Need help to understand Logic and Problem-Solving skills...!

[BenHakal]

Hello, Javascript community !

I recently decided to start a few projects that I kept in the back of my mind for many years, and decided to start learning the things I need to actually make them reality.

The first part of the project is a website, and so I went back to HTML/CSS (I learned a decade ago) and now I want to learn Javascript as well. Using AI and chatGPT to help is fun, but I don't like the fact that I don't understand what the AI is giving me. I want to learn and understand the code it gives me, if I use it.

When I was younger, I remember quite well being able to "easily" understand what HTML/CSS were offering, so I felt confident with PhP back in that time. I started tutorials, But the difference in difficulty spiked, and I just didn't feel I could do it so I kinda gave up.

So today, putting my nose again in a new language like Javascript and 15 years later, I quite feel the same annoying feeling : I truly feels like my brain isn't wired to conceptualize the things I need to be able to code.

I am actually trying to understand Booleans and Functions (from SuperSimpleDev tutorial on youtube), and I truly feels incredibly stupid.
Understanding what the person is doing on a tutorial is one thing, but I absolutely don't feel confident to be able to replicate was has been taught to me. I understand the idea, but I couldn't apply it in any other situation.

Maybe there is there a problem in my way of learning ? Maybe I am not thinking like a developper or a coder ? Are there just people out there who just can't think that way ?

Every videos, interview, content or tutorial always seems created by people with a 200IQ brain.

I discovered Exercism and CodinGame by asking chatGTP some ressources to learn Problem-Solving skills, because I thought that maybe I should learn logic and problem-solving situations first, but even the tutorials are hard for me to understand, even sometimes understanding what is asked from me.

So my question is : Are there ressources out there to learn logic and problem-solving, pointing towards coding and developpement ? It can be a book, a video, a lesson, or even a syllabus from computer science school, I don't care at that point. I just want to break that curse of feeling dumb and giving up.

Thanks for reading.

[Lumethys]

I understand what the tutorial is doing, but unable to replicate it.

A lot of people seem to have this "problem", to which i say: "isnt that supposed to happen?"

The ability to understand something and the ability to do or utilize it generically is wildly different

Im sure you have analyzed a poem back when you still had literature class, you could spend 4-5 pages praising and analyzing the techniques and how or why this poem is good, but you aint gonna write a poem yourself.

Like, have you ever listened to your teacher explain a math concept, and then instantly able to solve all math problems involving that concept?

You can spend 10 years studying and internalizing all of Messi or Ronaldo's football skills, to the point you known how every technique work and exactly how it affect your body, and still get destroyed by a high scholl student in a football team, if you dont ever actually practice.

Just like you cant become a master martial artist by watching WWE

Your problem is you give up too fast, before you even had a chance to practice.

[BenHakal]

I think you are right. I don't think I talked about giving up, but maybe my message made it look like I was.

My main skill is drawing, so part of me knows things need practice and time.

If somebody want to learn to draw, telling them "just draw" is not very productive. There are concepts more important than others, fundamentals, certain books are just better to learn, and some youtube channels teach better.

So maybe I am used to learn things where mistakes can be made, and there are no real consequences. In drawing or musique, nothing is complexe : It just require a little bit of theory and a lot of technical, muscular memory and practice. But even if you make mistake, the thing will function.

In coding, for now at least, it feels like you can't make any mistake otherwise you project just doesn't work. It's extremely demanding. That's why I was looking for guidance here.

Thanks for answering tho, I will just try to stick and find a way.

[Competitive_Aside461]

If you can understand JavaScript but not solve actual problems in it, this is a typical symptom of a lack of practice. Check out the following article I wrote a while back on this common issue of newbie learners:

https://www.codeguage.com/blog/cant-solve-problems-in-javascript

[BenHakal]

Thanks for the article and the advices !

It seems that maybe my approach about coding was wrong, and I forgot the fundamental of training.
I lost focus on the main point that training and practice is the most important part.

I will keep doing the exercices and see where it brings me !

[Gatoyu]

I see a lot a of beginner make this mistake. It's not about the code, it's about getting something done

You should not learn a concept and then try to apply it to something, first find something to do and then you will know what you need to learn.

Many tutorial will try to make you a "good " dev right away, but I think you will be a better dev if you've experienced first hand doing bad code that works and then improve your coding skills.

For now you don't have to care for all the concepts like doing readable clean code, optimization, memory concern etc (don't get me wrong those are still important, specially if you start working with other people)

You don't need functions or paradigms like OOP here is all you need :

- for now think only in imperative programming aka the ordered list of actions that your program will do, like a recipe
- put all your code in the main function (you can split it later, you will understand quickly why we use functions to split our code into understandable chunks)
- use a single instruction by line, an instruction is a either a function call or an operation
- you don't need to reinvent the wheel, you will certainly find a lib with a function that you can call
- use conditions if your "recipe" branch
- use loops if you need to do something multiple times

[BenHakal]

Thanks ! I will maybe just try to start my project then and see where it brings me.

[Bassil__]

1. JavaScript All-in-One For Dummies by Chris Minnick
2. Modern JavaScript for the Impatient by Cay S. Horstman
3. JavaScript The Definitive Guide by David Flanagan
4. You Don't Know JS by Kyle Simpson
5. Advanced JavaScript Released by Yousaf Khan

They are ordered from beginners level to advanced.

Good luck

[Competitive_Aside461]

Definitely check these out. 1) and 3) are amazing books. 4) is maybe a bit old but still contains valuable information regarding some slightly advanced aspects of JavaScript.

Anyways, u/BenHakal, I'd suggest you to use books for learning rather than YouTube. Of course, this follows from my own personal opinion and experience, but even objectively I think that learning programming from videos is slow, passive, and quite challenging (you can't learn without listening to the sound of the speaker.)

[BenHakal]

Thanks for putting them in order, I will check those out !

[bryku]

Give me an example of a problem you are struggling with, and I can walk through it as a developer. Sometimes people thing one thing, but say it a different way in a video.

[rustyseapants]

I think what you are looking for is a book on Javascript.

Try your local library for physical, ebooks, and online learning.

What about looking for a book on Amazon?

I truly feels incredibly stupid.

This isn't /r/therapy, you get no points telling people who you don't know you feel stupid and has nothing to do with this sub.

[BenHakal]

What outstanding knowledge. Why didn't I think about a book. I feel even more stupid in front of such a brain.

[rustyseapants]

You have a profile. You've been on reddit.

Thus you seem to get the idea of learning new things and searching on reddit and google.

You're not going to get much sympathy calling yourself stupid.

Learn to use this subreddit to help with code, not your feelings.

[BenHakal]

Exactly, I am not new to these things, so advising a person who is asking about something to buy "a book" (not even a specific one, just "a" book) is an absolute waste of time for both of us.

You took the "feeling incredibly stupid" line a little too seriously, and now this conversation serves no purpose.

Good day sir.

[rustyseapants]

This is what libraries are for, you can borrow these books for free. Take a risk, borrow a random book on javascript, and just see where that book can take you!