How Long Does it Take to Learn Code Editors?

Like many aspiring developers, you might want to learn code editors but worry that it will take too much time. However, you can learn the basics of a code editor fairly quickly. If you are already versed in the central concepts of coding, you can gain reasonable facility with a code editor with as little as a month of regular practice. Other factors in the speed of your learning will include your motivation for studying coding, which code editor you choose, how regularly you practice, and your personal speed of learning. Keep reading to learn about how you can learn code editors and some resources to help speed the process along.

What are Code Editors?

A code editor is a type of developer tool, widely used by programmers to facilitate their writing process. It’s a standalone program that developers will write their code in before entering it where it will ultimately be executed. Code editors provide features that make coding more efficient and give the programmer more clarity about how their code functions. Code editors have been in use since 1985, when IBM developed the first one. 

Prior to the invention of code editors, coders generally wrote in a word processing program before transferring their code to be executed. The importance of code editors is that they are specifically designed for writing programs efficiently. Unlike a word processing program, the creators of a code editor build all of its features with this purpose in mind. Standard features of a code editor include live parsing, syntax highlighting, automatic indentation, auto-completion, and expandable code snippets.

One of a code editor’s most important features is color-coded syntax highlighting. The code editor parses the code in real-time to identify its key elements—such as variables, commands, and functions—and highlights them in different colors to help the programmer see the code’s structure more clearly. Another aspect of code editors that clarifies structure is the automatic indentation of code that runs inside functions or loops, so the coder can see that this code is subordinate to the larger structure of the program.

Code editors typically include built-in error-checking, which allows coders to avoid tedious debugging by hand. Like search engines, code editors also have an auto-complete feature, which saves time by anticipating and suggesting what you might want to write next. Another time-saving element of most code editors is the ability to use built-in code snippets to execute the same code repeatedly. Some editors let you create custom code snippets for your specific projects. Many of them can also work with plug-ins that increase their functionality. 

On a higher level, code editors make it easier for a Developer to navigate code files and resources as they work. Today, almost every Developer uses a code editor. For beginners, the most popular code editor is Visual Studio Code. Other beginner-friendly code editors include Atom, Notepad++, and Sublime.

Read more about what code editors are and why you should learn them.

What Can You Do with Code Editors?

Code editors allow a Developer to write error-free code more efficiently. They come equipped with features that facilitate the coding process. These features include syntax highlighting, automatic indentation, error-checking, autocomplete, and code snippets. That’s why their use is practically universal among developers today.

Color-coded syntax highlighting allows the coder to see the structure of their code. The code editor identifies in real-time what type of coding element the programmer is using, and uses color highlighting to mark variables, commands, and functions in the code. The live parsing that makes syntax highlighting possible also allows code editors to provide automatic indentation. Sections of code that are subordinate to the overall program, like those within functions or loops, are indented to show the relationship they bear to the rest of the code.

Another aspect of code editors that increases developer efficiency is the error-checking function, which allows the coder to avoid hours of tedious debugging. Many code editors have an autocomplete function, just as search engines do. This saves you time by anticipating and suggesting what you may want to write next. Code snippets also speed up your process by allowing you to avoid typing the same lengthy bit of code over and over again.

Average Time it Takes to Learn Code Editors

Experts say that, on average, becoming comfortable with coding basics takes about 3-6 months with training or about a year on your own. If you use a code editor for all your coding, you will likely pick up the code editor itself faster than you become fully comfortable with coding, which is more complex. If you are already familiar with coding or you practice often, you can expect to learn a beginner-friendly code editor in 1-3 months. If you choose a less intuitive code editor or don’t practice regularly, 6 months is a more realistic time frame.

Other Factors

Factors that affect your learning time frame will include your degree of prior coding experience, your reason for choosing to learn coding and code editors, and which code editor you choose to learn. Personalized aspects such as the regularity of your practice and your natural learning speed will also shape the timeline.

Prior Experience with Coding

If you already have experience with coding, you’ll be familiar with the basic concepts that code editors are framed on, such as variables, commands, functions, and loops. Understanding the varied elements that the color-coded syntax highlighting refers to will make your initial encounters with the code editor less confusing. If you’ve been working without a code editor, you will likely also find the features offered by the code editor liberating.

Motivation for Learning Coding and Code Editors

As with any learning process, a big part of how quickly and well you learn will depend on why you are studying the topic. If you’re strongly motivated because you are excited at the prospect of seeking a new career through coding, you’ll likely learn more quickly. Those simply exploring coding as a hobby will probably experience a more gradual learning process.

Which Code Editor You Choose

Because code editors vary in their level of beginner-friendliness, the code editor you choose to start with will affect how quickly you learn code editors as well. When getting started, it’s wise to choose a code editor specifically designed for beginners, such as Microsoft’s Visual Studio Code.

How Regularly You Practice

Another factor that affects any learning process is the regularity of the student’s practice. If you are committed to practicing frequently, you’ll pick up code editors more quickly.

Your Personal Speed of Learning

Regardless of any other factor, each person has a unique speed of learning that is natural to them. Some tend to pick up basic concepts quickly, making rapid progress at the beginning of their studies. Others build their knowledge more slowly and deliberately. You know yourself and your process, and that will help you know what to expect. 

Level of Difficulty, Prerequisites, & Cost 

The difficulty of learning code editors can vary. Your particular experience will depend in part on the code editor you choose. When you’re getting started, especially if you are also new to coding, you’ll want to make sure you choose a beginner-friendly program like Visual Studio Code. If you choose the right code editor, the challenges you encounter while learning it will be more the challenges of learning to code than challenges specific to the code editor. For example, the color-coded syntax highlighting in a code editor won’t tell you anything until you are familiar with coding concepts like variables, commands, and functions.

Before you learn how to use code editors, you will need basic computer skills, an understanding of basic coding concepts, and at least some knowledge of a programming language. The computer skills you will need include the ability to save a file in multiple versions. In addition to the basic coding concepts mentioned above, you’ll want to learn about loops, so that you can make sense (and use) of the automatic indentation feature in a code editor.

Most code editors are free to download. The cost of coding-focused training can range from $0 for introductory video tutorials through $3500-17,000 for a bootcamp. Opting for more traditional study through a four-year college degree can cost up to an average of $54,501 yearly for tuition at a private university.

Read about how difficult it is to learn code editors.

Watch a Free Code Editors Online Course

Perhaps, as you read about code editors, you’re thinking that this sounds like an interesting skill, but you’re not quite ready to start a full coding course. If so, you may simply want an overview of code editors, which you can generally acquire for free online. Noble has a free tutorial on the Visual Studio Code editor to get you started with that program. If you want to learn more about code editors in general, there are some courses available at Udemy that will take you through how code editors work and what you can do with them. Udemy, Coursera, and Skillshare all have courses on the use of specific code editors.

Read about more free videos and online tutorials on how to use code editors.

Learn Coding with Hands-on Training at Noble Desktop

When you study coding at Noble Desktop, the expert instructors and small class sizes will expedite and enhance your learning process. Noble’s varied training formats allow you to choose the type of training that will work best for you, whether that’s in-person or live online. Once you’ve finished a Noble course, you can retake that class for free, which can be helpful if you’d like to learn even more about coding. Coding courses at Noble include the use of code editors and other vital developer tools.

Noble has several certificate programs in coding. Your choice of program will depend on why you want to learn the skill. If you’re interested in becoming a Web Developer, you might want to enroll in a certificate in full stack development, unless you’re exclusively interested in front end work. In that case, the front end web development certificate program might be for you. Noble’s certificate in JavaScript development is also a good option for aspiring Web Developers. Students looking to become Data Scientists may want to check out the Python Developer certificate program.

If you’d prefer to start with an individual class before leaping into a certificate program, you can study coding in-person or take live online coding classes.

Key Insights

• Students can learn a code editor in as little as a month, but it can also take up to 12 months, depending on a number of factors
• These factors include:
• Your previous experience with coding
• Your reason for learning coding and code editors
• Whether you choose a beginner-friendly code editor
• The frequency of your practice sessions
• How quickly you naturally learn
• You can receive comprehensive training in how to use code editors through an in-person or live online course with Noble Desktop