c/coding-for-beginners

I picked Python over JavaScript for my first real project and it went sideways

My friend said to build a basic web scraper for local weather data, and I spent a week trying to get it working with JavaScript before hitting a wall with node modules. I switched to Python and used the requests and BeautifulSoup libraries, and had a script pulling data in about three hours. Has anyone else had a project that made them totally switch tools like that?

My brother told me to start with Python, not C++, and he was totally right...

Warning: I picked Python over Java for my first project and it was way less scary.

I built a script to rename a folder of 200 photos in about an hour, which felt impossible with the other language's setup. Anyone have a good next step after automating simple file stuff?

Rant: I thought the 'learn by building projects' advice was just hype until I made a simple weather app with JavaScript and it finally clicked.

After 6 months of just reading tutorials, actually building that app in Chicago forced me to solve real problems and finally understand how the pieces fit together... anyone else have a project that made things stick?

Vent: My 'simple' Python script deleted a whole folder of my photos because I messed up a path.

I was following a tutorial on file handling, typed './images' instead of './images_backup', and ran the cleanup function before I realized my mistake, so has anyone recovered files after a coding blunder like that?

Question about learning Python with a book versus an online course

I tried to learn Python from a big textbook I got at the library, but I got stuck after two weeks. Then I paid $15 for a course on Udemy that had video projects. Building a simple weather app in the course made everything click for me. The videos showing each step were way better than just reading code blocks. Has anyone else found one way to learn much faster than the other?

I thought learning to code with pen and paper was a waste of time

When my teacher told us to write code on paper for a week, I thought it was just busy work. But after trying it, I found I really had to think about each line without the computer's help. I spent about 20 minutes on one small function and caught three logic errors before I even typed it. It made me slow down and understand the steps, not just guess and check. Now I do it for tricky problems. Has anyone else tried this old school method and had it help?

Vent: I see a lot of new coders told to start with Python, but JavaScript got me my first job

Last year, I spent 6 months learning Python and felt stuck building things only I could run. I switched to JavaScript for 3 months and built a simple website that got me freelance work. Being able to make something visual and share it right away made all the difference for me. Has anyone else found a different starting point worked better for them?

Question about debugging a simple loop that took me 3 hours

I was trying to print numbers 1 to 10 in Python, but my loop kept stopping at 9. The issue was a classic off-by-one error in my range function. Has anyone else spent way too long on a tiny mistake like that?

Honestly thought you needed a college degree to get a coding job

Tbh, I read a report from a tech hiring site that said over 60% of their developers are self-taught. Found it when I was looking up Python tutorials. Anyone else start learning without going back to school?

Finally got my first Python script to run without errors after three days of trying

I was stuck trying to decide if I should keep fixing my messy code or just start over from scratch. I picked starting over and wrote it again from the beginning yesterday. I used a simple list of 10 city names to test it this time. It worked on the first try and I felt so good. Has anyone else found that rewriting a project helps it finally click?

A chat with my sister's kid about learning to code really got to me

She's 14 and told me she tried to start with Python but gave up after two days because the first tutorial had her printing 'Hello World' and then immediately jumped into something called 'list comprehensions'. I said maybe she should try something more visual first, like Scratch, but she said that felt like a baby's toy and she wanted to do 'real' coding. Why do so many beginner resources skip the fun part of making stuff you can see?

Just realized how much time I wasted not using a debugger

I was stuck on a loop in my Python script for like two hours last night, just staring at the code. I finally tried the debugger in VS Code, setting a breakpoint on line 15 where the loop started. Watching the variable values change step by step showed me my counter was resetting wrong. Has anyone else had that 'aha' moment with a debugger, or is there a better tool for beginners?

Why does nobody talk about how much time you waste not using a debugger?

I was working on a small Python script for a class project and spent like two hours just adding print statements everywhere to see where my code broke. My friend saw me and said, 'Dude, just run it in the debugger, it shows you the line.' I tried it in VS Code and it showed me the exact variable that was wrong in about five seconds. I felt so dumb for not learning that basic tool first. Has anyone else had a moment like that where a simple tool saved you a ton of headache?

Am I the only one who thought you needed a college degree to code until I saw the Stack Overflow survey showing 65% of pros are self-taught?

Found that stat in their 2022 developer survey and it completely changed my plan, so has anyone else here started learning without going back to school?

PSA: My first program ran for 47 hours before I realized I made a loop that never ends

I was so proud of my simple Python script that was supposed to count to 100! I hit run and went to make dinner. I checked back an hour later and it was still going. I left my laptop on overnight and all through the next day. After 47 hours, I finally looked at my code and saw I wrote 'while x > 0:' instead of 'while x < 100:'. My variable started at 1, so it was just stuck forever! I felt so silly but also kind of amazed my computer didn't crash. Has anyone else made a simple mistake that locked up their computer for a really long time?

I thought learning to code meant you had to be a math genius

For the longest time, I avoided trying to code because I was terrible at math in school. I figured you needed to be some kind of wizard with numbers and equations. Then, about two months ago, I started a free Python course on a site called Codecademy. The first project was just making a simple text-based game, and I realized it was more about logic and breaking down problems, not doing complex math. I built a little number-guessing game in maybe an hour, and it just clicked. Has anyone else had that moment where a big fear about coding turned out to be totally wrong?

Got stuck on a loop for two hours at a coffee shop in Denver

I was trying to make a simple number game in Python and my while loop just wouldn't break. The guy next to me finally leaned over and said, 'You forgot to increment your counter, it's infinite.' Has anyone else had a tiny mistake that completely froze your brain?

My first Python project used 200 lines of code for a simple calculator.

Now I do the same thing in 30 lines after learning about functions. What's the biggest thing that cut down your code when you started?

Just got my first Python script to actually work after 3 days of errors

I was messing with a simple loop to print numbers, but it kept running forever until I realized I forgot to increment my counter variable. What's a basic mistake that tripped you up when you were starting?

Can we talk about learning Python loops by actually building something small?

I was stuck on for loops for a week, just reading the same tutorials. Then I forced myself to make a tiny program that printed a 10x10 grid of asterisks, and it finally clicked. Some people say you should master the theory first, but I think jumping into a simple project is better. What's the first little program you built that made a concept stick?

Showerthought: My first Python script deleted my entire 'Documents' folder last month.

I wrote a loop to clean up some text files but messed up the path variable, so it just wiped everything. Anyone know a good way to practice file operations without risking your actual stuff?

Just realized my friend's simple advice about learning to code was right all along

Rant: I wasted a month trying to learn Python from random YouTube videos

Last month, I decided to finally learn to code and just started watching any Python video I could find. I mean, I'd do a 10-minute 'variables' video, then a 3-hour 'build a website' tutorial the next day. It was a total mess. After three weeks, I felt like I knew nothing and could not write a single simple program on my own. I was ready to quit. Then, last week, I bought a $15 course on Udemy that just starts from zero and builds up step by step. It's boring sometimes, but I already made a little number guessing game. Why does everyone say to just 'watch YouTube' when that's how you get lost? Has anyone else found that a structured plan is the only thing that works at the start?

Am I the only one who used to write everything in one giant file?

Honestly, when I first started learning Python about eight months ago, I wrote my entire first project, a simple text-based game, in a single script that was over 500 lines long. It was a mess of functions and variables all crammed together, and if I needed to change one thing, I'd break three others. I got so frustrated trying to find a bug that I almost quit. Then I watched a video from a guy named Corey Schafer where he talked about breaking code into modules. I tried it on my next project, making separate files for game logic, player data, and the main loop. Tbh, it was a bit confusing at first, but after a week it just clicked. Now I can't imagine going back to that old spaghetti code. Has anyone else made a switch like this and found a specific way to organize their files that really helped?