
What is the best way to learn to code from absolute scratch? - eliotpeper
We have been hosting a Ugandan refugee in our home in Oakland for the past 9 months and he wants to learn how to code.<p>Where is the best place for him to start from absolute scratch? What resources can we point him to? Who can help?
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westurner
Here's an answer to a similar question: "Ask HN: How to introduce someone to
programming concepts during 12-hour drive?"
[https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=15454421](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=15454421)

[https://learnxinyminutes.com/docs/python3/](https://learnxinyminutes.com/docs/python3/)
(Python3)

[https://learnxinyminutes.com/docs/javascript/](https://learnxinyminutes.com/docs/javascript/)
(Javascript)

[https://learnxinyminutes.com/docs/git/](https://learnxinyminutes.com/docs/git/)
(Git)

[https://learnxinyminutes.com/docs/markdown/](https://learnxinyminutes.com/docs/markdown/)
(Markdown)

Read the docs. Read the source. Write docstrings. Write automated tests:
that's the other half of the code.

Keep a journal of your knowledge as e.g. Markdown or ReStructuredText;
regularly pull the good ones from bookmarks and history into an outline.

I keep a tools reference doc with links to Wikipedia, Homepage, Source, Docs:
[https://wrdrd.github.io/docs/tools/](https://wrdrd.github.io/docs/tools/)

And a single-page log of my comments:
[https://westurner.github.io/hnlog/](https://westurner.github.io/hnlog/)

> To get a job, "Coding Interview University":
> [https://github.com/jwasham/coding-interview-
> university](https://github.com/jwasham/coding-interview-university)

~~~
eliotpeper
Wow, thank you so much. This is incredibly useful.

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aurizon
If you do not know any code, I suggest the MIT free online college.
[https://ocw.mit.edu/index.htm](https://ocw.mit.edu/index.htm) Explore this.
As to the particular initial language, I suggest you browse this search.
[https://www.google.ca/search?ei=4hR2WoPPM-
zQjwSnoaTQBw&q=bes...](https://www.google.ca/search?ei=4hR2WoPPM-
zQjwSnoaTQBw&q=best+newbie+code+2017&oq=best+newbie+code+2017&gs_l=psy-
ab.3...107950.114637.0.115209.6.6.0.0.0.0.103.595.3j3.6.0....0...1.1.64.psy-
ab..0.4.394...0i22i30k1j33i22i29i30k1j33i21k1j33i160k1.0.QyGmJB0uYmc)

~~~
eliotpeper
Thanks, this is great.

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matchmike1313
Freecodecamp.org is awesome!

~~~
eliotpeper
Sweet. Passing this along to him.

