Learning to code involves more than just understanding programming languages and knowing how to write scripts. You’ll also need to know how to deploy the applications and websites you develop, understand their compatibility with other apps and test them in live environments. While a web host’s role doesn’t include teaching you to write code, what it does involve is providing you with the right hosting environment, tools and support. Here we explain how a good web host can elevate your coding journey.
Contents
An environment for development
To see your software in action, you’ll need to create an environment in which to run it. While some software can be written and run on a PC, many modern applications are either designed to be accessed online or need storage and processing capabilities beyond the capacity of a PC. To test and develop these kinds of programs, you will need a server, an operating system, a database and a control panel. If your application is for online use, it will also need a domain name so it can be accessed over the internet.
A good web host will help you with all of these requirements. With regard to finding a server, they will have the full range available, including VPS, dedicated servers and cloud servers. They will also provide flexibility with these in terms of storage capacity, processing power, memory and bandwidth, ensuring you have everything you need in terms of computing resources without unnecessarily overspending on resources you might not need. A helpful sales team should be able to advise on the most appropriate choice for your needs.
Your server will also need an operating system that is compatible with your application. A good host will offer a range of these, including Windows Server and various Linux distributions, ensuring you have the right OS for your project. Moreover, with a managed hosting solution, the host will take care of the server admin for you, carrying out tasks like updating and patching the OS, giving you more time to focus on your coding skills.
When it comes to control panels, good web hosts will offer both cPanel and Plesk, the industry-leading panels that come with a wide range of tools to make managing your hosting environment easy. Important tasks you can carry out with these control panels are uploading your coding to the server, setting up and managing databases and configuring your server for the needs of your apps.
When learning to code, you’ll need to know how to work with databases. Not only will a good web host help you create databases quickly with a control panel; they’ll also give you the option to use different databases for your project, such as MySQL and MSSQL.
If you are developing online applications, like a website, you will also require a domain name, such as myapp.co.uk, so it can be accessed over the internet. This is made easy by a good web host, as you’ll be able to choose and register your domain on their website and configure its DNS settings within the control panel.
For more information, read: Why Cloud Storage is Essential for Web Developers
Testing your apps
To ensure that the code you have written works as it should and to iron out any bugs, you will need to test it. A good web host can help you with this by enabling you to create a staging environment and use a version control system. A staging environment is basically a simulated live environment in which your application performs exactly as it would if deployed. However, as it is not actively deployed, it gives you the freedom to make changes without having any impact on a live app. This is ideal for working on existing apps as you can experiment on a clone and not the real thing, avoiding any risk of the live app crashing. You will be able to set up staging areas easily using your control panel.
The great thing about a staging environment when learning to code is you can see how all your changes affect your application in real-time. You won’t need to keep reinstalling your app every time you make a change to your code. Even better, if you use a version control system and make a terrible error, you can restore to an earlier version before that error was made. This is because version control systems track and retain all the modifications you make. Their other advantage is that the repository where different versions are stored can be shared with other developers, enabling you to collaborate with them and improve your coding skills in the process.
Is managed hosting right for developers? Read: 7 Biggest Benefits of Managed Services
Learning languages and frameworks
One of the biggest challenges for coding beginners is learning the various coding languages and frameworks. Which of these you may need to use will depend upon the type of application you are creating and the environment in which it is to be deployed. The types of languages available include Ruby, Pearl, C++, PHP and Python, while frameworks include Django, ASP.NET, CakePHP and Node.js. Aside from these, you might also need to learn to code in CSS and HTML when creating websites.
A good web host will enable you to install and utilise these frameworks so that you can practice your skills and learn to develop applications in the various languages. However, frameworks are not always necessary, for example, if you want to learn to code using PHP, which is a popular language for building CMS websites, you can simply set up a WordPress website in a staging environment and explore how the coding works.
Operating system dilemmas? Read Best Server Operating Systems – Linux and Windows Compared
Support
It’s more than likely that when learning to code and use testing environments, you will need support. A good web host will provide this in a number of ways. Firstly, when starting on your journey, their sales team will help you choose the right hosting solution. This will include finding the most appropriate type of server (VPS, dedicated server or cloud server) and the best hosting plan for your needs and budget. Furthermore, they will also offer managed services to take some of the burden of running your environment from you and provide 24/7 technical support to help you fix any issues quickly. They will also have an extensive blog and knowledgebase with numerous articles to help you learn and do more.
Conclusion
Learning to code goes beyond writing programs, it requires you to learn about setting up and managing hosting and staging environments and testing your applications to ensure they work as required. Good web hosting offers you the infrastructure you need, together with the tools, resources and support required. In addition, the host will provide the flexibility to work on a wide range of projects involving different languages, frameworks and environments.
Ready to get your coding journey underway? Visit our homepage to see our VPS, dedicated server and cloud server options and their developer-friendly features.
