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An algorithm for solving coding katas

At Northcoders we put huge emphasis on problem solving skills. Being a programmer is about solving problems with a specific toolset. In fact, building software can be thought of as composing lots of small solutions into one big one. From the very start of the application process, we encourage students to get stuck into problem…

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The Start Of My Bootcamp

Northcoders student Judit wrote about her first few weeks with Northcoders. Find out more about her career change and time with us on her Dev.to blog. I was originally going to title this post “First Steps”. Forget about steps. Starting bootcamp was more like deep diving into a whirlpool but I couldn’t be happier. Northcoders‘s bootcamp…

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Stats Don’t Lie: Why tech is THE industry to work in

Considering changing your career to work in tech? You’re not alone. Google Trends data suggests that people are searching more often for careers in tech, with a steep increase over the last 18 months. Although it’s great to hear all the good things about working in this industry, true coders like to put things in numbers! We’ve…

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The Benefits of Test-Driven Development (TDD)

The idea behind test driven development is that you let the tests ‘drive’ your development process. How does this work? Start by writing a test that fails, then develop the code to make that test pass, then refactor. This cycle is called red, green, refactor. A diagram to show the red, green, refactor TDD cycle RED: The…

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How to choose which coding language to learn first

Choosing which programming language to learn can be very daunting. There are over 700 languages currently listed by Wiki. Where should you begin? If you take anything away from reading this, it should be one key point; we strongly recommend learning one language in-depth and not two or three casually. What can happen if I choose…

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Coding Bootcamp vs. Self Study: Pros & Cons Explained

If you’re starting to code, you’ll have a few different routes to take with your learning process. Everyone is different, so working out what’s the best option for your journey is important. We’ve outlined some pros and cons of bootcamp vs. self-study to help you make a decision. Self Study Pros Cons Coding Bootcamps Pros…

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5 Resources to Learn to Code for Absolute Beginners

Whether you used to tinker with your MySpace profile or have no idea what the difference is between Python and HTML, one thing’s true: everyone starts somewhere. And the great news is, there are more free (and friendly) ways to get into coding today than ever before. Here are some great places to start… freeCodeCamp…

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The Beginner’s Guide to forEach, map and filter in JavaScript

What even are JavaScript Array Methods? Now that you’re getting started with the basics of JavaScript, at some point soon you’ll likely come across three seemingly magical words in many code examples: .forEach(), .map() and .filter(). When you go to loop through (or iterate through) an array, the first thing you think of is probably a for loop. .forEach(), .map() and .filter() are all just other ways…

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two woman at a computer
two woman at a computer

You CAN Become a Software Engineer Without a Degree. Here’s How

You don’t need to study computer programming at uni to get your foot on the coding career ladder. With the right help, training and support, you could go from absolute beginner to junior engineer in as little as 13 weeks — no qualifications required. Here’s how… For those pursuing a career in software development, the…

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Reduce: Five Unusual Uses

…for the best thing in JavaScript The array method reduce is the best thing in JavaScript, but it’s only existed as a native method of the language since 2009 or so, when the 5th Edition of ECMAScript was released. Before then, people would have relied on their own or other implementations. Even now, there are arguments for going elsewhere…

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React: componentWillMount to be deprecated!

Our React teaching team follow developments in the Facebooks UI-creating library very closely. We update our curriculum every 2 weeks, and recently they came across an update worth sharing with everyone! This is a blog for anyone who builds User Interfaces with React! Some very important features are improving – but it’s important everyone knows…

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JavaScript: The Spread Operator

The spread operator is awesome. It can do SO much — it’s efficient, readable, and can save a whole load of mess. I don’t know how you can not love it! It’s a reasonably new feature of JavaScript that came with ECMA2015 (or ES6, if you prefer, although the former is technically correct!) — or for those unfamiliar with…

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