Software development for beginners – Getting Started

Thrilled to learn software development? Interestingly, there are tons and heaps of materials out there, and you don’t just know where to start! You’re getting overwhelmed! Take a deep breath, we’ll simplify this for you from experience…

Software development has become the next big thing in this present day! Business environments are evolving, every country in the world wishes to be the world leader in technology, brands have gone digital, Internet of Things (IoT) has become the order of the day, and this means now is an excellent time to get into tech.

Almost every modern device, electronic device, and technology contain at least a few lines of code. As the number of use cases for coding technologies increases, so does the number of coding roles available.

Without much talk, let us get into it!

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Table of Contents;

1. What is Software Development?
2. What do programmers do?
3. Why do I need to start learning software development
4. Choosing the right programming language
5. Where to get support
6. Code editors
7. Joining an online community
8. Sourcing for help

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What is Software Development?

According to Wikipedia; Software development is the process of conceiving, specifying, designing, programming, documenting, testing, and bug fixing involved in creating and maintaining applications, frameworks, or other software components.

– Sounds really mouthful yeah?

Software development refers to a set of computer science activities dedicated to the process of creating, designing, deploying, and supporting software (IBM).

So what does this really mean?

Software is a set or a collection of instructions (or programs) telling a computer or an electronic device what to do.

There are three basic types of software;

– System software
– Programming software
– Application Software

The system software provides programs for essential or core functions – such as your Operating Systems (MacOs, Linux Os, Windows OS), disk management and utilities, and other functionalities that make the system operations successful.

Programming softwares help lives easier for developers and programmers. Examples are code editors, text compilers, debuggers, and more.

Application softwares help perform tasks – office suites, data management softwares, media players, finance apps and more are types of application softwares.

Now you get the drift!
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So, what do Programmers do?

Programmers, coders, and software developers write source codes for computer softwares to perform specific tasks.

From computer games to network control systems and more, as a software engineer, you apply engineering principles to help build systems to solve programs – using specific languages and tools. Software engineers do not only build, but also test, improve, and maintain software systems built by other engineers.

According to Coursera, as a software engineer, your tasks and responsibilities might include the following;

Designing and maintaining software systems
Evaluating and testing new software programs
Optimizing software for speed and scalability
Writing and testing code
Consulting with clients, engineers, security specialists, and other stakeholders
Presenting new features to stakeholders and internal customers

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How much do software engineers earn?

No kidding, software development jobs are not just a walk in the park. It can both be challenging and exciting, and generally well paid. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average annual salary for a software engineer in 2020 was $110,140. Sounds enticing yes?

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Also Read: Fix Page not Found Error for React Router on Netlify App

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Skills to build as a software engineer

As a software developer, you will majorly work on designing software to solve real problems people face – so both your technical skills and your communication skills have to be spot-on!

Here are some of the most important skills you need to develop as a software engineer;

• Coding languages like Python, JavaScript, Java, C, C++, or Scala
• Object-oriented programming
• Database architecture
• Agile and Scrum project management
• Operating systems
• Cloud computing
• Version control
• Design testing and debugging
• Attention to detail

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Choosing the right programming language

One of the most confusing questions new developers ask when choosing what programming language to learn and work in is “Which programming language should I learn?”. Well, the answer is never really straightforward… There are hundreds of languages to choose from, with their own pros and cons, but we will simply the answer for you.

Two essential factors to consider;

What job opportunities are available?
Are the other devs using the language satisfied with it?

According to StackOverflow’s 2021 report;

This survey shows that there were 83,052 respondents, and the top 5 were;

• JavaScript
• HTML/ CSS
• Python
• SQL
• Java