Learn the Basics of Coding

By Adam Pash

Dec 12, 2011 5:00 AM

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Smartphone apps, desktop apps, and web apps are some of the best tools we have to get things done, express ourselves, and yes, sometimes have fun. You may have once thought programming was the domain of anti-social neck beards living in basements across the world, but the fact is, anyone can code, and almost everyone can benefit from knowing a little bit about programming. This week's episode of Lifehacker is an introduction into the basics of coding.
This is the sixteenth episode of season two of Lifehacker. Today's episode highlights:

• How to pick a programming language. We discuss our first programming projects, and how they helped motivate us and choose the right language for our needs.
• How to code. This is a beginner's introduction to variables, but for more, you can see our full Learn to Code beginner's guide.
• How to choose a web host and launch a simple web site
• How to host your web site yourself from your home computer, including how to let anyone access your site over the internet

In lieu of downloads, we rounded up some of our favorite resources for your journey into the world of coding:

• Codeacademy
• Code School
• Lynda.com
• Stack Overflow

Hungry for a little more? Check out all the episodes from our current season, catch up with the entire first season of Lifehacker, or pick up a few episodes of our summer series.
Grab it in any format you like: If you don't want to watch it in your browser right now, you can catch the show wherever you want, and in nearly whatever format you like. Visit the episode page on Revision3 to download HD or phone-friendly versions of the show in MP4 or WMV. You can also subscribe in iTunes or via RSS, watch it on YouTube and subscribe to our channel there

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