Learning to code means working with a lot of different software and programs. But this doesn’t necessarily mean you have to spend a lot of money on them. Many free, open-source tools can help you get the job done just as well. Let’s explore them.
Table of Contents
Benefits of open source tools
Open-source software is typically free, so you can forget buying expensive licenses. In addition, they offer greater flexibility and promote innovation since developers can use and modify the source code as they want. And fitting them to their specific needs can lead to faster development processes.
Another big advantage is that open-source tools often have an active community working together to improve the software. This means that developers can benefit from the expertise and feedback of others to improve their work. It also leads to faster detection and resolution of security vulnerabilities since the source code is accessible to everyone.
Furthermore, open-source tools are becoming increasingly popular within the EU. According to the GDPR, data protection can be enabled, so digital sovereignty (the ability to control digital data) can be strengthened and promoted through these tools.
Open source tools you should know
At Codecool, we work with open-source tools, among many other things. So we have a nice overview of the best and most useful ones. We’ve summarized the most important tools for you and additionally will introduce some other technologies that are useful in software development and DevOps. You should get to know these if you’re interested in coding.
Git
Git is a version control system that helps developers manage their work while working on a software. It also helps save code, track changes, collaborate with other developers, and manage different versions.
In contrast to other tools, Git saves all changes locally on the developer’s computer instead of storing them on a central server. This means that each developer can work independently and make changes on their own computer without waiting for others.
Plus, Git also offers various features and tools to make collaboration between developers easier and simplify work on a project. It’s a highly flexible and useful tool worth keeping in your mind. At Codecool, we use Git from the beginning of the Full-Stack Course through the end.
VS Code
VS Code (Visual Studio Code) is a cross-platform, open-source code editor developed and published by Microsoft. It is one of developers’ most popular code editors, especially for web development.
VS Code offers many features that help developers work more efficiently, such as auto-completion, syntax highlighting, debugging tools, Git integration, and various extensions to extend the editor’s functionality. The editor supports many languages, including Java, Python, C#, JavaScript, and TypeScript.
One of the notable features of VS Code is its ability to support remote development. Developers can use VS Code to access remote servers or Docker containers and work directly in the editor in these environments.
Postgres
Postgres, also known as PostgreSQL, is a database management system software. Its main purpose is to help manage large volumes of data. It’s a robust, scalable, powerful database designed for enterprises and demanding applications. It supports a variety of database types and offers a wide range of features, including transaction security, parallel processing, support for JSON and other document formats, replication, and scalability.
Furthermore, Postgres is one of the most popular databases worldwide and is used by companies, organizations, and developers for a variety of applications, from simple web applications to large database clusters that are essential for critical enterprise processes.
We use PostgreSQL at the end of the Object Oriented Programming module, the fourth in our Full-Stack Development Course.
Docker
Docker is a platform for building, deploying, and managing applications in so-called containers. A container is a standardized unit that contains applications and their dependencies to enable consistent and fast deployment across different infrastructures.
Docker allows developers to run applications in an isolated container environment, independent of the underlying hardware and operating system. Containers are lightweight and start in seconds, allowing for rapid deployment and scaling of applications.
Another advantage of Docker is running different applications in separate containers on a single host. This allows developers to efficiently develop and test various applications without interfering with or disrupting each other.
If we managed to spark your interest, join the community. Open-source projects offer a great way to improve your programming skills and get involved. Docker, for example, is used during some of the Advanced branches in our Full-Stack Development Course.
Kubernetes
Kubernetes is a platform that acts to create and manage container-based applications. It automates the process of scaling, managing, and failing over containers and applications to ensure that they operate efficiently and reliably in a container environment. Kubernetes also helps developers* and DevOps teams manage complex applications and ensure they are always available.
In addition, there is the Kubernetes Operator. This leverages the Kubernetes API to extend the functionality of the Kubernetes platform by allowing users to deploy and manage custom applications on Kubernetes easily.
If we managed to spark your interest, join the community. Open-source projects offer a great way to improve your programming skills and get involved.
How to work with open-source projects as a beginner developer?
As a beginner programmer, it can be challenging to get involved in open-source projects, but there are many ways to get started. Here are our tips:
Large open-source projects are complex, requiring a lot of experience to get familiar with their code structure. Therefore, as a beginner, it can be challenging to provide useful code for the project’s core. For this reason, start by searching for open-source projects that interest you and that match your programming language and experience.
Carefully read the documentation. Most projects have detailed documentation that explains how to work with the project and how to contribute.
Use issue trackers. These are systems used by open-source projects to manage bug reports, suggestions, and improvements. Look for issues that you can work on and offer to fix them.
Many open-source projects have an active community where you can interact with other developers and seek advice. Join the community, ask questions, and learn from other developers.
If you are still uncertain, start with small contributions such as improving the documentation or fixing typos. This will help you get familiar with the project and gain experience before taking on more complex tasks.
You can also start working on your own projects. Publish your own code snippets, packages, or libraries, and ask other developers for feedback.
Codecool offers a comprehensive learning experience where you will learn multiple programming languages, key technologies, and valuable soft skills from our professional mentors.
You will gain real-world experience by completing practical tasks in an agile work environment and will be able to work in the IT industry immediately after graduating.
Are you interested in our courses? Contact us, and together we will find the perfect education for you!
Do you have any questions? We look forward to answering them at our next Info Session.