What do you do if you want to level up your programming skills with new technology?

The only way to improve your programming skills is to make projects. And try to make real-world applicable projects Complex projects == Complex skills learned.

If you want to learn new skills, start with the basics. Understand them thoroughly, practice consistently, and then progress to advanced levels. Strong fundamentals indicate that you've truly mastered the skill.

Learn the basics of new language. Start from I/O and flow through the language exploring built-in functions / libraries. After that learn a framework and implement a crud along with restApi's. Mostly developers start learning through framework which keeps them from exploring the actual effectiveness and productivity of a language.

It really depends on what you are learning. If it's a new programming language, focus on the basics and understand how fundamental programming constructs like loops, conditionals, methods, variables etc. work, and a good way to do this would be to try and implement some basic algorithms in the language. Another hugely underrated way is trying to read code written in the new language, run it, and working on making incremental changes to improve it. That really helps because you might come across features of the language you might not discover otherwise, and when you do, you can learn the nuances of it, and how it is used!

En matière de programmation, il s'agit bien évidemment d'un problème de conception en premier avant même de parler d'implémentation. La ma?trise des basiques de l'algorithmique et des structures de données, des patterns et des outils du développement logiciel sont essentiels.

Hands on is always a plus if you want to be a good programmer. You need to spend time and practice on new technology if you want to master it. Putting learning into practice would reinforce your skillsets .

Daily practice is like watering a plant. If you water it once a week, it might survive, but if you water it daily, it thrives. Similarly, spending a little time each day coding in a new technology keeps your skills growing steadily. It's about consistency and steady progress. Just like a plant needs regular care, your skills need regular nurturing. So, make it a daily habit, and watch your expertise blossom!

When trying to learn a new technology, getting your hands dirty is the best way to get it to stick. You hardly forget what you practiced. Build side projects in that technology, that way you are pushed to read through documentations when you are stuck and maybe look for courses or tutorials to learn more, by the time you finish building, you will have an adequate understanding of the patterns of that particular technology.

Daily practice is?crucial! Even small bits add up.?In?my?experience, sparing 30 minutes to tackle coding challenges on sites like HackerRank or?LeetCode?can help?you?a great?deal.?These bite-sized problems push?your?problem-solving and keep?you?applying new concepts from?your?chosen tech. Think of it like daily workouts for?your?coding muscles. They might seem small, but consistent effort builds significant skill and keeps?you?sharp!

To master any new technology, it is essential to adopt a consistent practice. By dedicating time each day to coding, experimenting with new tools, and creating small projects, you consolidate your knowledge and expose yourself to real-world situations where you can apply these new technologies. This hands-on approach not only allows you to strengthen your existing skills, but also to explore new horizons and push your limits.

APIs are like magic spells for tech! Imagine you're making a weather app. Instead of hunting down weather data yourself, you wave your wand (aka use an API) to fetch it instantly. It's like having a secret shortcut to make your app work smoothly. Plus, tinkering with APIs is like a fun science experiment—you learn by doing, not just reading textbooks. APIs provide hands-on experience and increase your confidence in a tech, accelerating your learning journey.

Exploring APIs is fantastic for applying new tech!?There are?many free public APIs for weather, news, or even memes.?Pick one that interests?you?and find its documentation. These docs explain how to interact with the API, like what data it provides and how to request it.?This?is where?you?can experiment with?your?new skills! For instance, if?you?are learning Python and the weather API, code a script that fetches the forecast and displays it on?your?screen.?It is?a?fun?way?to practice and see the new tech in action.

Integrar com algumas API's publicas é uma ótima forma de treinar seus conhecimentos, integrar com uma API de tempo, ou uma API de dados geográficos é excelente para adquirir e refor?ar conhecimento.

API and microservices are becoming crucial to modern software development. Learning how to develop API's following best practices, Security protocols , when to use REST vs GRPC vs Microservice are thing that I can highlight based on my experience. I would definitely pay close attention to security when developing or Interacting with prebuilt API's.

By mastering the art of using APIs effectively, you will broaden your skills and open up new perspectives in your programming projects.

OSS has becoming a great place to develop new software by leveraging community skills. I do believe that having different people contributing in a software would make a better product by bringing in different perspective. also by contributing on other Developers code you will get better feedbacks on your skillsets and become a better developer!

I hear this said a lot on forums, but me, nor anyone I've programmed with professionally, do this. I work a lot and spend my time in endeavors that make me money. OSS does not do that for me. My extra time goes to my family. I can see if you are young and bored, but I honestly don't want to make time for things like this. That may be selfish, but it's how I've operated over the last 25 years of programming. Find what's important to you in life and concentrate on that. If OSS is a priority, then by all means spend time on that because it will only benefit you to learn from others.

Engaging in online forums fosters continuous learning in tech. Interacting with peers, asking questions, and sharing insights accelerates knowledge growth. Forums serve as hubs for cutting-edge trends and techniques, offering a global pool of expertise. Active participation ensures staying updated and connected within the dynamic programming landscape.

While we intend to learn a new programming language the foundation/basics remain the same. hat needs to be learnt is the syntax and some rules of the ne programming language. By attending courses and workshops we not only get more comfortable with the language but also increase our network plus there are free resources available to clear your doubts. Its just needs one step of stepping out of your comfort zone and everything is just available out there.

Attending workshops and tech conferences is indeed invaluable for staying abreast of emerging technologies. These events foster hands-on learning, insightful talks, and networking crucial for professional growth. Participating in such gatherings ensures a holistic understanding beyond self-study, enhancing both skill sets and career prospects.

I have attended the VS Live conference every year since about 2014 (excluding Covid years) and it's invaluable to keep up with the industry on what is new. I attend the workshops to learn new technologies and get example projects of how to do things. It's expensive, about 3600 for the conference alone, but it's worth it if you are doing software development professionally.

Consider that this list has been generated by AI and it's by no means universal or an unchangeable truth. What works for me is none of this 7 steps. I do start with some exploration, reading documentation, and small practice (of course not everyday!) But if I'm really into it, I will actually spend my money and buy a book (or two) about that. Books give unique perspective, everything in there is what the expert thought one should know. Videos are a waste of time (for my point of view). And you will get lost with documentation. You might not get everything at once, but when facing challenges you will remember about them and then dig deeper. Otherwise, you are doing things in the dark. And that might not be what works for you. That's fine.

Engaging in consistent practice is key to leveling up your programming skills with new technology. By actively working on coding projects, you can gain practical experience and familiarity with different concepts. Additionally, leveraging newer technologies like generative AI can provide valuable assistance in debugging code and understanding complex algorithms. Remember, continuous learning and hands-on experience are essential in the world of programming. Embrace challenges, stay curious, and never hesitate to seek help or resources that can aid in your growth as a programmer.

Think twice before you decide to learn a new technology: ask yourself why you need it. What is the added value? Which kind of new possibilities will it open up?

Picking a project is the fastest way to learn any technology. It provides the context you need to justify the use of that technology and culminates in the "why" of integrating this shiny new toy into your daily workflow.