Learn to Code for Technical Writers

Being able to understand and read code is becoming expected of Technical Writers. For this article, when I refer to technical writers, I refer to those who’s work will eventually be consumed by developers.

When I was learning, I was directed to so many high level resources that it made the task seem daunting. People sent me to MIT lectures and websites that assumed coding knowledge. I was lost.

I have outlined my direct path in the hopes it will help someone else.

• Learn the basics, I mean very basic.
  • https://code.org - Most of the material is for K-12 students. Code.org is perfect if you don’t have a foundation at all in code. The lessons were gradual and really gave a great foundation.
  • https://www.tynker.com - Play games and learn basic computer science concepts.
• Learn JavaScript. Personal note: I recommend Python because it “reads” more like English. Many free resources focus on JavaScript, so that’s what you’ll find here. Once you learn one language, the other programming languages become easier to learn.
  • https://www.codecademy.com - The lessons use an integrated IDE and really hold your hand. The basic courses are free and if you really like it, you can upgrade to a monthly fee.
  • https://www.codecademy.com/learn/introduction-to-javascript
  • https://www.codecademy.com/learn/learn-intermediate-javascript
  • https://scrimba.com/learn/learnjavascript
• Learn Git and GitHub
  • https://www.udacity.com/course/version-control-with-git--ud123
  • https://gitimmersion.com
• Deep Dive into JavaScript
  • https://www.freecodecamp.org/learn/javascript-algorithms-and-data-structures/

All the courses listed a free and should be gradual progression as you go. Many will have you go over concepts you might have learned before, but the basics are important.

Todays cover illustration by Sara Pelaez.