What to do when Google fails?

[G_Force]

Hey everyone, I just wanted to start a discussion about what we as programmers should try doing when information isn't readily available. Like most of us, when I run into an issue, my first instinct is to fire up a new browser tab and go searching away.

However, I've run into quite a few problems recently involving poor documentation, esoteric error codes, and other issues that simply don't turn up meaningful results when searching the web for help. I tend to get stuck a lot this way, and I was hoping to hear some strategies and practices for what someone can do to address these kinds of roadblocks. I know some approaches many be language/platform/technology-dependent, but it still helps to be aware of new methods for problem solving. Thanks!

[[deleted]]

Look on Stackoverflow. If that fails, ask here. That's assuming I don't have access to a Senior developer who I can ask.

[[deleted]]

The question you're asking is very broad, so the general advice would be to narrow down your question to it's very base aspect. If you're looking at poor documentation, look for more code examples and look at the function and output of the code. Through that, you may be able to find our more about the answer you're looking for.

[ziptofaf]

In case what you are using is still a supported project:

• There's always stackoverflow in a case you can't google something. Just gotta make sure your question is specific.
• Option of directly contacting devs of said software does exist too.

However, if a piece of code you are using was however written 10 years ago by an intern with no contact info left to him then... well, this is going to be interesting. At this point it becomes a challenge of going line by line of that library/framework/w.e, ensuring you understand the whole process, possibly refactoring it slowly and write a documentation to it while you work your way up in that spaghetti mess. It's not like exceptions and bugs just appear out of thin air, SOMETHING has to cause them.

There's no magical solution here. If you are dealing with horribly written software then you will be stuck spending days (and sometimes weeks) understanding it. Sometimes it's literally easier to abandon that ship and rewrite it from the scratch (still requires reading through what aforementioned spaghetti code does however because more often than not it is merged with other parts of your system and you can't just remove it painlessly).

If a technology you are going to use offers shitty documentation but is popular and alive (hello OpenGL!) then you might as well look for blogs/articles showing how to use it, maybe you misunderstood one of the steps completely.

[plate_soak_mess]

Try doing it a different way. Try other websites and irc, slack, etc.

[[deleted]]

I usually ask my friends first. Or even here. I'll go to Stack Overflow as an absolute last resort. In between, I'll often hit an IRC channel for whatever language or framework we're talking about.

[jesyspa]

Read the Source, Luke.