Step One: What is Code and How Do I Run It?

Have you started to learn to code through the numerous free sites and are wondering “what’s next”, or “how do I really start becoming a coder?”. If so, then this class is for you.

In this course, you will learn how to actually become a coder. What does that mean? Being a coder means feeling inspired and knowing how to make cool things happen using computer code.

In this interactive 4 hour session, we'll learn how to discover, download and run an open source web app. This includes:

Setting up a development environment (WebStorm)

Downloading open source code (GitHub)

Gathering necessary code libraries

Run code to see actual results

Doing a fun project

By the end of this session you will have the skills and knowhow to set up a project to start coding with any language.

Why is this important? Coding is not just about learning the syntax and language, like javascript or HTML. Learning to code is about discovering good code, inspecting the inner workings of that code, and copying and/or reusing that code for your own creations.

Borrowing and sharing code is one of the best ways to become a better programmer. If you want to learn how to do it, then join me in this workshop. Let's start by taking part in the open source community. Then in the coming courses, we'll adapt what we discover and write our own code.

What you’ll need:

Your own computer + power cord

A sense of adventure

Is prior coding knowledge necessary?

While we encourage you to have some knowledge or have played around with code (perhaps on sites like codeacademy.com (http://codeacademy.com/) or codeschool.com (http://codeschool.com/)) it’s not necessary. As long as you have a passion for starting to make stuff, and your own laptop, you’re ready to go!

The class will go from 10:45am to 3:00pm. We’ll have lots of snacks and coffee to keep you powered up!

Sign up now as space is limited!