Is it the platform or your own coding skills that make the difference in a project?

This week I received an interesting question by a participant to CODAPPS :

[…] as I continue to work through the lessons, I start to think about the possible limitations regarding the platform that we are working with.

Can the platform that one uses to code with pose a massive limitation on what one can create, or is it more the experience with code and knowledge of code that makes the real difference between what one can and cannot create regardless of the platform?

This is my answer:

I’d say the first limit you’ll hit, and for a long time, is your own coding abilities. This is the limiting factor you should work on. And then, one day, you will get to the point where your coding initiatives and projects are hampered by the tool you are working with. Time to change / explore new ones (at this stage, a review of tools makes you realize all tools have their different constraints…)

So, the trick is not to learn code in a way which ties your hands to a tool, because one day, you’ll probably have to change. The role of codapps in this learning path: just to give you a kick start, and boost your motivation to learn how to code: but definitely not the only tool you should use in your next coding projects.

I hope this helps!