Before jumping into this, you know, when we start a new project, there are a few things we need to bring along. Of course, these vary depending on what you’re working with, but they generally form a basic foundation. You don’t need professional equipment initially, I should mention that. I mean, thinking back to my early days, I was amazed at what I could do with just a few inexpensive parts.
Anyway, first of all, you should have a computer, of course. This has become indispensable. Also, depending on your field, some basic tools can make your work much easier. For example, if you’re working with electronics, a solderless breadboard, a few jumper wires, and basic components like resistors and capacitors are enough for starting out. Sometimes, even a USB flash drive is sufficient, think about that.
Sometimes, just setting up an IDE, an integrated development environment, is enough. For instance, if you’re writing a REST API with C#, Visual Studio Community edition is perfectly sufficient. Or if you’re working on the web, a lightweight and fast editor like VS Code will do the job. These tools aren’t absolutely necessary, but having them makes your work faster.
During this initial setup phase, one of the most important things is to check the system requirements of the software or tool you’re going to use. Sometimes, you might download and install a program excitedly, only to realize your computer can’t handle it well. Then you start thinking, “Why did this happen?” I experienced that myself, when my own program simply couldn’t run 🙂
So, taking the right first step is crucial. Before downloading your IDE or tool, visit their websites and look at the system requirements. Usually, this information is provided there. But sometimes, even if your system meets the requirements, you might still experience performance issues. That probably depends on the software’s own optimization or your computer’s current state.
In short, the most important thing at the beginning is to decide what you want to do and acquire the most basic tools accordingly. No need for more initially. Especially if you’re living in Bursa like me, everything isn’t very close, but ordering online is now very easy. It can arrive at your doorstep within a few days.
For example, when working with C#, I first install the .NET SDK. This provides everything needed to compile and run C# code. Then, I install the Visual Studio Community IDE. It’s not a very large program, and it runs comfortably on most computers. With these two, I’m ready to develop a basic C# application. Sometimes I wonder if it was this easy in the past. I think not. Now, everything is at our fingertips.
If you’re also interested in electronics, you should definitely get a development board like Arduino or Raspberry Pi. Arduino is more suitable for beginners, especially for learning purposes. Raspberry Pi is more like a mini computer; you can install an operating system on it and use it for more complex projects. I’ve used both, and each has its own advantages.
Setting up a Raspberry Pi can be a bit more detailed and requires a separate discussion. But for Arduino, it’s simpler. You get the board, connect it to your computer with a USB cable, install the Arduino IDE, and you’re ready! Write your code, upload it, and it works! Isn’t that great?
Of course, these are just the areas I personally work with and know. If you’re interested in something else, the required tools might be different. For example, if you’re doing data science with Python, you might need to install distributions like Anaconda. Or if you’re developing mobile applications, tools like Android Studio or Xcode will be helpful. Every field has its own ecosystem after all.
For me, during the initial setup, the most important thing is to test whether everything is working correctly. So, after installing the program, let’s run it and see. Even a simple “Hello World!” application is enough to test. If that doesn’t work, there’s a mistake somewhere. Finding and fixing those errors is part of the process as well.
When I said my program failed in class, I didn’t mean that literally. It was more of a test. But initial setup errors usually come from incorrect installation or missing components. That’s why it’s crucial to be careful with every step and test everything you install.
Also, sometimes, updates for the software you installed don’t come automatically. In such cases, you need to check manually. Of course, this isn’t always the case; some software notifies you of updates, while others update automatically. Anyway, that’s a detail to keep in mind during the initial phase.
In summary, the necessary materials and initial setup lay the foundation for what you’ll do. There’s no need to overthink it initially. Decide what you want to do, acquire the essential tools, install, and test them. The rest will improve with time and experience. Isn’t that wonderful?
If you’d like a code example, I can show you how to set up a simple REST API endpoint with C#. Let’s skip Dapper for now and just keep it a basic example. Like this:
public class MessageController : ControllerBase { [HttpGet] public IActionResult GetMessage() { return Ok("Welcome! This is your first API endpoint."); } }This is just a GET endpoint that returns a simple message. You can use this in an ASP.NET Core project. Create a new project with the “ASP.NET Core Web API” template in Visual Studio, and add this code to a Controller file. It’s a pretty simple start, isn’t it?
That’s how initial setups usually go. A bit exciting, a bit uncertain. But trust me, once you take that first step, the rest gets easier. At least, that’s how it seems to me.