Boot.dev Blog
9 Best Sites to Practice Python Online in 2026
by Maya Chen - Computer science and programming educator at Boot.dev
Compare the best Python practice sites for beginners, interviews, and deeper language skills, with prices, problem counts, feedback, and honest drawbacks.
13 Best Coding Games for Adults to Learn Programming [2026]
by Maya Chen - Computer science and programming educator at Boot.dev
The best coding games for adults in 2026, ranked by whether you type real code. Python games, Steam games, and free browser games, with verified prices.
The Boot.dev Beat. September 2026
by Lane Wagner - Boot.dev co-founder and backend engineer
We just launched one of our biggest courses of the year... twice. Learn Web Security is now live in both Go and TypeScript, and we shipped both versions at the same time so you can learn the same practical security skills in your language of choice. This course has the most code in it of any course on Boot.dev. Hope you enjoy.
9 Best SQL Courses in 2026 (Free and Paid, Verified Prices)
by Maya Chen - Computer science and programming educator at Boot.dev
The best SQL courses of 2026 compared: real prices, hours, which database each one uses, whether you write queries in the browser, and a con for every pick.
11 Best Sites to Practice SQL Online in 2026 (Free and Paid)
by Maya Chen - Computer science and programming educator at Boot.dev
Where to practice SQL in 2026: SQLBolt, pgexercises, SQLZoo, DataLemur, LeetCode, HackerRank, and more, with prices, problem counts, engines, and a con for each.
Python Type Hints: Syntax and Examples for Beginners
by Maya Chen - Computer science and programming educator at Boot.dev
Learn Python type hint syntax for variables, functions, lists, dictionaries, tuples, optional values, and static checking with practical examples.
Python List Slicing: Syntax, Examples, and a Visualizer
by Lane Wagner - Boot.dev co-founder and backend engineer
Learn Python list slicing with an interactive visualizer. See how start, stop, step, negative indexes, copying, out-of-range bounds, and assignment work.
12 Python Practice Problems for Beginners (With Solutions)
by Boot.dev Team - Programming course authors and video producers
Practice Python with 12 beginner-friendly problems covering functions, loops, lists, dictionaries, sets, and unit tests. Each exercise includes a solution.
Python F-Strings: Syntax, Examples, and Formatting
by Lane Wagner - Boot.dev co-founder and backend engineer
Learn Python f-string syntax with examples for variables, expressions, decimals, percentages, padding, alignment, dates, debugging, and escaped braces.
Why Didn't Hard Drives Change in 80 Years?
by Boot.dev Team - Programming course authors and video producers
Hear that rhythmic clicking sound?
17 Fascinating Python Projects for Beginners
by Zulie Rane - Data analysis and computer science techincal author
Explore 17 Python projects for beginners, from text adventures and Django apps to data analysis with NASA, AWS, and TidyTuesday datasets.
Boot.dev vs Codecademy: Which Should You Pick? [2026]
by Maya Chen - Computer science and programming educator at Boot.dev
Boot.dev vs Codecademy compared with verified 2026 facts: pricing, backend career paths, refund policies, and real reviews from both platforms' users.
Coddy vs Boot.dev: Which Should You Use? [2026]
by Maya Chen - Computer science and programming educator at Boot.dev
Coddy vs Boot.dev compared: free tiers, pricing, course depth, certificates, and real user reviews from both platforms, with sources for every claim.
How to Become a Backend Developer in 2026
by Maya Chen - Computer science and programming educator at Boot.dev
How to become a backend developer in 2026: real salary data from five sources, what AI actually did to hiring, realistic timelines, and what employers screen for.
The Best SQL Certifications of 2026 (and Which to Skip)
by Maya Chen - Computer science and programming educator at Boot.dev
Every SQL certification worth knowing in 2026: Microsoft's brand-new DP-800, Oracle 1Z0-071, DataCamp, free options, and when a portfolio beats them all.
8 Best Data Structures and Algorithms Courses [2026]
by Maya Chen - Computer science and programming educator at Boot.dev
Compare the best data structures and algorithms courses of 2026, with verified prices, hours, languages, certificates, and real cons for each.
The Boot.dev Beat. August 2026
by Lane Wagner - Boot.dev co-founder and backend engineer
July was a big month: The Pandas course is live, boss fights got a full rework, the playground received some love, and we shipped a whole new batch of interactive widgets - we even embedded a couple in this newsletter so you can play with them right here.
Slices in Go
by Lane Wagner - Boot.dev co-founder and backend engineer
99 times out of 100 you will use a slice instead of an array when working with ordered lists.
String Formatting in Go
by Lane Wagner - Boot.dev co-founder and backend engineer
Go follows the printf tradition from the C language. In my opinion, string formatting/interpolation in Go is less elegant than Python's f-strings, unfortunately.
Structs in Go
by Lane Wagner - Boot.dev co-founder and backend engineer
Structs are one of Go's core tools for organizing related data.
Variables in Go
by Lane Wagner - Boot.dev co-founder and backend engineer
Variables in Go have a type that is known before the code runs. Here's how declarations, type inference, conversions, and scope work.
Runes in Go
by Lane Wagner - Boot.dev co-founder and backend engineer
Go's rune type lets you work with Unicode code points that can take more than one byte in a UTF-8 string.
Switch Statements in Go
by Lane Wagner - Boot.dev co-founder and backend engineer
Switch statements are a way to compare a value against multiple options. They are similar to if-else statements but are more concise and readable when the number of options is more than 2.
Go Run vs Go Build vs Go Install
by Lane Wagner - Boot.dev co-founder and backend engineer
go run, go build, and go install compile Go packages for different purposes. go run executes a program without saving the binary in your working directory, go build produces an executable from a main package, and go install installs a compiled command on your machine.
Functions in Go
by Lane Wagner - Boot.dev co-founder and backend engineer
Functions in Go can take zero or more arguments.