CoCalc Blog

If you are new to coding, CoCalc makes it easy to get started. All you need is a web browser and an Internet connection. You don’t have to install software on your computer to start learning Python, R, Julia, and other leading open-source languages.

Once you have decided to start learning, what do you do next? Here are some suggestions:

• It helps to have a simple programming task as a goal that you can approach in small steps. But if you’re not sure where to start, you can open a project and click (+)New, then scroll down to “Library” and view the list of topics. If you click on a topic, for example “First Steps in CoCalc”, a description and small image appears. Click “Get a copy” to have a copy of the material loaded into your project, where you can step through the instructions. There’s more information in the CoCalc blog.

• Find your support system. Whether it’s in person or online, it helps to have study pals to discuss questions and share ideas. There are links for online support for specific languages at the CoCalc wiki Support page.

• If you get stuck, try the Assistant button at upper right in Jupyter notebooks and Sage worksheets. But also recognize that getting stuck can be a normal part of the learning process, and the answer may come to you after a short while.

• If something puzzles you about how CoCalc works, click the Help button. If your question involves a specific file, click on Help after navigating to that file. We love getting feedback!