Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Ask HN: Self-taught webdev with lots of free time. What should I learn?

news.ycombinator.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

171–180 of 326 posts

Re: Ask HN: Self-taught webdev with lots of free time. What should I learn?

#171

Post by cloverich »

bszupnick wrote: post #57
_benj wrote: post #34

I'm a self-taught webdev too and I would strongly recommend learning SQL, not just `SELECT * ...` but really learning it! I've been digging into postgreSQL and in quite a few applications it's possible to greatly reduce the complexity of the backend by receiving exactly the data you need from the DB. It is so much so that in cases you can even "get rid" of the backend completely (yes, no writing controllers and endpo…

Any specific resources to recommend?

I've only used it as a reference, but the art of postgresql is pretty solid. In general any webdev who isn't skilled at SQL is missing out on an easy way to level up. SQL is crazy powerful, versatile, and scalable, and takes a small amount of time to gain proficiency, and stays with you. I methodically read one 350 page book in 2012 and still feel I understand SQL better than most I come across. That's kind of silly. I recommend learning enough to understand the gist of aggregates and window functions. Once you understand what they can do, you can easily reference the syntax when needed.

[1]: https://theartofpostgresql.com

Re: Ask HN: Self-taught webdev with lots of free time. What should I learn?

#174

Post by eagsalazar2 »

phenkdo wrote: post #172

Why not try something very different outside of programming? Such as learning to play an instrument, a foreign language, Jiu Jitsu etc. In the long run, such offbeat pursuits have a multiplier effect.

I learned Banjo a few years ago while freelancing. The trick is to hang it right next to your desk. You'll play it way more and keep playing it as a nice break (vs watching youtube videos).

Re: Ask HN: Self-taught webdev with lots of free time. What should I learn?

#175

Post by geocrasher »

XCSme wrote: post #115
geocrasher wrote: post #63

Earlier quoted context omitted.

^^^^ I'm not a dev, but regex is so much better when you understand what it's doing (I'm not claiming that knowledge in full!) The Book: http://regex.info/book.html I bought an older edition for a lower price, got through 7 or 8 chapters, and never touched it again- and I STILL gained huge amounts of knowledge and am much better at regex than I ever thought I'd be. Highly recommended!

Honest question, why would you read a book about Regex? I personally find it a lot easier to learn how it works just by going to sites like https://regex101.com/ and trying things out while reading their docs.

Because it was highly recommended to me by a sysadmin I respected who was extremely proficient with regex. Sure, there are sites too, but after reading the book, the sites weren't really needed. I personally got more value from the book. It's subjective, of course.

Re: Ask HN: Self-taught webdev with lots of free time. What should I learn?

#177

Post by thatcodingdude »

nicoburns wrote: post #168
thatcodingdude wrote: post #167

Earlier quoted context omitted.

By "The Rust Book", do you mean "The Rust Programming Language" ?

Yes indeed. The free online version (which has the same content as the printed version) is available here: https://doc.rust-lang.org/book/

Thanks. Rust has been recommended a bit in this thread so I'll check it out.

Out of curiosity, what's the appeal of learning Rust ? What kind of projects do you use it for ?

I find that I can solve mostly everything with a blend of PHP/JS, but I also never escaped web CRUDy stuff, and PHP is very well suited for these.

Re: Ask HN: Self-taught webdev with lots of free time. What should I learn?

#178

Post by thatcodingdude »

phenkdo wrote: post #172

Why not try something very different outside of programming? Such as learning to play an instrument, a foreign language, Jiu Jitsu etc. In the long run, such offbeat pursuits have a multiplier effect.

Oh, I already have lots of outside hobbies. I'm just trying to make work more fun (I do realize how privileged I am to even think this.)

Re: Ask HN: Self-taught webdev with lots of free time. What should I learn?

#179

Post by snack_man »

newsbinator wrote: post #71
onyb wrote: post #58

Learn web3.js and build dapps. You already have most of the requisite skills under your belt.

I haven't encountered any dapps yet that are useful in day-to-day life. Are there any popular or important ones you could recommend?

Right now best examples are mostly NFT games like Axie Infinity and NBA Top Shot. DeFi arguably qualifies... Decentralized replacements for many siren server offerings will likely be developed over the next decade, no harm in getting started now.

Re: Ask HN: Self-taught webdev with lots of free time. What should I learn?

#180

Post by eatmygodetia »

thatcodingdude wrote: post #177
nicoburns wrote: post #168

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yes indeed. The free online version (which has the same content as the printed version) is available here: https://doc.rust-lang.org/book/

Thanks. Rust has been recommended a bit in this thread so I'll check it out. Out of curiosity, what's the appeal of learning Rust ? What kind of projects do you use it for ? I find that I can solve mostly everything with a blend of PHP/JS, but I also never escaped web CRUDy stuff, and PHP is very well suited for these.

It's a general-purpose programming language, so it can be used for most projects. Most problems can be solved with most languages, sure, but rust is fast and "safe", so people flock to it.

It has some nice features. Personally I never found myself besotted with it, in fact I rather dislike it and suggest ada instead. But rust is much more likely to get you a job.

Post reply on HN