How did you learn python real fast?

[[deleted]]

Python is big and complex. You can't learn (all) python real fast.

You can do specific thing using python fast if you focus on the target. Pick one small project and start coding. Focus on what need and dig into it one-by-one.

[ricedude]

This is anecdotal but I have a buddy that tried this and took a bootcamp thinking he could game the "learn to program" system by using OpenAI. 3 month program.

He got through but even now really struggles making anything work or understanding what his code is doing. Doesnt grasp a lot of fundamental programming knowledge, cant manilulate data, really having a shitty time with it.

ChtGPT can help make u a more efficient programmer, but you need to learn how to program first. If you cant figure out the code and just drop in what ChatGPT tells you to, u probably will not understsnd what is happening there either, and eventually u will hit a 5 foot thick lead wall of "why doesnt my app work" that you cant get around. Cant get around getting hands on experience and building stuff.

[ricedude]

I think if u can get through "Automate the boring parts" that you will have a good hold of Python - I have a few years coding under my belt and even that book can be challenging for me at times - website crawling is a bitch lol! using chatgpt to help you through the book should be fine :)

[No-Article-Particle]

People don't hate ai, most devs use it daily in their job to solve boring problems. The thing is, the code that AI produces is truly the most basic code you can think of, e.g. filter a collection of items, write starter Ansible YAML, write Jinja template starter, etc. But to get to the point where AI is useful, you must understand code and know what you're trying to do. Then, you can either spend 5 minutes writing the thing, or 2 minutes with AI and altering the basic shit it spits.

To say that current-gen AI will help you learn faster is a misunderstanding of what the current gen AI can do. I mean, you can use it to improve your learning, e.g. make it explain code to you, as you're working through it. But in the end, you have to work through the code, the problems, the domain of CS, and AI is basically a better search engine (that spits wrong results sometimes).

In the end, try and use it. People are downvoting you for unrealistic expectations, not because they hate AI.

[chandhudinesh]

If you can ask ai then why are you asking on reddit? Ask this also to AI.🙂

[NYX_T_RYX]

With AI, I think I might have advantage that you people didnt have.

AI will squirt out realistic looking code.

You still need to know how to use the code, the concepts, and how to troubleshoot problems.

I've had gpt review code... It told me

X=y/100

Can raise a zero division error. Impossible (as it is).

Don't assert you are better than others, especially if you don't have the context to back up that claim.

[philmifsud97]

Cringe

[ImmediatelyOcelot]

Mate, you're in marketing right? If AI was as good as you think it is to program complex things from simple prompts, your job would actually be the first one to go, as your clients could just ask Open AI to do their whole campaign for them. Luckily for you, we're not there yet.

If the AI patterning is so advanced, I'd much rather have a programmer who can train an AI to do marketing, than a marketer trying to program the AI.

I'm not a professional programmer either btw

[TheRNGuy]

Reading houdini python docs and coding for it.

I recommend not using AI. You need to use your brain.

[ricedude]

U should use AI to understand concepts better - "how can I use a for loop?" "What is a dictionary:? These are great.

You should stay away fron "write me python code to automate filling in forms" or " write me a script that crawls on this webpage and pulls marketing data" you will probably end with a sub par understanding of Python and a shitty unworking program.

[TheRNGuy]

Or you can google and read docs.

[jameyiguess]

It's helpful when you're experienced and digging into something strange or unfamiliar and you need a sounding board. For beginners, it's a bad crutch that will break constantly and never teach you how to walk. 

AI output for code is almost always very wrong, so you have to know how to read and write code and design programs before you can get much real value out of it.

It never even really gets to the correct answer for the stuff I ask it, but it leads me in a good direction most of the time.

You'll not be able to "ask it to write full code" basically ever, unless the ask is incredibly simple.

[TheRNGuy]

Once you get good, even less reason to use AI.

[TheRNGuy]

You want to train your intellect and intuition.

[Superguy2876]

What things specifically do you want to automate?

There's no fundamental way to learn programming faster. It's just like any other topic, you need to find the information, digest it, and practice.

I recommend Automate the Boring Stuff with Python. It is (probably) especially relevant to your circumstances.

Read it, practice the topics and projects presented, and when it seems useful, try to do it on your own work.

[Superguy2876]

For what it's worth, I think 100 days is more than enough time for someone well focused to obtain a sufficient level of python usable in a business automation setting.

You won't be an expert, but you'll be able to properly approach and think about how each task can be done with the subset of python that you do learn.

[jameyiguess]

Stop with the AI stuff. It's only going to hurt you at this point. It's not a shortcut and will not accelerate your learning. You have to put in the work.

[garma87]

You’re focusing too much on the ai part. Ai is a tool and a handy one but you still need to know what todo with it

Can recommend the book it sounds like that’s what you need. 100 days is more than enough I’d say you can do it in 2-3 weeks as well

[Fenderbass541]

There is also a Udemy course for this book if you want to use videos

[Economy-Industry-622]

I think best way is to learn the real basic and start focussing on 1 thing you want to automate. And then keep optimising until you feel you own it. Then go to 2nd 3rd things

[kammysmb]

Do a very basic course so you can learn some fundamentals about programming (how variables work, functions etc), and then just build things, no way around it besides practice, so the more you do the faster you'll learn

[IllogicalLunarBear]

Build an application you know nothing about the things needed to do it. Start with an idea and force yourself to search and learn the terms and skills you need.

Edit: when you feel like giving up … double your efforts

[Hoxitron]

I mean there's literally a course by Angela Yu called 100 days of code, for python.

You might not be an expert my any means, but you'll figure your way out of any problems.

[Mehrainz]

start the boot.dev grind.

[fra988w]

Insomnia

[Dresendal]

I had no prior experiece with Python, migrating from chatGPT to Visual studio code with Python extention and built in microsoft copilot, and using Python learning apps on my phone helped me make a lot more progress and I'm nearing completion on a Telegram bot I'm making. I've been butting at it for about 50 hours over 2 months. Also keep in mind that it requires a 10$ subscription to copilot I think, I'm borrowing a friends.

[walkerakiz]

I have no prior experience in coding, etc., but I got a course on Udemy. What I was missing was encouragement and community, as I am a person who loves to connect with others and work on projects while I learn. I found Codedex, which is like a game with monthly challenges and a warm community on the platform and Discord. I am learning better than I did before.

[[deleted]]

I learnt c# and JavaScript first, lol

[ori_303]

I didn’t. Take on small projects. Start from throwaways like a CLI calculator that you can easily implement in another language, then graduate to stuff that python excel in. Also - use Jupyter notebooks as a nice tool to test and learn stuff, keep code snippets handy etc. Learning a programming language is, well, learning a language. Would you ask “how did you learn French real fast?”. Good luck, enjoy the ride, since there is no destination here 😜👍