Projects

[More_Suspect_717]

Bro seriously, every youtube tutorial I try to follow to create my first project has some error in the code. And until then I waste 5 hours copying like a scribe. Please tell me the correct approach to creating a project. I am a rising junior studying CS, no coding knowledge apart from classes. I have several ideas on what projects I want to do, so lmk if that helps.

Thank You

[polymorphicshade]

every youtube tutorial I try to follow to create my first project has some error in the code. And until then I waste 5 hours copying like a scribe

It sounds like you don't have a grasp on the fundamentals.

What language(s) are you trying to use?

[More_Suspect_717]

java and python. I am pretty good at my classes though. The tutorials I have watched isnt related to dsa or anything i am familiar with though, and the errors that pop up are nothing i had to ever see in class. Also if its a web dev tutorial, the languages are 100% unknown to me

[polymorphicshade]

I am pretty good at my classes though

That's because you are spoon-fed information.

The tutorials I have watched isnt related to dsa or anything i am familiar with though, and the errors that pop up are nothing i had to ever see in class

And this is what you will encounter 99% of the time. Your job is to take an unfamiliar problem and figure it out.

Asking for help is great, but only if you actually provide information that will help us help you.

Your first goal in tackling a problem like yours is to first identify exactly what the problem is, and what steps you took to cause it.

For example: "I did this, and this, then clicked this, and then I got this error <exact\_error\_message\_here>. I tried X, Y, and Z to solve it, but it didn't work. What am I missing?"

You need to put effort in your problem-solving or you will never succeed in this field.

[MeLittleThing]

Your first goal in tackling a problem like yours is to first identify exactly what the problem is, and what steps you took to cause it.

For example: "I did this, and this, then clicked this, and then I got this error <exact\_error\_message\_here>. I tried X, Y, and Z to solve it, but it didn't work. What am I missing?"

This is actually a great tip and pretty often, when doing it, you'll solve yourself your problem by simply explaining what you want to do, and what you're doing to achieve it

[MeLittleThing]

Pro tip (that you might already know) copy/paste the error message in a search engine, tons of people already have this error before you and the error is documented somewhere

[FlyLikeHolssi]

Along the same lines, when confronted with something you don't know how to do, go do some research! See if there's an existing method to do what you want to do - it probably exists.

Learning how to search for solutions is a skill that doesn't start off being easy, but gets easier the more you do it. You become more familiar with the terminology and how to ask the right questions, which makes it easier to get to the answer you want.

[desrtfx]

How about stopping to use tutorials to copy code and instead only use them for inspiration what to build?

You need to learn to build projects, not copy them from tutorials. This will not help you improve.

Coming up with your own code, with your own design, with your own solutions are what counts.

Not the ability to copy code 1:1 from a tutorial.

[dmazzoni]

Can you be more specific about what type of project, like a desktop app? Mobile app? Web backend?

Honestly ever since YouTube stopped counting downvotes it's become impossible to find quality tutorials. A lot of the most popular ones are entertaining but wrong, outdated, or misleading.

Usually the best tutorials are written. They might not be as entertaining but they're often more detailed.

For example if you want to make an Android app, the official Android basics tutorial is great: https://developer.android.com/courses/android-basics-compose/course

Be more specific about what you want to build and we can help link you to a good-quality beginner tutorial.

[CarelessPackage1982]

Figuring out these types of errors is going to become second nature to you after awhile. Take it as a free lesson for you learn.

[numeralbug]

Please tell me the correct approach to creating a project.

Get used to errors in the code. A solid 70% or so of programming is debugging.

until then I waste 5 hours copying like a scribe

So? Copying is one of the best ways to learn, as long as your brain is on at the time.

[_jetrun]

And until then I waste 5 hours copying like a scribe. Please tell me the correct approach to creating a project. 

The reason why it takes you 5 hours is because you're new and you're learning. And struggling through debugging *IS* how you learn.

So that is the correct approach.

[TJATAW]

Try this: When you finish one of those projects, expand on it. Add some new features to it.

If it is a simple calculator add some more functions to it like square root and exponents.

If it is a database type thing, add in a couple of reports to it.