G+_Nate Follmer Posted August 22, 2014 Share Posted August 22, 2014 I'm going to go on a mini-rant here, but I think it'll be for the best for all of the newer programmers we have here. All these extra links to 'supplement' some of the things this show can't get to in their lessons are great, but I think we are missing the big picture here. This show is giving new programmers the tools they need, but I feel like we, outside of the show, should be giving newer programmers ideas on how to actually USE these languages. It doesn't matter if you know Pearl, Python, C#, C++, JavaScript, etc... if you don't know how to solve problems. That's all a programmer is really - A problem solver. Even a web designer/devleoper - they are solving a problem. If you can't solve problems, all the languages in the world won't help you. This isn't a knock at the show - The show is doing exactly what it should be - teaching the language. You can't teach what I'm ranting about AND teach a language... Nobody would watch that, nor would you have the time to do it unless you went to a 4 hour format :) Back to my point - You're getting the language from the show, now learn to actually USE what you're being taught. I've worked with countless people who called themselves programmers, who could rattle off syntax like it was their native language, but you asked them to give you every prime number between 1 and 1 million and their head exploded (you'd be surprised at how much you'll need to do odd things like that - and that is actually a very simple problem). Now, here's some links to go along with my whining :) Breaking down problems: http://simpleprogrammer.com/2011/01/08/solving-problems-breaking-it-down/ And... A big list of problems to break down and try: https://projecteuler.net/problems If you really want to get good at this, regardless of what languages you decide to stick with, you need to 'exercise' those muscles. A guess an analogy to go along with my rant is: The show gave you the weight room, it's your job to go in and lift :P I'd rather work with someone who has never used C++, but can 'pseudo-solve' a problem, than someone who knows the syntax to C++, but can't even get the steps outlined to find odd numbers. Problem solving makes you more valuable than any number of languages ever will. http://simpleprogrammer.com/2011/01/08/solving-problems-breaking-it-down Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G+_Fr. Robert Ballecer, SJ Posted August 23, 2014 Share Posted August 23, 2014 Well said... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G+_Nate Follmer Posted August 23, 2014 Author Share Posted August 23, 2014 Thank you Fr. Robert Ballecer, SJ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G+_Michael Polinske Posted August 24, 2014 Share Posted August 24, 2014 I know one programming language really well: Cobol. Give me a problem to solve and I can write the code in Cobol fairly quickly. I am going through the Coding 101 episodes to try to expand my language knowledge. Many of the basics across languages are the same: sequential, looping, conditionals, etc. It's the built in functions and how to use them which are different. Coding 101 is giving us the building blocks. We have to be able to put them together in some useful way to be good programmers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G+_Irene Smith Posted August 25, 2014 Share Posted August 25, 2014 Excellent point. It's easy to look up syntax. If you can't figure out the logic of what you are trying to do, you are in BIG trouble. I just wish that the people who interview for development jobs would get that idea. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G+_Nate Follmer Posted August 26, 2014 Author Share Posted August 26, 2014 Another good exercise is to find the interview questions for development roles in big companies. Google has a great set of questions and they are easily found. Hardly any of them are code questions, but more about problem solving. Most companies I've ever worked with looked for syntax... You're right Irene Smith, you can find anything on the internet, it's knowing WHAT to look for when you're stuck ;) If I had a dollar for every time I used C++ syntax while coding in PHP... But that's another story. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G+_Matthew Reardon Posted August 26, 2014 Share Posted August 26, 2014 I enjoy when coding101 gives the context of how things are used. Many of the learning programming books out there focus only on details (lots of trees but not the forest). Many also appear to be written for someone who already knows how to code in another language and is just looking for syntax. The perl and cgi module was great. I know get how a dynamic web page would be created and have an idea about "web apps". Being able to actually create one is where all the details would come in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G+_Nate Follmer Posted August 27, 2014 Author Share Posted August 27, 2014 Right Matthew and again, I'm not taking away from the show at all and surely I'm not trying to discourage you from programming. The shows purpose is to teach you the languages and it does a great job at it. The problem I see is when many of these new comers think this is enough. I'll even admit to making this assumption when I was fresh out of high school (I was lucky enough to go to a school that offered C++ all four years). Thankfully my first programming 'gig' was with a team making mods with the Unreal Engine and Source Engine. I did this on the side while in college. It was an extremely eye opening experience. Had that been a paid job, I would have been out the door by the second day. Here I go on a rant again... TL;DR - Learn problem solving skills (and high level math if you want to make games/simulations) and you'll be a great programmer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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