We all use apps as part of our daily lives whether it’s an app on your smartphone to tell people what you’re doing such as Twitter or Facebook apps or it could be an app on your Windows or Mac PC that you use to edit videos. Apps are a huge part of lives and it’s true there is an app for just about everything but like me I’m sure there have been times when an app you love doesn’t do everything you want it too.
Back when I first started using mobile applications I remember being frustrated on many occasions as features I thought were essential to an app were not present and had been left out by the developer. It was as a result of many disappointments with apps not meeting my expectations that I decided to I wanted to create my own.
It can be quite daunting when you first decide that you want to learn how to code and develop your own apps but fortunately the days of reading huge 500 page books are long gone. Thankfully we now have online services that enable us to learn how to program by taking online practical and interactive courses and tutorials. Many people find it easier to learn using a hands-on approach and this is exactly what the services I’m about to share with you offer.
First up is my favorite, Codecademy which is a totally free interactive service that teaches you how to program by giving you real examples of code and allowing you to interact by way of completing courses which become more advanced as you move through them. Codecademy has courses available for Javascript, HTML/CSS, PHP, Python, Ruby and working with API’s and is definitely a great starting point for those new to programming.
Another great service is Treehouse, whilst it’s not free and is more primarily aimed at those with an existing knowledge there is still content suitable for beginners. Treehouse uses video tutorials and interactive courses that you work through in order to learn more about your chosen language. Treehouse has a plethora of content available for you to learn from and for as little as $25 a month you could be developing iPhone and Android apps within a few weeks. Treehouse also have a free trial which lasts for 14 days so you have nothing to lose if you want to try the service and see if you can benefit from the vast array of content they have.
If you're unsure which service is best for you I would recommend you start with Codecademy which as previously mentioned is a free service. However if you have a bit of experience under your belt and are looking to take your programming knowledge to the next level or a particularly looking to develop iOS and Android apps then I would recommend Treehouse.