It's starting to become a key element in many resumes...even approaching the importance of languages. Whether for pleasure or because you need to learn to program to improve your career, here are a series of apps with which you can take your first steps in this «Coding» from the mobile taking advantage, for example, of your journeys on public transport.
I'm sure many of you who read us have an idea for an app or program that's been on your mind and that you'd like to see brought to life in a mobile app or computer software. Probably, because of your career choice or simply your age, you didn't study programming in high school, and furthermore, sit down to learn to program when you get home It is usually very complicated, especially when there are family responsibilities or little free time.
Fortunately, today there are very complete mobile applications which allow you to learn from scratch, combining theory, practical exercises, mini-games, and interactive challenges. You don't need your own PC or a professional environment: with your Android mobile or tablet You can start programming, reinforce concepts, or advance to more advanced levels.
Below are some of the best apps to discover the basics of programming and create your first applications, along with other extra tools based on content from the best competitor articles so that you have a repertoire as complete as possible.
Apps to learn to code
SoloLearn
It is advertised as the one that has the largest library of learning content For all levels, from beginner to professional. With a good variety of topics to learn from. main programming conceptsIt's a good way to learn from scratch or refresh your knowledge.
SoloLearn offers courses in Python, Java, JavaScript, C, C++, HTML, CSS, SQL and many other languages, as well as routes more focused on web development, data analysis, or full stack developmentHis lessons are short, including theoretical explanations, multiple-choice questions, and small exercises to practice each concept right after viewing it.
One of the great advantages is its integrated communityYou can ask questions, see how others solved a challenge, and even compete in small coding challenges to test what you've learned. It also incorporates a mobile code editor to run snippets directly from the phone, allowing practice in any situation.
Upon completion of certain courses, the app delivers digital certificates which can serve as support for your portfolio or professional profile, especially if you are starting out and want to show commitment to continuous learning.
SoloLearn — Play Store:
Algorithm City
Explanatory video: https://youtu.be/xEG2-G8oUYo
This one has a a more childlike touch…but an undeniable educational value. If you don't want to face the pure and simple codeYou can try your hand at it and learn the basics while playing a game. Don't expect too much because it's an app designed for children, but it'll definitely be a good starting point for programming.
The mechanics are based on solve small logic challenges guiding characters and objects, something that helps to internalize concepts such as sequence of instructions, conditionals or loops without needing to write any code. It's ideal for those who want a first playful contact before moving on to languages like Java or Python.
Educational game:
Grasshopper
This also uses the technique of Gamification to teach programmingSpecifically, in JavaScript, one of the most useful and widely used languages on the internet. It will offer us different puzzles and minigames that we have to solve by creating lines of code.
Instead of long lessons, Grasshopper focuses on very specific challenges that explain concepts such as variables, functions, arrays, or loops in a simple language and real time correctionsThis way, you know instantly which part of your solution is failing and what you should improve.
Its visual design and layered structure make it very attractive to young students And for people who barely have any time during the day: with sessions of just a few minutes, you can progress and unlock new content.
JavaScript Challenges:
Encode
We're back to another app "didactic" and structuredIn this one we won't find any kind of game like in the previous ones, but we will find a large amount of material that will guide us from lesson to lesson until we become true programming professionals.
Encode includes learning content Python, JavaScript, HTML and CSScombining brief explanations with step-by-step interactive exercisesOne of its most interesting features is that it allows Download part of the syllabus to be able to access it offline, which is ideal if you want to take advantage of subway journeys, trips or areas without coverage.
The exercises are designed so that you can progress even if you have little time dailySo it's a good option if you want to make steady progress without needing long sessions in front of the computer.
Step by step lessons:
Enki
Another application that guides us through numerous lessons To learn to program in JavaScript, Python, CSS, HTML, Git, Linux, and Java. With a few minigames, it allows even those enrolled in courses studying these languages to review lessons.
Enki functions as a personal programming coachEach day it offers short, bite-sized pieces of content tailored to your level and what you want to reinforce. In addition to specific languages, it also covers... topics such as data science, SQL, or development tools such as Docker or Kubernetes, very useful if you want to make the leap to professional environments in the future.
It has reflection exercises and interactive questions which help to consolidate concepts and detect gaps in knowledge. It is especially interesting for those who want maintain a daily routine learning even if they are already studying computer science or formal training.
Daily trainer:
Other recommended apps for learning to program on Android
In addition to the apps mentioned above, which were our initial recommendations, there are others very popular tools These can complement your learning and appear in many specialized compilations. They don't replace the initial apps, but rather expand the possibilities depending on the language, level or learning style what you look for
ProgrammingHub
Programming Hub brings together a extensive collection of code examples and more than 20 courses at all levels to learn in a wide variety of languages: Java, C, C++, HTML, JavaScript, R and others. Its goal is to be a kind of "Duolingo of programming", with compressed content designed for small screens.
It includes a real-time compiler to test what you write and offers more than 5000 example programsThis makes it a good reference library if you want to see how certain concepts are applied in practice. Much of its content is free and it has a offline mode to continue studying without the Internet, although some advanced features require payment.
Mimo
Mimo provides guides and tutorials to begin programming in text-based languages such as Swift, Python, Ruby, or JavaIt is usually recommended for students of Secondary and Baccalaureate who already have a slight foundation and want to consolidate it by interactive and progressive lessons.
The app presents learning as a game with levels and achievementsThis is very useful for maintaining motivation. It even offers more intensive programs aimed at achieving a professional level in just a few months, although many of these paths and extra features are part of paid options.
Programming Hero
Programming Hero is designed so that anyone can learn it, and is defined as “Perfect for absolute beginners”Its main objective is that, as the user acquires new concepts, end up creating your own gamewhich makes the process very motivating.
Includes more than 100 programming problems These explain data structures, algorithms, databases, and object-oriented programming in an accessible way. The design is reminiscent of a video game. And it's ideal if you're looking for a less academic and more practical approach.
Khan Academy and Code Hub as extra support
Although they are not apps focused exclusively on programming, both Khan Academy , the Code Hub can serve as reinforcement material. Khan Academy offers complete courses on fundamentals of computer science and software developmentwith videos and exercises, while Code Hub proposes courses divided into topics with clear examples, focusing primarily on web technologies.
Khan Academy is a non-profit platform And its app is completely free, with plenty of content accessible anytime. Code Hub, for its part, stands out for being easy to use and available offlinealthough its content is primarily in English.
With all these apps, from the most playful to the most technical, your Android phone or tablet becomes a authentic portable programming classroom With it you can start from scratch, strengthen your foundations, or advance to more professional levels without always needing a computer at hand.