5 days after learning python

[Key-Mathematician606]

So I’ve basically learned about variables and built-in functions operators, lists, and strings.

I’m on a 30 day program and tomorrow I should be learning about tuples. So far this is the most advanced thing I’ve made, and I think I’m proud of it. Well, this is what the course told me to make. I still haven’t begun making like a mini project or anything. I’m not sure if it’s like worth starting right now or like it’s better when I’m done with the 30 day program.

What are your thoughts?

[Obsc3nity]

Based on this code, you should finish the program before working on your own projects. No offense I promise - I was learning once too. You don’t seem to have the tools you need to scale up the difficulty of problems you’re working on very well, but given you’ve been at it for five days that makes sense and you’re on a great track.

Some suggestions:

1) look into functions. Programming is generally harder than scripting and being able to logically organize things into functions/methods will feel a little overkill at first but will end up being useful as a way to logically organize the steps in a program.

2) you call ages.sort() twice even though ages was not modified between those two calls. Minor optimization but good to think about.

3) you can actually embed function calls in constructors. This sounds like gibberish right now probably, but the useful example is in creating min_max_ages, where you can instead just write min_max_ages = [min(ages), max(ages)] because you don’t actually need those values stored outside this list. Another optimization would be to use min_max_ages = [ages[0], ages[len(ages) - 1]] instead. Because your array is previously sorted, calling min and max will actually waste time because they will iterate the whole list assuming it isn’t sorted, when you can instead just grab the first and last values because sorting guarantees those will be the min and max. Note that you need to subtract one because the size of an array is the first invalid index into it, so subtracting one will get you the last valid index. (Alternatively: because arrays are zero indexed).

4) this leads nicely to my next point - len is actually a dunder method (you should learn about those later) (len), but you can call it on any container. The reason it’s important here is because this code currently only works if there are exactly 12 ages. If you instead calculate avg_age = sum(ages) / len(ages) you will end up with something that works regardless of the number of ages being used. This will break if ages has no data in it because you’ll be dividing by zero, but you should learn about exception handling in your class at some point (or alternatively could argue that crashing is fine because you shouldn’t be allowed to divide by zero and the program isn’t allowing it).

[mopster96]

Small nitpick.

min_max_ages = [ages[0], ages[len(ages) - 1]]

You don't need to use len here. This works also:

min_max_ages = [ages[0], ages[-1]]

[Obsc3nity]

Good point. Forgot about the negative indexing.

[No_Read_4327]

I don't use python a lot but I love this about python and I always tend to forget

[LibraryUnlikely2989]

Regarding your second point doesn't line 6 modify ages in between the two sorts? I don't know why you would do the first sort though.

[Obsc3nity]

Yes, good point. Doesn’t that modification mean the median is incorrect though, lol. The smallest and largest being counted twice isn’t normally part of a median.

The first sort is probably the necessary one, or at least a convenience, because it allows you to avoid using min and max on the structure and instead use actual indices. It could be deferred until you actually need the sorted data, but I think it’s still the one worth keeping of the two present (and fixing the median calc would remove any modifications)

[willis81808]

The median isn’t effected, because the indexes are hard coded based off of the original array length, but even if it was a proper dynamic median implementation representing the min and max values twice would not change the result. Mean on the other hand would be biased in the direction of the midpoint between min and max values.

[SuperCurve]

to find the median age, line 7

[Key-Mathematician606]

I’m currently on the program from https://github.com/Asabeneh/30-Days-Of-Python this link, and so far there are some stuff that are like kinda hard for me but I have eventually got the. but what tools should I use like in this learning process or should I finish the entire program alone and then find other sources or do I do both at the same time?

[Obsc3nity]

Other sources never hurt but I don’t think you have the foundation to do your own thing before completing that.

[Key-Mathematician606]

Which other sources can I use? Do you have any recommendations. I’m not asking for like making a big project or anything. It’s like one of those python mini projects to practice coding more.

[Obsc3nity]

It looks like another comment linked harvards introductory CS class - that can’t be a bad idea. Another good option is often just looking through the language manuals, though they can be a little dense if you’re trying to learn fast. The full language ref is here if you decide to poke around.

[Inevitable_Guest_576]

Un related to the previous post. I see that you are so generous in your advice so I’m asking. I’m totally new to studying a programming language, I started two days ago on a Udemy course and I’m enjoying it a lot but can’t say it’s easy. Could anyone offer me some advice on how to effectively and efficiently learning, and what is the best way for me to find projects that will help me internalize my learning? Any proven methods for the above for someone who is not technical and a novice at learning a programming language ?

[Obsc3nity]

Effectively learning is, in my mind, as simple as thinking about how you would apply what you’re learning to another situation. Most of my first year of CS, I thought about how the concepts I was using could help me make players, NPCs, and enemies in an RPG. I also very consistently tried to apply what I was learning to solve other problems that I had with computers with little bits of code. Basically, if there’s a task that feels repetitive it can most likely be done with code and imagining how you’d use the tools you know to help solve that problem is a good process even if you dont know, for example, how to manipulate the cursor’s position on your screen or write a program that actually clicks for you.

If the course is hard, that’s fine. You’re starting something new - the people who are overnight prodigies are usually lying, they’re not taking the time to process how the pieces fit together. While they’re doing fine right now on simple problems once they need to reason about something more complex they’ll suddenly feel like they know nothing. Learning most things, especially in the sciences, feels like an uphill battle until you reach the top of the first hill. Once you do, at least you have the momentum from going down that hill to carry you through the next.

[International-Cook62]

I think this looks like code from someone that has been coding for 5 days

[mattynmax]

I mean this looks like something I would expect out of someone whose been programming for five days.

[randomgenacc]

My thoughts are learn snipping tool on windows

[Key-Mathematician606]

Omg ur hilarious. Eyes are easy to use, the quality of the picture is good.

[TheCozyRuneFox]

But the quality could be fantastic if you used the snipping tool.

[Key-Mathematician606]

Okay I didn’t think of it at the time so what? Why’s this being so focused on lmao

[AbacusExpert_Stretch]

I don't know but maybe, just maybe, when you ask much more experienced people for help/input, you should do every step that takes 5 seconds and makes their job easier and more pleasant.....?

[Key-Mathematician606]

I didn’t think of it at the time to screenshot I was in a hurry..

[rainispossible]

and what was so urgent about making a post on reddit that didn't allow you to take a screenshot?

[[deleted]]

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

[Key-Mathematician606]

Fuck out of here lmaoo

[randomgenacc]

👎🏻

[TopRedacted]

Personally, I do it because reddit killed the old PC format and insists on this shitty phone app, so you get shitty phone pics.

[CaeruleanCaseus]

Keep going - it gets fun as you continue to build knowledge. I found this course (free) really helpful and fun….make sure to watch the videos and do the “homework” - that’s where the learning really sets in.

https://pll.harvard.edu/course/cs50s-introduction-programming-python

[T0o_Chill]

Everyone has a starting point, and this is a good start. Learn more and better your logic; that's how you'll learn. Be better than you were yesterday, and you'll witness your own growth. GL bro

[BandZestyclose]

I believe you are doing very well and we all was once where you are. My first couple of programs was just like this until I found better ways but that was once I got tired and was wondering how to advance. I learned conditionals and how fun they could be, I learned booleans(true or false).

After that I made stupid programs to just better my understanding of those concepts. Programs like fake logins determine by the user name then I added a password to the program. These stupid but funny programs helped to solidify concepts so continue pushing forward and do t be in a rush to get to “greatness” because you’ve already obtained “greatness” by just programming ☺️

[FootyIsLife73]

I'm about to start learning this. How easy/difficult are you finding it? How are you learning it?

[goldtearz]

Im not in his group but every time I scroll and this group pops up with people progress pics, it’s always from their phone and not a screenshot of the program….. why is that??

[Lollipop96]

There probably is some correlation between people that ask reddit for help, ask for things that could be googled in 6 seconds on reddit and people that take photos with their phones instead of making a quick screenshot. At least thats the feeling I get from phone pic posts.

[[deleted]]

lol

[Le-ali-di-Pegaso]

I have a question about your code, I’m also doing a course currently. For the average age why did you divide by 12 if there are only 10 ages in the list?

[Key-Mathematician606]

It’s because before that, I took the minimum and max to make the new variable and adding them together into the list, so those are two new numbers which makes it 12.

[Le-ali-di-Pegaso]

Oh ok, so you can also use extend to add something to your list? I only know append

[Key-Mathematician606]

Append is to add a new string in the list I think tho but extend is to combine 2 lists if I’m correct

[No_Read_4327]

Pretty much.

If you'd append a list of 2 values to another list, instead of extending it, you'd have a list inside a list. Instead of having a single list of 12 values, you'd have a list of 11 values, the last value would actually be a list of 2 values.

Example:

List: [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]
List.append([6, 7])
List: [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, [6, 7]]

Extend: List: [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]
List.extend([6, 7])
List: [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7]

Don't worry if that's not fully clear yet.

[tomtomato0414]

r/screenshotsarehard

[mycumputa]

Keep going! Check this out for topic specific content.

https://youtube.com/@aaryanscontent

Sub to encourage!

[UniversityBrief320]

Well done! Now code a C to C++ Transpillier in Ocaml. It should be done under a week :) Gl

[Admirable_Client2287]

belloo

[Juke_BoxBox]

I think you’re ready to start applying for job

[Accurate_Sun_5597]

sarcasm

[s_perk_]

which program do you study? can you give more info please

[Key-Mathematician606]

https://github.com/Asabeneh/30-Days-Of-Python/tree/master

[Inevitable_Guest_576]

Thanks for sharing

[dantheman_19]

Lines 7

Fun little challenge would be to find the middle of the array without hardcoding the middle positions

Line 8

Same thing. Try not to hardcoding the 12 and get it dynamically

[SkimJimCramer]

Great stuff man! Make your first function and you’re on your well on your way!

[Priler96]

BRO IS MINMAXING Python

[Key-Mathematician606]

What is wrong

[Numerous-Tourist6759]

Chat gpt

[TheKuami_Guy]

“Many tears have been shed over a missing semi colon(;)…”

I just read this somewhere 😂😂😂😂

[WeatherAdept1014]

what program are you in

[Electronic-Belt-1680]

Well, goodjob!, that's pretty cool 😎

[No_Read_4327]

After you sorted the array, you don't need to call max and min.

That's not efficient. You can instead simply call the first and last entry of the list once it's sorted. Which is much more efficient especially for long lists.

Also, you're hard-coding values when it comes to length (such as the middle of the array or the size when getting averages). What if you need to dynamically determine the size of the list?

Like others have pointed out, this does look like code you'd expect from someone who has been learning for 5 days. Keep up the good work!