If you’re like most programmers, you spend countless hours reading code. Perhaps you read code online or in a book. Or maybe you just keep an eye out for new resources to learn more. Whatever your method, it’s important to keep up with the language. You need to know where to find good programming language references so that you don’t get stuck working with outdated or poorly written code.
You also need to know how to quickly scan through dozens of resources and choose the best ones for your project. With this article, you can get an overview of good programming language references and where to find them in order to stay current and productive in your career as a programmer. Read on to learn more!
What Do Good Programming Language References Look Like?
A good programming language reference is a detailed guide that walks you through how to write code in that language. You’ll find this information in books and online, but a good reference should include:
A clear explanation of the language syntax and how expressions work.
A description of all the available keywords, operators, and constants.
A detailed list of all the functions and variables you’ll need to use.
Selecting a Notebook Reference
A good reference should be organized according to function. This means the reference should have a section for each major topic you’ll need to know about in your code. For example, if your reference looked like this, you’d see a section for variables, a list of operators, and a list of functions. You should also ensure the book is updated regularly.
Old material should be discarded and new topics covered. This way, you stay ahead of the game and don’t forget about important topics as you work your way through the code.
Online Resources
If you’re looking for a quick refresher on a certain topic, you can find plenty of videos and guides online. However, there are a few things to keep in mind. First, many of the links and videos tend to be outdated. That means it’s important to verify the information you choose to trust is good and up-to-date.
Sometimes, the best resource is Google, as the company’s search engine results are often updated before people’s eyes. Google’s update mechanism often means you get fresh information without being informed of old errors or omissions. You can also search for topics in languages you’re learning and see how much current information is available in your target language.
Books and Other Publications
Many books and bookshelf articles are written from a code-first, data-second mindset. This means the book’s focus is mainly on the algorithm and data structure behind the code, but few books will tell you how to write the code. Books with a data-first approach are fantastic for programmers who are new to a language but don’t have a background in data visualization and analysis.
However, if you’re an experienced programmer and looking for a refresher on a certain topic, you should consider picking up a book that focuses on the code. Some books are written this way because the data-first mindset is meant to be quick and easy to understand, while the code-first mindset emphasizes on concepts and algorithms.
Books with both approaches are a great way to go; you’ll get a good overview of both data and code-driven programming.
In a Nutshell
When it comes to choosing a programming language reference, you want one that’s easy to understand and has clear examples. You don’t need to read the book from cover to cover, but it’s important to get a basic understanding of the concepts so that you can easily follow along with the code examples.
After that, you want to find a reference that’s organized according to use rather than type. This means the reference should have a section for each major topic you’ll need to know about in your code. A good reference should also be updated regularly and include examples that use the latest and greatest features in the language.
You don’t need to examine every line of code in the reference book, but ensure it includes examples that use the latest and greatest code features. When in doubt, always choose the source code example rather than a sample from the reference. This is a quick way to get a feel for the language and is often more accurate than examining a reference document line by line.
You can also find many excellent programming language reference books on Amazon. Choose the right book for your needs and for your career.