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The Programmer's Mind
Posted: Mon Jul 16, 2007 7:24 am
by legend986
My respects for everybody who can program

I see programmer's as heroes of the Virtual world... I've recently started programming myself and was wondering how programmers' take up the stress that they encounter... I've been designing a script for close to two weeks now. I am yet to complete it... but then a depression wave struck me... I don't know... I'm not able to get back my spirit to complete the script...
The script is simple but then its a bit above my level I guess. I somehow get a weird idea that I've been using unconventional ways of programming because I haven't learnt anything by books - only by experience. And I'm afraid that I've done something wrong. I'll be happy if I am able to complete the script but I really want to know how to cope up with the stress...

Please advice...
Posted: Mon Jul 16, 2007 8:12 am
by Chris Corbyn
Thrive on the stress. Call it a challenge. Keeping your brain entertained
I learned everything I know just by endless hours of trying, failing, trying again, failing again... eventually it just becomes enjoyable
Hanging around places like this helps to give you the occassional prod in the right direction too. If you've got the motivation to try then you can do it.
When it really sucks, just take your mind off it by enjoying a coffee, reading a book or watching a little TV. You never know, something might just click whilst you sip on your coffee

Posted: Mon Jul 16, 2007 8:56 am
by TheMoose
I ALWAYS have a pen and paper nearby, because I get insights to my current projects at the weirdest times. Not too long ago I actually text messaged myself with a quick idea because I was in the middle of a movie and I didn't want to forget it.
Last night I was wishing I had uploaded the latest revision to some of my code because I had some ideas of how to fix a few bugs I was encountering, but instead I had to just email myself so as not to forget.
Stress? Never be afraid to walk away. If you can't figure something out, don't sit there for too long worrying about it. It only causes more stress. If you can't figure it out, either move on to the next problem and come back to it, or just take a quick smoke break, coffee break, or whatever. Just get your mind on something other than your code and you'll come back to it refreshed, and with a different view on how to fix it.
Posted: Mon Jul 16, 2007 9:16 am
by MrPotatoes
if you are having a serious problem then the best thing to do is to just walk away. nothing will kill you quicker than having to work on something with no outlet.
i usually go for a walk, play some video games or just take an hour or two off. trust me, its the best treatment for this kind of thing.
Posted: Mon Jul 16, 2007 9:28 am
by legend986
Thank you all so much for taking time to write down a word of encouragement. I'll definitely follow your advices... I have a few wrong things in my mind. Maybe they are responsible for my downfall in the last few days... Its been over 5 years since I've been dreaming of working in a programming team, where I could collaboratively work on a script and get an output... Maybe because of the fantasies I have about the programming teams. But my search has been in vain.
I maintain a website. At my place, none of my friends have even heard of PHP nor MySQL... And as a result of that, I'm the only one working. I've first come across the concept of forums a few years back. When I installed them on my website, believe me or not, people started thinking that I was the one who "invented" the concept of forums!! I was embarrassed at that moment. And the real thing is that programming isn't even my profession so I have to learn it only during vacations and can't spend fulltime on it... . For the last few days, I've been really longing to get someone to work with me, but well, you can guess what answers I would've got.
And the last thing is well, I started off as a Script Analyzer... hehe... a fancy name for myself.. I used to learn by looking at other scripts. Never had the conventional way of learning things and now when I've decided to do a project for myself - I keep getting some weird fears into my mind...
So in this situation... I know its not right of me to think of getting an ideal team considering the various constraints surrounding me but what do you think is the right way for me? Keep working individually? I know there's nothing wrong in that but if I'm working alone, how would I get the right criticism?
Posted: Mon Jul 16, 2007 9:42 am
by TheMoose
legend986 wrote:And the last thing is well, I started off as a Script Analyzer... hehe... a fancy name for myself.. I used to learn by looking at other scripts. Never had the conventional way of learning things and now when I've decided to do a project for myself - I keep getting some weird fears into my mind...
So in this situation... I know its not right of me to think of getting an ideal team considering the various constraints surrounding me but what do you think is the right way for me? Keep working individually? I know there's nothing wrong in that but if I'm working alone, how would I get the right criticism?
The only formal education I had regarding programming was a year of C++ in high school. Yet here I am, a salaried web programmer using .NET. To me, the ideal way of truly learning is to look at working/existing code and go from there. Learning to me is defined as not the ability to copy code that works, but to understand the concepts behind why and how that code works, and that can be accomplished if you have the motivation to want to learn and know it.
I would say work individually for now, and don't be afraid to post questions in these forums regarding your code. That's what these boards are here for, to answer questions and help others out regarding PHP (and other stuff too). One piece of advice though, use Google or the Search feature of the boards. A lot of the beginning questions you might have, have most likely been answered

Posted: Mon Jul 16, 2007 10:07 am
by MrPotatoes
i've had plenty of formal education it's just that i have Dislexia and ADHD so i had to teach everything to myself anyways. which is good because that's how i learn anyways. so don't feel bad. absolutely everything i know about computers, programming and overall LIFE i've taught myself. the only thing i didn't teach myself was math but i think i have a high tolerance for math classes. i kicked ass in Calc and linear algebra and college algebra. fun <span style='color:blue' title='I'm naughty, are you naughty?'>smurf</span> imo.
funny thing is that i've become so good at programming in general that i'm better than all my friends now that passed college with better grades than me and i have a MUCH higher understanding of the computer and all that than most of them. lol, i think i have a better understanding of sotware development than my boss but his expertise is in other places of development. he's pretty kickass at it.
if it makes you feel better i've started to write a reflected C++ framework aimed at being an apache module which will in-turn end up becoming a module that handles a databased website(s). i'm having trouble getting things to compile or even running. right now i'm stuck at the template engine so i've decided to take it apart and make it cleaner, easier to read and splitting up the files. then i'm going to ask a friend that has been doing C++ longer than i have. did i mention i took a 2-3 year break? lmao, i retaught myself C++ last night in about 4 hours. good times.
remember, the best thing is to take it in baby steps. ROME wasn't built in a day and neither will your application/script. take it in baby steps. that was the best advice i was given to me by a good friend.
Posted: Mon Jul 16, 2007 10:45 am
by RobertGonzalez
I learned HTML from a magazine in about 1997/1998. I learned Perl from downloaded CGI scripts. I learned PHP from trial and error and trial and error and success.
I am a full timed employed, salaried PHP developer right now. I have no college degree and make more than a lot of other IT pros with degrees. As I was learning to code, I'd come home after an 8 to 10 hour work day, have dinner, spend time with the family, then starting programming from around 10:00PM to about 2:00AM every night. I would spend entire weekends coding. I wrote web sites for people for free so they would recommend me to friends, and then things took off.
You can learn on your own, even without a book (though I will say that I have learned many concepts from books). If you love it enough, you can do anything.
Posted: Mon Jul 16, 2007 3:04 pm
by legend986
So many people to take inspiration from!

I'm feeling so nice to be a part of this forum and sad because I didn't find this forum before... I thought I was the only one learning in an unconventional way but after seeing you all, I will never look at how I am doing things but rather just do them.... I'm delighted to see so many success stories and wish mine to be a part of that too... I'll keep working until I think I'm good at what I'm doing...
The only thought that was bothering me is that when learning something related to programming, I tend to forget everything else. I seem to be neglecting my family. I hardly spend any time with them. When I spend, I can't spend it whole-heartedly... I always keep thinking about what all is left to complete. Lot of stress I guess. Once my vacation is over, I'll have to enter my main stream and forget about programming

So before that I want to complete the task I'm upto. Guess all the understanding stuff comes with a little experience....
If you love it enough, you can do anything.

Thank you so much... I will remember that forever...
Posted: Mon Jul 16, 2007 3:21 pm
by Benjamin
The better you get the less stressful it becomes

Posted: Mon Jul 16, 2007 3:54 pm
by alex.barylski
astions wrote:The better you get the less stressful it becomes

I would beg to differ.
The more advanced I get the more complicated projects I take on which only lead to more frustration. However, I love being frustrated (I think) it is what pushes me forward onto solving problems. I can't sleep until I've solved the problem of the day (POTD).
Cheers

Posted: Mon Jul 16, 2007 3:58 pm
by RobertGonzalez
I agree with astions on this one. I haven't stressed once about coding in the last year and a half or so. On the contrary, knowing more makes me like looking for more complex things to do.