I finished it !
It feels so good to see this, I've really enjoyed doing the exercises on Codingbat, makes coding fun and I can go at my own pace, do you guys have any other suggestions for websites similar to Codingbat but maybe a bit more advanced now that I have some decent starting knowledge ?
Thanks
Videos
I've been learning Java since last semester, and I would like to hear your opinions on CodingBat and Codeacademy.
I really enjoy CodingBat, there are a ton of questions and, while most of them are ridiculously easy (so far anyway), it really helps me get certain concepts drilled into my brain. I really want to get to the harder problems (completed both warm-ups, string1 and array1), but I'm a stickler for completing everything in order.
Once I finish with CodingBat for Java, I'm planning to start with Python in Codeacademy, then go back and do the Python section in CodingBat. I haven't used Codeacademy before, but one of my CS friends swears by it. Do you guys think it'll be comprehensive and good to learn Python through Codeacademy? I've never learned or touched any Python, but people tell me that it is VERY similar to Java. He also recommends Ruby, but we'll see as it'll take me some time to do what I'm already planning to do on top of school and work =P
So, what do you guys think about CodingBat and Codeacademy in general? Are they very good sites to learn programming? Does anything happen when you complete everything in CodingBat?
Oh, and someone else told me that if you complete an entire section in Codeacademy, you can pay like $30 for certification. Is this true, and if so, is this worth it?
Thank you guys for reading this. I really do have a passion for programming, and I'm hoping to get an internship next Summer (backpacking through Europe this Summer... HELLLLLLL YEAHHHHHH).
TL;DR: What do you guys think about the learning effectiveness of CodingBat and Codeacademy? What happens when you complete them?
Shortly speaking they could really give the beginner the understanding of basics of programming.
Disadvantage is that they operate with specific languages (JavaScript, or Java) and leave great gaps in the technical "knowledge". Not so long ago there was a question of a guy finishing CodeCademy about "how to attach javascript to a page" - thing which should be clear with almost any tutorial.
So you should not rely too much on them. They are nice but they will not magically make you even a junior developer :)
It's well known I run a programming bootcamp around these parts. The vast majority of our students use CodeAcademy before they come to our camp. In fact, we ask them to for a gentle introduction to basic syntax. By the end of week 1 we are amazingly far beyond what those sites teach. The comp sci grads that come through the program say we cover a semester every week... which is good, that's what we're going for.
Regardless, these sites do not teach you how to build real applications in a professional manner, they teach you specific syntax. If you want to learn with the goal of being employable, we have found it takes about 700 hours of deliberate practice. You get deliberate practice by having guided instruction. How do you learn to be an electrician? You apprentice yourself to an electrician. Same with plumbers. Doctors do residency. Etc.
I can go through a guided tutorial on how to build a cabinet, but I won't be a carpenter when I'm done. That all being said, if you are interested in becoming a programmer, I highly recommend them as a way to dip your toe in the water and figure out if you even like it. Being a great programmer requires a lot of time spent honing your skills outside of work, and if you don't like doing it, you'll never be good at it.
Hi all I'm attending a university taught boot camp in the fall, but I'm taking the summer to self learn and educate myself as much as possible. I've started with python and after becoming comfortable with the basics I learned about codingbat. I'm able to do a lot of the exercises on there (but not all), and I was just curious as to how accurate a representation the questions on there are compared to what you would see in a real world interview?
In my AP comp sci class, my teacher has recently had us start using CodingBat as extra practice with java. There are also equivalent exercises for python. I only know the very basics of python but do not really know how to put together an actual project. Is CodingBat a good place to start?