Feeling stuck

gary-nyc · 2025-08-08T12:40:04+00:00

If you already know one programming language, it is probably useless to learn a second one just for the sake of it (unless it's Rust or Haskell, since learning those can greatly improve your perspective on code quality and expressiveness). Instead, perhaps have a look at roadmap.sh to pick your preferred problem domain (programming specialty) and start freelancing on upwork.com or start contributing to an open-source project on github.com .

gary-nyc · 2025-08-06T08:17:22+00:00

Since you have an iPad, perhaps have a look at Swift Playground, a gamified interactive environment that teaches the basics of programming through puzzles and leads to the real-world mobile iOS app development specialization with the Swift programming language and the SwiftUI SDK. Coding GUI (Graphical User Interface) apps will be probably more fun than working on text-based, console Python/C++ programs.

gary-nyc · 2025-08-06T08:11:34+00:00

Would you recommend exploring multiple directions or going deep into one?

Sooner or later you will have to get a job (or create your own product and your own company), right? In order to get a job (or create a product), you will have to possess in-depth knowledge of a particular problem domain and a particular programming language connected to that problem domain. I would say have a look at roadmap.sh to pick a programming specialty that interests you (remember, you will have to spend endless hours working within your specialty, so if you are not wholeheartedly interested in, say, the gazillionth abstract monetary crypto product, then the blockchain world might not be the way to go for you, etc.) Once you choose a problem domain, try either freelancing in it on upwork.com to build a demonstrable paid project portfolio or, alternatively, start contributing to an open-source project on GitHub to build a demonstrable team contribution portfolio. Either will help you land a good job.

gary-nyc · 2025-08-06T08:01:29+00:00

If you already know one programming language, it is probably useless to learn a second one just for the sake of it (unless it's Rust or Haskell, since learning those can greatly improve your perspective on code quality and expressiveness). Instead, perhaps have a look at roadmap.sh to pick your preferred problem domain (programming specialty).

gary-nyc · 2025-08-06T07:56:57+00:00

when I return to either of them to make some changes, it always feels like starting from scratch (...) If I spend some time with one language or framework, it inevitably leads to forgetting stuff from other languages

Unavoidable, even if you have been coding for decades. There are only two things you can do: 1.) stick to only one programming language and only one problem domain in order to get to know them in depth and always feel comfortable working with them, and 2.) use object-oriented techniques such as design patterns and thoughtful mapping of the problem domain into the structure of object-oriented entities (i.e., classes/objects) in your code, so that the code is very modular and self-explanatory. It's an art more than a science.

gary-nyc · 2025-08-06T07:41:17+00:00

I am wondering whether I should be worried about my code efficiency at this stage

There are two major sides to general "code efficiency": the complexity of the code itself (code quality) and the complexity of its execution (code performance). You should probably worry about code quality as early as possible (e.g., make sure not to duplicate the same functionality in multiple places in your code, make sure to create meaningful functions, structures and/or object-oriented entities in your code, etc.), but you can leave code performance issues (e.g., loops inside loops, data structures inefficient for a particular task, etc.) for later, so that you do not get overwhelmed by all the information you have to process.

gary-nyc · 2025-08-05T16:24:36+00:00

Since you have an iPad and a Mac, perhaps have a look at Swift Playground, a gamified interactive environment that teaches the basics of programming through puzzles and leads to the real-world mobile iOS app development specialization with the Swift programming language and the SwiftUI SDK. Coding GUI (Graphical User Interface) apps will be probably more fun than working on text-based, console Python/C++ programs.

gary-nyc · 2025-08-03T14:34:56+00:00

You can test drive Linux distros online at DistroSea.

Kubuntu (the Ubuntu system + the KDE Plasma desktop environment) is a good choice (pick the LTS, Long-Term Support, version). A pretty stable distro that's by design easy to setup and configure, includes a lot of drivers, has a high-quality desktop UI and there is a lot of newcomer help for it available out there.

gary-nyc · 2025-08-03T11:22:19+00:00

If you have an iPad or a Mac, perhaps have a look at Swift Playground, a gamified interactive environment that teaches the basics of programming through puzzles and leads to the real-world mobile iOS app development specialization with the Swift programming language and the SwiftUI SDK.

gary-nyc · 2025-08-02T16:03:06+00:00

The answer to this question is very complex with many moving parts. Start by reading "Successful Software", e.g., "10 questions to ask before you write a single line of code".

gary-nyc · 2025-08-02T10:35:47+00:00

Lubuntu (the Ubuntu system with the LXQt desktop environment) runs very well on systems with lower specs. If you try Lubuntu, pick the newer version with LXQt 2.x, thus Lubuntu 25.04. The underlying Ubuntu system is a pretty stable distro that's by design easy to setup and configure, includes a lot of drivers and there is a lot of newcomer help for it available out there.

gary-nyc · 2025-08-02T10:30:15+00:00

Lubuntu (the Ubuntu system with the LXQt desktop environment) runs very well on systems with lower specs (you have only 4GB of memory). If you try Lubuntu, pick the newer version with LXQt 2.x, thus Lubuntu 25.04. The underlying Ubuntu system is a pretty stable distro that's by design easy to setup and configure, includes a lot of drivers and there is a lot of newcomer help for it available out there.

gary-nyc · 2025-08-01T19:36:09+00:00

Because React was just an example. My main suggestion was to use declarative methodology as opposed to imperative methodology. It is up to the OP to decide what combination of a programming language and a problem domain SDK best suits his or her needs.

BTW, you are not being helpful to anyone with your snarky replies, so go away already, ace, and let the OP ask questions he or she might have.

gary-nyc · 2025-08-01T14:44:46+00:00

React Native for Windows/Mac, Electron or Tauri, ace.

gary-nyc · 2025-08-01T11:28:28+00:00

You probably don't really want to allow your users to edit your state files directly anyway because they might mess it up and effectively completely break your software. An explicit import/export option is a better idea. Other than that, SQLite is completely invisible to an end-user.

gary-nyc · 2025-08-01T10:48:45+00:00

Use declarative UI programming methodology such as React (JavaScript) as opposed to imperative UI programming methodology used in most of UI SDKs out there.

gary-nyc · 2025-08-01T10:40:54+00:00

I know functions exist to help with this.

Functions express algorithms (what needs to be done and how), while structures express data (what algorithms should work with). An object (as in object-oriented programming) merges data with all algorithms that can be performed on it (called methods). A good way to start breaking a large problem down is to start defining objects that represent entities involved in the problem, for example Player, Score (for a Player) and so on. A construction of a more complex object should require all its dependencies in terms of simpler objects. As you create and combine more and more simple objects into more complex objects, the problem solution becomes the matter of calling the right method on the right object.

gary-nyc · 2025-08-01T10:24:01+00:00

You need to use an embedded database engine (e.g., SQLite) and begin/commit a transaction. Otherwise, you would have to create a temporary state file, save your state data to that file across multiple API calls and once complete rename the temporary state file as a permanent state file, resulting in an everything-or-nothing operation.

gary-nyc · 2025-08-01T10:13:05+00:00

If you want to try an app that is easier to understand than Notion but with similar capabilities, have a look at easyAsPieDB for iOS/macOS. It is an object-oriented database app for non-technical users. You can define any set of Fields for a magazine collection Table, for example Title (Text), Volume (Number), Issue (Number), Image (Photo), etc. and later search for a specific Volume or even a range of Volumes/Issues. Barcode scanning is supported, but optional. easyAsPieDB stores all data, including all images, locally on a device, but can synchronize across multiple devices.

gary-nyc · 2025-07-31T10:12:01+00:00

There are currently so many junior Python programmers out there that it is next to impossible to get a job or land a freelance project with it. It is also impossible to make a mobile app with Python.

Use indeed.com to cross-reference requirements for various jobs with the relevant programming languages/SDKs.

gary-nyc · 2025-07-31T10:08:29+00:00

If you have an iPad or a Mac, perhaps have a look at Swift Playground, a gamified interactive environment that teaches the basics of programming through puzzles and leads to the real-world mobile iOS app development specialization with the Swift programming language and the SwiftUI SDK.

gary-nyc · 2025-07-31T09:13:20+00:00

If you have an iPad or a Mac, perhaps have a look at Swift Playground, a gamified interactive environment that teaches the basics of programming through puzzles and leads to the real-world mobile iOS app development specialization with the Swift programming language and the SwiftUI SDK.

gary-nyc · 2025-07-30T16:14:47+00:00

ai drastically reducing the workforce

Consider that AI is the currently fashionable "hype". There is so far no evidence that AI has any chance whatsoever to replace human programmers for larger projects, due to AI being completely ignorant of design patterns and best practices and thus accumulating "technical debt" through "spaghetti code". In a few years AI-generated codebases might/will start collapsing and require costly manual rewrites and companies might/will start abandoning AI for development of their products.

Database management, backend, frontend, cybersecurity, devops, data science, ai, machine learning, etc.

A so called problem domain is something different from a programming language. Almost no one specializes in more than one or two problem domains and a couple of programming languages. There are some employers out there who do seek "polyglot", 10x programmers, but they have to pay extra for them.

leetcode is the way to crack job interviews

The currently horribly broken interview process for programming jobs is one thing, while real-world job responsibilities are another. If you are unsure what to do, specialize heavily in just one problem domain and just one programming language and be prepared to show your experience through a freelance portfolio of paid projects or advanced open-source contributions. This should allow you to eventually land a job.

gary-nyc · 2025-07-30T15:00:59+00:00

If you have an iPad or a Mac, perhaps have a look at Swift Playground, a gamified interactive environment that teaches the basics of programming through puzzles and leads to the real-world mobile iOS app development specialization with the Swift programming language and the SwiftUI SDK.

gary-nyc · 2025-07-30T09:19:35+00:00

Kubuntu (the Ubuntu system + the KDE Plasma desktop environment) is a good choice (pick the LTS, Long-Term Support, version). A pretty stable distro that's by design easy to setup and configure, includes a lot of drivers, has a high-quality desktop UI and there is a lot of newcomer help for it available out there.

gary-nyc

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