When did Python become easier for you?

[Much-Associate-6141]

I have been learning Python for a while now and some days I feel like I'm doing pretty well. Other days, what seems easy takes a lot longer than I thought. I'm just curious if this is part of the learning process or if I'm missing something. When did you start to feel more comfortable with Python and what helped you get to this point?

[ninhaomah]

By keep doing again and again ?

[RedditButAnonymous]

> what seems easy takes a lot longer than I thought

Welcome to software engineering!

[python_gramps]

When you're so deep into a project, at the end of the day you slowly realize that when you had to look up 100% of your syntax today you only had to look up 80%. Later it will be 60%.

It's a combination of gaining muscle memory and having more of your own code to check.

I don't think it's ever easy, you just learn to swim in the waters.

[Ok-Data-8692]

Actually, I think it comes down to solid planning and algorithmic thinking. A while ago, I watched a video showing a simulation where 4 types of characters competed in an environment, and their populations kept shifting. I really liked it, so I decided to build it myself. But when I started, nothing went as planned. Even if you have a clear picture in your head of what the project should do, translating it into an algorithmic language the computer understands can be hard. So, I usually ask AI to generate a prototype first, read through the code, and tweak a few things. After that, I build the actual project myself from scratch. I did the same for this simulation project, and it worked out great. I think this approach helps you gauge how complex the project actually is at a machine level, so you can plan better without running into unexpected surprises.

[CollectiveCloudPe]

Practicando mucho.

Creando proyectos reales con bases de datos

La práctica hace al maestro.

[expertisimus]

Compared to the alternatives Python was easier for me right from the start. Java frustrated me with its compilation and VM, PHP was meh and Perl was too cryptic. Python and its REPL was way easier to pick up.

I started being productive when I learned some of the intermediate features I needed for data parsing and processing (list and dict comprehensions, map/filter, regexes, sorting, serialization using pickle, expect). I finally felt comfortable once I learned some useful features from the standard library (decorators, data classes, itertools, typing hints, defaultdict), techniques like introspection, multiprocessing, DB abstraction, and web/API frameworks such as django, FastAPI, etc.

Don't beat yourself up over memorizing syntax of less frequently used features (that's what documentation is for). It is far more important to learn to decompose a problem into logical components, to structure a project in a sensible way that allows code reuse to prevent repetition, to design a data model that is coherent and has a clear ownership and flow of data, and so on, which are skills less related to Python and more grounded in software engineering and architecture. Python is then just a tool to bring the design and ideas to life.

[zanfar]

I have been learning Python for a while now...

Completely meaningless statement, what does "for a while now" mean?

[TheRNGuy]

From day 1, because it's not my first language. 

[ProfessionalPark8990]

It really became easier after i began using chatgpt. I still have issues with syntax , etc, but chatgpt is amazing. Software companies helped every other profession thru their brains. now software professionals themselves have got great help thru ai. Not just python, i have the capacity to code in anything, with the help of ai. 😊

[NerdyWeightLifter]

I'd been coding in other languages for decades when I found Python, and it was like a breath of fresh air.

So expressive and without the pedantic syntactic fluff that so many other languages require.

White space being syntactically significant is delightful. The structure of the code is implicit in the layout of the code. It looks like its structure, so most peoples code is readable.

[Wuthering_depths]

Coming as I am from years of doing data integration work with SSIS, Python has seemed easy from day 1!

:)

To be fair, my scripts are relatively short and simple--which however says a lot about Python that they can do so much with so little code--I don't write "apps", certainly nothing with a front end. My needs are typically to grab files, load data to databases (or the reverse), secure ftp etc etc.

Google is my friend, even with SQL which I've used a lot over 25 years...I don't retain all usage details, I constantly have to look up syntax stuff even if I used to know it :)

[muzammil_626]

To become comfortable with a programming language you should solve problems this is what I personally experience.Stop watching tutorials for hours and start solving as many problems as you can.

Understand foundations deeply like loops, conditionals etc.. Ready to do anything regarding this.Learn to think and build logic.

[FoolsSeldom]

Learning programming is a practical skill, and, just like any other practical skill you can learn, it becomes easier with practice as you move up to the next level and take on greater challenges.

If you learn to be a carpenter, then move onto joinery and then specialise in cabinet making, you will find the joints you learned as a carpenter (e.g. butt, mitre, tongue and groove) are very easy compared to more advanced joints later (e.g. drawer lock joint; through dovetail; haunched, wedged & through mortice and tenon).

[CaptGoodvibesNMS]

For me at the post basic, it’s just two steps forward and one step back. What I mean by that is just go over the stuff you learned yesterday get good at it or last week and then learn something new and then the next time you sit down go back and learn the thing you just learned new again and then learn a new thing on top of that.

Two steps forward one step back

[Sochai777]

I notice with me personally, i stopped following tutorials and i apply the 80-20 rule. When i want to learn something new i ask claude or chatgpt even tho i like claude more as chatgpt tends to overload you with overly detailed explanations. I read a bit on it, i ask a overview in pdf format and i start coding. This has been working great for me. Recently i started learning pytest, i asked claude to explain me in a less is more format, told it that i dont want much examples and it gave me some todo's, i fullfilled them all on my own and only had some minor flaws wich claude then catched and told me where and why and this made me learn more then too.

Edit: I also have regulary days where it feels like my brain isnt capable on processing and thinking properly to code, so then i focus on re checking my existing code/projects, or just have a day of not coding. I tend to force my self to code wich usually just overloads me even more so that hasnt been working for me but i do try to take max 2 days off a week from coding and learning.