We all know where to go when you’re looking for any info. In a heated debate? Google. Looking to expand your knowledge? Google. Doing some informal studying? Google. Now Google has released a free app to teach you how to code. Now focus, Grasshopper!

The coding app, Grasshopper, was created by Google’s incubator for employee side projects, called Area 120. Now the workshop has released the Grasshopper app to help beginners learn to code in Javascript, the most widely used programming language — especially in website development.

What does it do?

The app was launched to help beginners learn programming languages on their smartphones. And that’s exactly what it does.

It uses basic teaching methods that become more and more in-depth further down the line, incorporating all the fundamentals you need to know to code in Javascript. It includes the use of quizzes and small tasks (called “puzzles”) that the user has to complete to advance to the next level.

Coding is becoming an essential skill, and the app was created to help people learn how to code on their own time – even if they have day jobs, they can do a few levels after they’ve brought home the bacon. The whole concept of making it accessible on mobile is ideal for anyone who gets bored on their commute on the Gautrain or has an hour to kill after dinner.

You won’t get a qualification when you complete the ‘course’ (or, who knows! We haven’t completed it yet), but on the other hand, no information gained via Google ends up supplying anything formal. If it did, we would definitely have a degree in professional Googling (B.Goo) by now.

Where to get it

Believe it or not, but Google was feeling generous and put Grasshopper into the iOS store as well as the native Android store. It already has over 500,000 downloads on Android alone, and the users seem to have only positive feedback. Happy coding!