The onset of this new decade has been full of surprises. From the revelation of dark political secrets to astounding pandemic impact, the world has already seen a lot in these first four months.
While the pandemic has brought the world to a grinding halt, it has also brought into the light the various concepts that can help us to improvise and maintain the semblance of normality in these testing times. One of those concepts in the reduced reliance on physical means.
As people are forced to stay inside their homes, they are looking for avenues to carry out their daily tasks without the need to step out. Technology is making it doable for them.
From studies to business to communication – we are doing everything at home. People have now realized that they could achieve incredible rewards while sitting at home.
Network Programming – The Bright Future
To survive in this tech-savvy world, one needs to be good at technology. One of the best ways to upgrade yourself is to learn network programming skills. It involves writing programs that communicate with other programs across a network.
It will be the ultimate skill requirement for the time to come. According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, the employment of programmers will decline 7 percent between 2018 and 2028. It means that individuals can program networks and computers from anywhere in the world.
As companies will look to outsource their programming, it will be a golden opportunity for people with a knack of programming to make good money.
To be good at programming, you should always be looking for ways to improve your skills. You should always look for new information that can help you grow. Learning them at home, when you have all the time, has also become pretty easy. Following are the four ways how:
1. Register for Online Courses
Online education has seen massive growth in recent years. According to a report from the Education Department’s National Center for Education Statistics, the number of students who took some of their courses online grew by more than 350,000 between 2017 and 2018.
Going by these numbers, it is certain that there is a course for everything on the internet. You will find plenty of network programming courses online too. These courses will introduce you to different kinds of computer networks.
They enlighten you about the new ways of transmitting data securely across the computers. And you also learn about routing, DNS, World Wide Web (www), etc. These courses will:
• Explain transmission of data (Ethernet, Wi-Fi) and network protocols (HTTP, FTP, etc.)
• Enlighten how data encapsulates in an IP packet and a data frame for transmission
• Help to apply knowledge of the real-world usage of network technology
As for those who are already in the field, they can opt for advanced courses. These are the courses addressing sophisticated concerns like what is the difference between a /32 network and a /24, or how to reset network settings, etc.
You can also enroll in a Coding Boot camp, traditional four-year university course, or register at special programs offered by Udemy or Coursera.
A piece of advice here; always analyze the credibility of the instructor/institute. Check out if the certification is available and look at current reviews/ratings.
2. Subscribe to Newsletters
Changes in network programming happen all the time. There are lots of forums that enable you to keep track of new developments. However, following every one of these portals gets exhausting. The best way to make things easy for you are the weekly curated newsletters.
These newsletters contain high-quality and verified information. Here are some of the newsletters you can sign up for:
• O’Reilly Programming Newsletter
• Changelog Weekly
• Hackernewsletter
• Status Code Newsletters
• GitHub explore
Each of these newsletters gathers the recently introduced ideas in network programming. You get information directly from the industry insiders. They also serve as your manual to find the next open source project.
Some of these may also offer exclusive access to high-level content. Thus, bringing you one step closer to become an expert in network programming.
3. Read Network Programming Books
One of the fastest ways to improve your skills is to follow the footsteps of people who are experts in this domain. You can seek help from a mentor. However, if you can’t do that, you can avail of the very benefits just by reading their books or their blogs.
Few of the best network programming books we recommend are as under:
• Python Machine Learning
• Unix Network Programming Vol. 1
• Boost.Asio C++ Network Programming Cookbook
• Go Programming for Network Operations
• Programming and Automating Cisco Networks
When reading these books, you may get stuck at some points. Our next point presents the solution that too.
4. Learn from others
Never think of home-learning to be useless or less credible than taking a course at the university. Learning from authentic and reliable online sources is as rewarding as studying the same course in a university.
You can seek expert help from the local users’ group like Stack Overflow. Show your code and request them for feedback. Do not feel scared of criticism and negative comments. They will tell you what you need to improve. They can also explain a complex error in the algorithm that you’re finding hard to grasp.
There are hundreds of people readily available to help you out. Don’t be afraid to reach out to them. After all, you’re the one who is benefitting here.
Final Thoughts
When it comes to network programming, the world is a different place. You must have vast knowledge to excel. Staying in the learning loop is essential for all participants in this field.
Bear in mind; no shortcut will help you become a better programmer. You must show patience and hunger to learn. A self-motivated individual never stops due to physical barriers. Instead, he improvises his way to circumvent the obstacles.
If you need to know further, reach out in the comments section. Our experts will guide you in the best possible manner.
