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I wonder what are your strategies for learning a new technology. Do you read one or more books first to get a grasp of what a certain technology is capable for, or do you start developing or practicing creating apps after reading some articles and then googling the missing pieces along the way as you code? I know people who never read books cover to cover and just learn on the go.
I like to have a better grasp of the technology first before starting a project, so I try to read a beginner book first, then some intermediate to advanced books, sometimes before even trying to create an app. Sometimes I just try to have a big picture of all the capabilities of a certain technology before starting to code and just go back to a certain topic when I am about to code. It is sometimes a problem of learning to much firsts before starting coding.
If you try to go and immediately code after reading a few tutorials, you may be able to create a full app without entirely knowing the full capabilities of the technology, and so you may try to do certain things the wrong way when there are a more official way on doing it.
Let's put React.js for example. I can simply learn react by looking at the "Getting Started" and some basic concepts, and then start coding immediately. But then I will miss concepts like redux and other patterns if I don't read an entire book.
What are your thoughts? What is the better way to learn and be comfortable with a certain technology?
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First, there must be a need.
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Or are you a nerd for speed?
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Shouldn't that be a nerd for sperd?
Sent from my Amstrad PC 1640
Never throw anything away, Griff
Bad command or file name. Bad, bad command! Sit! Stay! Staaaay...
AntiTwitter: @DalekDave is now a follower!
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Better a nerd than a hunk.
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Unless you are feeling hunky-dory 
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I always read first, go through a few tutorials then usually dive in. But always go back and read more to pick up advanced concepts. The stuff I'm trying to learn now I've read/reading 3 books, one of them 1600+ pages before writing any code.
Everyone has a photographic memory; some just don't have film. Steven Wright
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That is a lot of patience. Do you employ zen techniques?
modified 27-Aug-18 4:10am.
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No... he is retired 
M.D.V. 
If something has a solution... Why do we have to worry about?. If it has no solution... For what reason do we have to worry about?
Help me to understand what I'm saying, and I'll explain it better to you
Rating helpful answers is nice, but saying thanks can be even nicer.
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The book is TCP/IP Guide, I started reading it a few years ago and couldn't do it. I have a lot of other things to keep me busy so I allot 50 pages per day, one so I don't overloaded and twould so I can digest information.
I'm not familiar with zen techniques, I'm just old.
Everyone has a photographic memory; some just don't have film. Steven Wright
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Old ain't bad. It equates to experience. The danger is as a fellow employee who is equally old demonstrates, don't get rigid in your thinking or methodology. Of course, the shift from functional code to object oriented isn't easy even if you are young.
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With an open mind you'll learn and grow.
Everyone has a photographic memory; some just don't have film. Steven Wright
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LOL! Poorly phrased, but the equally old dude I was referring to sits about 4 feet from me. His mind is partially open as he can create one giant class to do his entire project, but fails to see why anyone would use properties or break classes into smaller explicit classes.
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Randal Vance Cunanan wrote: I like to have a better grasp of the technology first before starting a project, so I try to read a beginner book first, then some intermediate to advanced books, sometimes before even trying to create an app.
How's that working out for you?
This seems like a very ineffective way of learning to me.
Most of what you read won't even stick because you don't know what you're reading about!
A book is fine, but follow along with the examples.
In the end, there's just one way to learn how to code and that's by writing code!
Personally, I go for tutorials on the internet.
Usually, a new technology has a "getting started" section on their website.
After you've seen some of the technology you can dive deeper, perhaps by reading a book.
Scanning through the different tutorials on a technologies' website can also help in knowing what you don't know, for example, you'll find out Vue.js has components which must be registered (whatever that means).
And, after some years of experience, I'll usually think "there's probably a pattern for this" after which I can do a directed search, for example, "share code between angular controllers".
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I need something the technology I'm about to learn is great for. I remember learning OOP from having a task/scheduler project, I had several (related) types of tasks and have solved that via inheritance. Before that, OOP was for me "Namespaces separated by dots" because that was all OOP was doing for me that I needed.
But that's maybe just me. I'm a practical guy and I strugge big time learning something for the very sake of learning it. I need a project, a goal with the new stuff being a better way to reach that goal, then my previous knowledge. Otherwise, I'll do things the most effecient way and if that means that I won't learn anyting new, then that new wasn't a good idea to learn in the first place.
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Same here. Applied learning works, but theoretical just flows on through.
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Learning strategies depend on what kind of a person you are.
I for one can be a bit impatient when trying to learn something new unless I get to do something with it. This is a reason a lot of my learning projects never finish.
OTOH, the things I learn while doing hands-on, tend to stay with me for a while. Can't say the same with reading books and then diving in.
However, I'd pick books over video tutorials any day of the week.
Randal Vance Cunanan wrote: Let's put React.js for example. I can simply learn react by looking at the "Getting Started" and some basic concepts, and then start coding immediately. But then I will miss concepts like redux and other patterns if I don't read an entire book.
React.js is easy enough to start like that and I do not think there is any harm in it. I'd go for the more advanced concepts only when required.
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I prefer to learn basics by watching videos, and reading article. and then try to find out running projects for the same topic on Github or any other online repository, and then tweak my changes in the project to capture advance features of the technology.
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I generally read first.
I like the SAMS books, e.g., "Learn XXX in 21/28 Days". This provides the basics along with coding examples to follow and practice problems to do. For anyone with coding experience, the first 5 to 8 chapters are a breeze though -- the later chapters generally take 30-60 minutes, including practice problems. Note: the books are uneven in quality, but overall I have found them useful.
Then I do something real. I've written address book apps in numerous languages, as I know the requirements and it hits the major points (DB access, display lists, editing, reports, etc.)
After that I hit tutorials and videos for specific things that I need to know. Once I get past the basics, I learn best by doing.
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I can't stand that kind of books. Everything in the book is pretty much easy enough on its own and I feel like I have wasted money almost immediately. I get books I can use to expand my horizons in areas I am likely to need a reference for. Everything before that is easy enough by web example or from IDE help.
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I like to read first, then work the samples in the book. From there I start to change the samples to see what happens and what else can be done. How to 'break it' and how to 'fix it'. Then move to more advanced books and repeat.
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I find as the years pass that it is more about relearning, so I can understand code I wrote a few years ago.
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