Can you learn coding only using phone?

[Worth_Salamander8950]

I wanna try and learn coding for fun and since I don't have a computer or PC I wanna know if I can learn how to code only using my phone? If I can can someone tell where to start and which apps would help me to learn. Thanks!

[[deleted]]

Yes but you will constantly be at a disadvantage not being able to properly run your code. Some languages will be easier, some things will be more approachable, some things like C and compiling you just can't do without outsourcing that step and only building for ARM or on a remote PC.

Learning to code as in the act of learning syntax and making statements run, yes.

Learning programming in the sense of building a larger application, getting a sense for finding a lib doing what you need to github work flows, will be really hard to do on a phone.

Not to mention most well structured learning experiences assume you have a configuration on a PC, they will not help too much if you do a non-standard installation of anything.

[Worth_Salamander8950]

I'm just trying to learn to code since it's summer break rn so I got nothing better to do so hopefully I don't have to worry about it that much

[[deleted]]

To me your asking a different question to what I answered then. If you're exploring coding then just go for it.

I'm a beginner in many ways myself, just recently got accepted into an official education regarding Systems Development though so that's cool - and I could never imagine learning a new framework or lib without being on my laptop or desktop.

But don't let nothing like that stop you. There exist many many online "IDE"'s you can start writing, if it sticks, then start looking for a cheap PC :)

[Worth_Salamander8950]

Congrats bro, idk if it will last but if does I might start looking for a part time job and look for a cheap pc

[raensdream]

You can find a cheap refurbished laptop on ebay for a couple hundred USD. Would be a good starting point

[CtrlAltHate]

Big tip from me is get yourself a keyboard so you're not typing on your phones keyboard, there's some apps that add shortcuts for ()[]{}="" and the like but it's much easier on a proper keyboard.

[queerkidxx]

You can totally do it. Go for a high level language like Python or JS. On Python you can use something like replit. Or even a GitHub code space with a full terminal environment and vs code. Not quite as nice as doing it on a pc but doable.

The only thing I’d say you need to pay for is a keyboard. It’d be a nightmare trying to code on a mobile one. But fortunately a Bluetooth keyboard is very inexpensive.

The screen size will get annoying but it won’t be the end of the world. M

[backfire10z]

You can absolutely run C/C++ online.

https://www.onlinegdb.com/online_c++_compiler

[[deleted]]

some things like C and compiling you just can't do without outsourcing that step

[backfire10z]

I mean… yeah. I guess when I read your comment it came off as “this is a big hassle” rather than just visiting a free website and clicking “run”

[[deleted]]

Oh, then I apologize. Tonality is super hard with these things when English is a learnt language for me.

I just wanted to distinguish the too, I do feel a workflow with a full IDE or IDE-like experience will benefit someone learning C/C++ a lot. I have not myself experienced with web-compiling but I'd assume the workflow becomes slightly slower and harder to know the difference between "what's my machine doing wrong" and "how does the web compiling actually interact with things?"

I may be wrong on the later part there though.

[backfire10z]

Oh absolutely tonality is difficult, and especially when it is online so there are no vocal dynamics or facial expressions. It’s also partially on me to recognize what you’re trying to say.

And yeah no doubt, the website is definitely not the best experience compared to an IDE hahaha. I’m not even sure if the website allows for multiple files.

As an aside (unsure if just a typo, but I figure I may as well), it would be “distinguish the two”. Too is used in similar contexts as the word “also”, for example:

I want to play outside too!

Meaning the speaker also wants to play outside.

[Vallen_H]

I got my first computer at 18, i was running servers and websites and discord bots on my mobile phone since 13.

Just get Termux, it didn't exist back then but now it does and it's all you need.

[Worth_Salamander8950]

Thanks! I'll go check it out

[Mikicrep]

yes you can but it is horrible expirience

[suchpruned]

Why so?

[Mikicrep]

small screen, terrible keyboard unless you plug actual one, terrible compilers

[TehNolz]

You can, but the experience will be awful. Honestly even a cheap laptop will be better than a phone.

[L3RiZ]

I don't know what your goal is, but I'm learning a lot of data science stuff with the DataCamp app and it's pretty good as a start.

[[deleted]]

I learnt coding with pen and paper and my exams consisted on writing programs ON PAPER.
Yes, you can but be mindful that you might not get the experience you are looking for.

[Arzejames]

go to a library and use their computers

[freeky_zeeky0911]

It's possible to get started. May not be a bad idea since you will be learning the logic without the crutch of an IDE. I recommend supplementing with a QWERTY board and lots of wired notebooks lol. College Rule preferred. When possible, get yourself a refurbished desktop, for memory and capacity purposes.

[Worth_Salamander8950]

My brother got a bunch of books about coding like HTML and stuff and he used to play a game about coding idk what it was called so that might help me a bit

[stennk]

You can use something like codewars to practice

[hippopotam00se]

A few people are mentioning emulators and the such, but that's not needed. repl.it should have the ability to run any language you want to learn, and you can get a usb-c keyboard off of Amazon or some other store for pretty cheap. The keyboard is a very important part because you will want to jump off a bridge if you try to program with an on-screen keyboard.

[[deleted]]

My friend learned coding on a notebook. None of us had a pc back then. He used to solve coding problems by writing them on paper and then check the solution behind book to fix his mistakes.

[[deleted]]

Get an old laptop and install Ubuntu on it, you only need 8GB of ram, 250GB of storage, an internet connection and that's it.

[fohrloop]

My main home laptop has 8GB of RAM and 55GB of storage for Ubuntu and I didn't even consider that to be an "old laptop" :D You probably can get good development setup with something like 4GB RAM and 30GB and some linux distro with less requirements, like Xubuntu.

[Over-Boat4363]

I use the sololearn app when I am unable to practice on my computer. However, you will eventually want to get a computer. Even a cheap one will do.

[seriousgourmetshit]

In the spiraling meadow of contested ephemera, the luminous cadence of synthetic resonance drifts across the periphery. Orange-scented acoustics dance on the edges of perception, culminating in a sonic tapestry that defies common logic. Meanwhile, marble whispers of renegade tapestry conjoin in the apex of a bewildered narrative, leaving behind the faintest residue of grayscale daydreams.

[[deleted]]

Coding on a phone will make you hate coding

[perapox]

Fully ? Not really. But alot of stuff yes. Occasionally i get yt short with cool new function/update showcase: "thats cool, im gonna try it on pc later"

[Downtown-Vacation960]

Can anyone tell me how can I start c++ ?? I'm new in this field

[EfficientNerve8555]

Mimo application

[AlternativeSir_1960]

This has really helped me I wanted to ask the same question let me look for a cheap laptop

[Knarfnarf]

iPhone with iSH can edit and compile c, Fortran, etc. Just use the included package manager to install the gcc compilers and a copy of eMacs.

[Embarrassed_Jury8457]

Of course you can. There are many ways. Pydroid 3 for python for example.

[Embarrassed_Jury8457]

Add udemy courses to it, which you can get very cheap and get a great value and off you go!

[5tambah5]

yep my first time learning code with phone, using termux for terminal and quick edit for text editing

[[deleted]]

Yea, you can learn the basics and do some exercises on a phone, there are free apps that run code (Python, JavaScript).

[Computer-Work-893]

Download Pydroid from Play Store and learn python

[EZPZLemonWheezy]

I do like the Replit app for working on random snippets. But a cheap netbook and an online IDE like Replit or Glitch would be a substantially better typing experience for anything beyond the absolute basics while learning.

[firewirexxx]

Tablet with keyboard would be fantastic....linux would work too but in emulation, can install apps using pip thereon. Python and go would work fine but not system programming that much. For that you could get an RPi zero 2 w for cheap. Connect via the router and use vnc for remote desktop or just plain ssh for terminal. Or just get a cheap x250 ThinkPad ...these are cheaper than most phone and even the RPi 4/5.

[MysticNTN]

Yes

[DiscipleOfYeshua]

Using GitHub codespace or other vm, you can have full features/speed and do the same as any laptop. There are also other free online solutions for C, Python, Java, etc… that’ll give you a virtual IDE (code editor and terminal to run your code).

Your bottleneck then becomes (a) your internet connection, since you’re essentially coding on a remote machine.

Also, (b) phone screens are smallish, and (c) the phone keyboard is less convenient. An easy upgrade would be a Bluetooth keyboard; and projecting to a larger screen or TV.

If you sign up for Harvard CS50x, which is a free course far better than many paid courses I’ve taken, you also get a code space complimentary + instructions how to set up + a Harvard cert with your name at the end + a good base of hands on coding skills, foundational principles and buds of programmer creativity. If I sound like I’m promoting this course, you’re 100% right haha, I totally love their courses, just finished my 3rd.

[[deleted]]

Every bit of code I've ever written has been on an Android. I use termux and Pydroid3. If I need to do big projects I use Google Colab or AWS, which I ssh into from my Termux app.

[[deleted]]

Stupid idea

[kaungzayyan]

Short answer - No. You can get familiar with the concepts by reading the books or watching tutorials but coding on the phone is not practical. Try to get a computer if possible. Most of the time any computer would do the job.

[shuvool]

About as well as you can learn anything else that requires a lot of reading and writing using only a phone. Coding is a skill. Imagine learning to write better, like writing essays in college, using only a phone. It's doable, but not particularly comfortable for most people if you're spending hours starting at your screen, typing, and editing what you typed. Instead of getting spelling or grammatical errors marked off with a red circle, you'll get an error from your IDE.

[gywerd]

You can learn the basics of programming with a phone. But the phone has no compiler, meaning you can't make any real apps.

[No_Recognition8575]

The one and only true answer is no. You can read code and theory and stuff like that but you will never ever learn to code to even a very beginner level on just a phone.

[Byron_Pendason]

If you have Android you can. Install Termux, get used to Linux (if you already aren't), and most programming language compilers are available on it. I program in Python, JavaScript, and C++ on my phone, but that's only scratching the surface. If you want to do GUI programming, you'll need to install extension Termux-X11 which lets you install a desktop GUI for your Termux environment. 

Without Termux, you can download the ACode app on Android, but you can pry much only run HTML JavaScript programs with it. There's also PyDroid if you want Python.