What is Coding?
There are hundreds of coding languages. Some are very user friendly some are less so. Here we will explore some of the more popular ones that you may find useful. There probably isn’t just one coding language that does everything. Some are very general and some have very specific purpose and every programmer has their favourite.
Scratch
A language being used in schools designed for young children is Scratch. It is block based which means that you do not need to type any code in you simply move blocks around and connect them to run your code. Although it is designed for young children primarily it is still a powerful coding language. If you want to know more then visit their website
Python
A language that is very popular amongst older children, scientists, mathematicians and data scientist is python (named after Monty Python comedy programme). it is another high level language and has a huge following. It is considered to be a good language to start programming with (I have a different opinion personally). One of the benefits is that there are countless libraries that you can use that take all the heavy work out of coding and it often the go to language for Machine Learning (AI). This is a great website to start learning Python
C/C++
Although it is used in a vast variety applications, one that is very popular and used extensively is in coding micro-electronics like the Arduino range. The Arduino IDE uses C/C++ as the basis for its coding language. I find simple and easy to use, clear syntax and format especially if you are familiar with p5.js or processing. Although this is not pure C/C++ it is the code reference page for Arduino boards
p5.js
The p5.js language is a JavaScript based creative coding library. It enables you to code onto a canvas so that you can see instantly what you are doing. I was developed for those wanting a a creative coding language. Although it has its beginnings in art it is still a powerful coding language that harnesses the power of JavaScript. You can create art, physics simulations, games as well as develop AI tools to use online. My personal recommendation for the best all round coding language from beginner to expert. This the website to explore all the resources and reference material with examples
Processing
Processing is a Java based language (not to be confused with JavaScript). The reason I have included it is because it is often used with micro-electronics as a useful interface. Like p5.js (also from the Processing foundation and looks very similar) it was developed as a creative tool. All three languages mentioned C/C++, P5.js and Processing have the same structure and similar syntax. I use this alongside the robotics module. If you want to explore processing as a coding language this is the website to visit with useful documentation and to download the software
JavaScript/HTML/CSS
Most website design includes the following elements, HTML for the content, CSS for styling and JavaScript for interaction. If you want to learn how to build a simple website then you will need to master these three elements. They work together to create a wonderful interactive website. This is a great website that covers HTML, CSS and JavaScript
