Becoming a software developer is a long and arduous road that requires dedication and a lot of hard work. However, that doesn’t mean you need to work through it all by yourself, here are 5 tools to help you on the path to becoming a fully-fledged software developer.
IoT Core
As a learning software developer, Windows 10 IoT core is a good first option to explore the capabilities of the Internet of Things.
IoT core has ARM compatibility, meaning you can run it on simple boards like the Raspberry Pi. This makes it an excellent choice for quick IoT experimentation and prototypes, as the IoT Core on a Raspberry Pi can be paired with mechanisms like cameras and sensors, which will allow Window 10 to visualize the data gathered by said sensors.
This is essentially the fundamental premise of the Internet of Things, which is why the IoT core capabilities are such a good option for learners and hobbyists, looking to dip their toes into IoT technology.
This is not to say that the tool is limited however, Microsoft demonstrated a Raspberry Pi-powered robot, for example, which used Windows IoT and interacted with holograms!
CodeWars
CodeWars is an educational community for computer programming that features hundreds of programming challenges to help you develop your skills.
The challenges cover a variety of programming languages and are graded by difficulty. The best part is when you have submitted your answer to a challenge you will be able to view the highest rated solutions to that challenge, so you can learn from the best.
GitHub
Source control repositories and management is a crucial skill for any software developer to master, and Git and GitHub are the tools for the job.
When developing a program, you will need to check-in and checkout of code every day, iterating and reiterating your program until you reach the final version. Few coding practices are as important as having some sort of version control for your code.
GitHub is also one of the best places to show of your work and what you are capable of as a programmer. Think of it as your online portfolio for software development.
Unity
Unity is an end-to-end game engine that makes it easier than ever to create professional-level games for completely free.
Although you may not be looking to become a video game programmer, it is still worth dipping your feet into the world of Unity from time to time to get a feel for a different kind of programming, pushing you to find solutions to problems you may never have encountered before.
What’s more, with the advent of Unity learn, Unity’s online learning platform that is full of easy-to-follow tutorials and projects, getting started with the engine has never been simpler.
Trello
Trello is a simple and free project management tool that has a plethora of useful features for all your project management needs including comments, attachments, due dates, colored labels, and many more.
Although a full software development team may use a more robust project management tool for their work, Trello is a great option to help manage your personal workload and learning. You can create boards and ‘swim lanes’ to structure your work and learn faster, and you even check out other peoples for inspiration.
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