everyone wants to do it and competition is fierce. Most people want to learn easy and funny stuff. Leave them to it and aim higher. As my dentist says: no pain, no gain!

Failure is REQUIRED. I’ll say it again. In order to learn a new language, failure is required. Failure teaches you not only why your code works but also how your code works. Make it a goal to break your code. Once you’ve done that, make it better, make it work then break it again. This makes your code more resilient and uncovers nuances about the language.

Diving into the process of learning a new programming language can become significantly less intimidating when you take the practical approach of creating a real-world project. This strategy not only grounds your learning in practical application but also enriches your understanding by confronting you with real challenges that necessitate a deeper exploration of the language's features and nuances. Through the development of a project, you're likely to encounter a variety of scenarios that require more than just surface-level knowledge, compelling you to delve into more advanced concepts and functionalities.

It differs based on your skills, whether you have prior experiance in a language or not. If you know a language earlier, its slignly easy as you will be aware of base concepts, if not (or even otherwise) its best start of with base concepts around programming like object oriented, functional, SOLID principles before getting into sematics of new language. Semantics is secondary, concepts and to follow principles like clean code is more important. So, must focus on that. If we are good at concepts, it will be so easy to learn any language. Keep a small project in mind (not a todo like app) but something bigger like eCommerce, Kanban planning or a small management system like school, library when you start learning itself.