How to Code: Simple Data

The course has one thing going for it: it's just about the only MOOC that is an introduction to functional programming and program design. So, if you want that, you really don't have any other options.

However, the quality and clarity of this course compared to other, better-known, introductory courses (e.g., HarvardX's CS50, MITx's Introduction to CS with Python, and Rice's Introduction to Interactive Programming in Python) is just depressing.

As another reviewer points out, the course needlessly develops its own terminology for well-known concepts and practices already present in the industry. The course will then harshly quiz you and grade your submissions using these non-standard concepts and practices. So, at best the course prepares you for it's final project (it actually doesn't even do this, but that's another matter...), but not for real industry jobs which don't use this course's esoteric approach.

There's also the issue that the course programming language is Racket. Racket's advantage is that it's simple. But this advantage is easily outweighed by the negatives of Racket, the biggest of which is that the language is also pretty esoteric. You won't see racket in a production environment (and for good reason). The language also doesn't transfer well to other popular functional languages. So, your effort to learn Racket is entirely wasted for any purpose outside this course.

TLDR: The course is filled with needlessly tedious and esoteric design schemas and definitions that significantly hinder a productive learning experience. You'll go a lot further, a lot faster, and with a lot less headache by enrolling in any of the other courses mentioned at the start of this review instead of this one.

This is an extraordinary course that I totally recommend taking for everyone looking to learn how to code!!!

You will start by learning BSL, the functional programming language used in the course. I promise you that learning BSL will be great, and that the simplicity of the language will soon prove itself to be very useful at the end of this course and in the next course in the series. How to code: Complex data. This is a functional programming language.

You will learn how to follow certain steps to breakdown a problem that may seem be very complex at first but that after you follow theses steps will become a natural extension of your coding process.

You will learn about recursion, functions, parameters, conditionals, type comments, templates, types of data and how data determines the structure of your code and how analyzing data in your problem determines how your program will look, Binary search trees and so much more.

As a verified student, you can have the great experience of participating in live sessions with Professor Kiczales and with Miss Erika who will answer all your questions LIVE!

At the end of the course, there is a final project where you will "Create your own game!" yes, that's right. You will be making a full arcade-type game all by yourself and you will see that by implementing what you've learned in the course, it will be so much easier than you initially thought.

Trust me, this course is worth it, and if you wish to continue the Micromasters it will be the foundation for your next courses. I am currently on How to Code: Complex Data and this course was the foundation for the next course with is more complex and where you will lean so many interesting elements of programming.

Interesting course that has taken much of the guess work out of working with data and designing functions. It teaches a systematic approach for programming with an emphasis on letting the data build the function as well as test-driven development.

This course was different than any I have previously taken. It uses Beginning Student Language which can feel tedious at times, but there is value in this choice. The course was very well organized. There were only a couple topics that could've used more explanation, though this is probably why the course was split into two (taking the second now).

I am glad to have taken this course and only wish that I would've had this available 5 years ago when I started programming because it creates good habits from the beginning. If, like me, you have been programming on your own for a while but feel you could be better, I highly recommend this course. Just remember not to overthink recursion, trust it!

It's really basic course about basic concepts at programming and program design. You will learn (but no one will tell you about it explicitly) about TDD (Test Driven Development) and DDD (Domain Driven Design).

It's not bad course. But I'm really biased because of language that was chosen for this course. I just can't stand it, can't stand those animation tasks. It's just not interesting and unpleasant to do with BSL.

Probably, if you already have some a programming experience you'll get all necessary information from first 3 modules (HtDF, HtDD, HtDW). They'll provide good framework to build programs. They'll tech you think in a right way. But next modules not so helpful, IMO.

But if you are beginner with no experience or very little one, probably it's a good way to start your journey to programming and obtain solid foundation for it.

This is the first programming MOOC I have ever taken. Prior to taking it, I had attempted to read programming books with the intention of learning how code. It didn't take long before I realized that I hated reading books about programming. Not because the books I read were uninformative (though there are plenty that I could nominate as morbidly boring) but rather they lack the type of interaction to be found in a MOOC; which as a beginner is crucial because when you get stuck you need help from your peers.

The main lesson to take away from this course certainly has to be systems thinking which is emphasized throughout by the professor. As I build up my programming experience with each day that passes, I am slowly beginning to appreciate the massive advantages it offers. Whenever I wrote a program that didn't do what was required, more often than not it was because of adopting "verbal reasoning" as I punched in the code. As soon as I started asking myself the "why" and "what" certain pieces of code in the program were doing, I quickly found where I'd veered off course.

As a beginner, I did this course slower than most (just over a month) but I believe the extra time I spent on it will certainly pay dividends in the future. To sum up, I rate this MOOC very highly and look forward to completing SPD2 and SPD3.

Perfect course for people who really want to start coding from the very beginning. This course helps you convert tough problems to very small yet functional and easy readable pieces of code with obvious structure. It focuses on the structure of the data that should be represented by a program which helps to maintain the same structure in functions. Design recipes allow you to break a problem apart and not to overthink before you start coding. Those algorithms are perfect for figuring out what should be the next step when you are still working on the current one. Data definitions, data-driven templates for functions, tests of each small function are what make you solve really difficult problems without feeling stressed about stupid mistakes.