I'm not really asking about how programmers learn how to program. More about specific technologies. If I wanted to learn Hibernate, how do I know what I should know prior to Hibernate? Should I learn JPA before, during or after Hibernate? Is there a better solution to Hibernate? (And I'm not really looking for information on Hibernate specifically)
Maybe stackoverflow is the place to find these answers, but it seems like with the shear vastness of frameworks, apis, libraries, programming languages, platforms, and whatever other techie word you want to use, it takes an extremely long time to come up to speed on what technology to use, when and what you need to know prior to using it.
Sometimes the best way to learn is to just dig in to a framework. Sure, you could use someones wrapper API around something, but if there is something wrong w/ hibernate, then you wouldn't know what's happening.
And to answer "how do i know what i should know prior to hibernate", you don't, that's why you are learning. When learning about c++, started out with simple data types, but i didn't know about pointers yet, didn't need to, but i learned about them when i got there. Just gotta jump in and start playing around.
I use Wikipedia to compare various technologies to copmlete a task, although it can be incomplete with regards to commercial closed-source frameworks (probably because fewer people have access to them).
For specific technologies such as Hibernate, Java, JPA, LDAP (OpenLDAP in particular), Log4J, anything Apache: they all have wikis and/or forums associated with the product that are usually more helpful than a Google search for learning. Many even come with tutorials and you should try them.
Find a book on the subject and read it. Then email the author with additional questions. Most of these authors are more than happy to help especially if you've bought and read the materials they worked so hard to produce.
If that's still not enough for you, go to a conference covering the subject, if you can make it. Again you can meet many of the people responsible for maintaining and/or creating these technologies and I've found they are always willing to answer questions.
go to sites like Coding Horror, Slashdot, Techcrunch etc and find out what people are talking about. Usually if something is popular it's probably something you might want to talk a look at.
There are these things called "books" that are filled with all kinds of knowledge.
A lot of the time the documentation and/or tutorial for any technology or project will mention what prior knowledge is assumed or useful.
So for example hibernate: http://www.hibernate.org/hib_docs/v3/reference/en/html_single/#tutorial-intro
"This tutorial is intended for new users of Hibernate but requires Java and SQL knowledge"
For me, the things that have helped my career and taught me what questions to ask are:
Podcasts -- .NET Rocks, etc., which introduce and discuss new technologies and put them in context
Join your local users group, and stick around after the presentation to talk shop with the folks there; you can learn a lot just by hearing what other people are doing and what they are working on learning next
Just look around online and start trying to use whatever tool/technology your trying to learn. As you try to learn one thing, you'll realize your lacking knowledge in other needed areas. at which point you can repeat the process of looking around for this new item you need to learn.
for example, maybe you want to learn Rails, so you start following rails tutorials, but you realize you suck at Ruby. so then you start to focus a bit more on the details of Ruby, then come back to Rails with a little more knowledge and continue on till the next roadblock. this isn't really totally correct, but you get the idea.
you won't always find a full guide of how to use everything. just give it a shot and work it out on your own if you have the time
There is an infinite number of things one could learn. Maybe a better approach would be to think of a project that interests you, or join an open source one, and then learn what you need to know to accomplish what is needed in that project. When you're done, pick a new project that might include new things not learned in the last project.
As far as free sources are concerned, as a .NET programmer I like www.asp.net, and there are many others, such as the ASP.NET quickstart tutorials at http://quickstarts.asp.net/QuickStartv20/default.aspx, C-SharpCorner is good, too, if you don't mind C#.
If you don't object to paying a little money, Lynda.com is a decent place. They have OK tutorials on all kinds of things, not just programming, and I got a decent grounding in Javascript using one of their tutorials. They are adding new things all the time, so if they don't have something on Hibernate now, they may later on. I think their basic rate is $25 per month, but you can just pay for one month and then soak up as many courses as you can find time for.
Asking a more specific question will get your a more specific answer here. When I want to read up on something I usually head to Wikipedia and then Google.
The truth is none of us have the time to read everything we'd like to. So I let someone else do it for me!
The way I solve this is by speed-reading the web - aka. subscribing and reading to other peoples blogs.
Everytime I come across something I'm not familiar with I google it.
Related
I've decided to get some experience working on some project this summer.
Due to local demand on market I would prefer to learn Java (Standard and Enterprise Editions).
But I can't even to conjecture what kind of project to do. Recently I had some ideas about C. With C I could to contribute to huge Linux projects. I don't mean that my work will be surely commited. I could get the code and practice with it. But C it's not right thing to get good job in my area. In case of JavaSE there is a chance to develop some desktop applications. But thinking about JavaEE I get stuck. I'll be very thankful for answers.
CodingBat.com will give you good core Java practice.
Project Euler is still the best for all around practice. You can use whatever language you'd like to solve the problems there.
For actual projects, I almost always start on something easy like a Twitter client. It gets you exposure to all the basics along with UI and network communication. You can work up from there. Just don't start with something so overwhelming that you can't figure it out and want to give up. That's not going to get you anywhere.
The best advice is: work on a project that you have personal interest in. Something based on your hobbies, maybe.
If that doesn't work, make a blogging / CMS engine. Or an online photo album. Or an eStore. The world doesn't really need another of any of these things, but it will give you some good practical experience with JavaEE.
Another benefit of "re-inventing the wheel" (for learning) is that you have probably already used systems like these described above, and you have a good idea of how it can work, and maybe you have your own ideas of how it could work better. That can make requirements much simpler, and also will give you a sort of benchmark so you can see how close you can come to building a tool like the "real" ones out there. And if yours is really great, well, maybe release it and see what happens. ;)
There are many Java-based projects on SourceForge. Tinker with one you find interesting.
I've implemented either a betting pool or a Baccarat game in almost every language I've
learned.
This type of software covers:
Dates and times, with calculations
Currency types and things that can be converted to and from currency.
A discrete set of rules that is easy to test
States, transition between states and multiple entities responsible for state transition
Multiple users with different views of the same model End conditions
Multiple player blackjack and poker would work also.
One caveat is that in my day job I work on financial systems and there is a huge overlap
between things to consider when writing a multiplayer game of chance and a trading system.
build an address book. the concept is simple, so you're not stuck on "what" to write. You can focus on learning your chosen language. You get experience in working with a database, java ( insert any language here), and UI design.
when you decide to learn another language you can create the same thing. Since the database has been created already, you can focus on the language itself.
the concept of inputting data, storing data, and retrieving data is central to a lot of applications.
Have a look around http://openhatch.org/ for a project that sounds interesting.
I'm having a bit of an overload of information these past two days.
I'm planning to start my own website that will allow local businesses to list their items on sale, and then users can come in and search for "Abercrombie t-shirt" and the stores that sell them will be listed.
It's a neat little project I'm really excited for and I'm sure it'll take off, but I'm having problems from the get go.
Sure I could use ASP.Net for it, I'm a bit familiar with it and the IDE for ASP.Net pages is bar-none, but I feel this is a great chance for me to learn something new to branch out a bit and not regurgitate .NET like a robot.
I've been looking and asking around but it's all just noise and I can't make an educated decision.
Can you help me choose a framework/platform that will make me learn something that's a nice thing to know in the job market, but also nice for me to grow as a professional?
So far I've looked at:
Ruby on Rails
Kohana
CakePHP
CodeIgniter
Symfony
But they are all very esoteric to me, and I have trouble even finding out which IDE to use to that will let me use auto-complete for the proprietary keywords/methods.
Thank you for your time.
Have you considered ASP.NET MVC?
You will learn MVC architecture and client-side programming with javascript and jQuery, in a nimble platform that produces clean markup. If you are used to ASP.NET, you will be surprised at the clarity of design.
The NerdDinner tutorial is the go-to guide for getting started.
I suggest you try the whole Java eco-system.
Both similar and different to the .NET world, a lot of open-source frameworks.
Eclipse is a very good free IDE.
Also, why not go with GWT for the client side ?
In any case - enjoy !
Because nobody's mentioned it yet, I'm gonna have to suggest Rails.
I'm sure you're going to hear arguments for each framework you mentioned (and probably some you didn't), but I"ll be brief and explain why I got into Rails, having tried several of the others in your list:
It's beautiful. Coding in Ruby actually makes me happy. I find that I'm removed from a lot of tedium I've come to associate with large projects, and it's totally changed my coding career - I would literally hate to think how much less content of a programmer I'd be had I not taken the plunge. My only suggestion here would be to just try it.
Besides the succinctness of Ruby, Rails got me thinking in a more modular, logical and maintainable manner. As well as the great community, I really subscribe to the principles Rails stands for (especially the emphasis on DRY code), but all of the frameworks you mentioned have their recognized (and controversially disputed) pros and cons.
Each one is both similar and unique in varying degrees and aspects, and ultimately it's up to you to decide - Do some research; deliberate as to whether you're looking for huge libraries, a strong community, cutting-edge updates or assurances in tight documentation. Figuring out what you hope to gain from a framework is a great way of choosing the right one. But you should go for Rails anyway ;P
Good luck!
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I've noticed many questions on here from new programmers that can be solved using libraries. When a library is suggested, often times they respond "I don't want to use X library" Is it the learning curve? or ? Just curious!
A lot of new programmers are still working at a very low level of abstraction, learning the trade. That's something everyone has to go through. It takes a while to "move up the stack" so to speak.
Once programmers realise that they spend most of the time solving the same problems as someone else already did, and the goal is to realise "business value", then they can really appreciate the value a good library brings.
When you're still learning the ins and outs of a new language, also having to learn how to use a 3rd party library can look like too much work. Also, libraries tend to be badly documented - or at least have documentation that seems totally opaque to a new(er) programmer.
So, faced with trying to solve problem X, saying "use a library" can sound a lot like "solve problem Y THEN problem x".
(Also, their professors told them not to. I managed to get all the way though my undergrad in C++ without learning the STL existed. Boy, did THAT cook my noodle.)
Some people, when confronted with a
problem, think “I know, I'll use a
library.” Now they have two
problems.
Seriously - this is a reasonable way for a newbie, already overwhelmed by new language, programming environment, paradigms, keystrokes, etc. to react to the suggestion to use a library. If you've got a solution, but it's not working, there are many potential sources of error; sorting through them is a challenge. Adding to them can seem irrational.
"Use a library" means find the library, download it, install it in your project, and call the necessary function. Not hard, if you're used to it (and there aren't corporate policies against it, and you have reason to trust the vendor, and the library itself has minimal dependencies, etc.). But if it's all new to you, when you ask a programming question and get back a system configuration answer, it can seem unhelpful (even if it is not, in fact).
Almost always it's because their professor has told them that they can't.
Sometimes it's just because they want to learn it themselves, but I'd say that's rare.
It's the learning curve.
Using libraries is probably one of the worst things a learning programmer can do. Instead of learning how to code, they're learning how to use specific APIs that other people implemented. I'm not saying that every programmer has to understand every single thing that they use, but programmers who know the ins and outs of a computer (digital logic, assembling op-codes, etc) usually have an edge over people who've started with something like Java Swing and are just throwing together libraries.
In production, this is a different matter of course. But I think the best course of education is to 'make everything' once, at least. Writing my own web application framework from the ground up really improved my programming skills and abstract abilities. Doesn't mean I'll use that framework if someone hires me to build them an application, but I know the strengths, weaknesses, and reasons behind the things that the 'giant' frameworks use, and it can help me choose a particular framework for a particular situation.
I remember shying away from several libraries simply because I wanted to see if I could create my own algorithm. I didn't want to just give up and let someone do the work for me but rather I wanted to learn from my mistakes. Once I had come up with a solution I was happy with, I looked into the libraries.
So for me it was simply wanting to see if I could do it.
I always have this urge to do it myself, but sometimes I can see my own limitations.
Just recently downloaded a library to create PDF documents, but thats pretty much the only time I can remember.
At least for me, (trying to) do things myself, is my way of learning.
My impression is that many newbie programmers wouldn't consider it their own work if they were to use someone elses libraries.
I don't think that this is necessarily a bad thing. Using libraries is great; it saves time, effort, bugs, etc. However, you learn very little in the process, and for new programmers, learning is the goal. To answer the question, I think that they tend to shy way from libraries simply because they are not used to using them and perhaps they don't know that they exist.
For many poorly documented libraries that are either implemented loosely or in languages that don't allow you to control containment and visibility very well, it can be quite difficult to guess just how the library is supposed to be used.
After you've used it for a while, you've gotten used to the quirks or read other source code that taught you the right way; but until then it can be pretty irritating to use a poorly put-together/designed library. (or even a well designed one that isn't terribly well documented).
If you don't have the source code to the library, that's another problem--you have no control over the ability to keep your program working. This is much more rare these days, but still happens in the case of a purchased library.
Most of the points covered off (for me the main one is the learning curve) but one other I think plays a part:
Because learning about a library is less exciting than coding the same functionality yourself.
More libraries = less billable hours.
I think there's a lot of time that needs to be invested in understanding the library's purpose - yes, a learning curve, but it's more that newbie programmers probably don't know what they need until they have a lot more experience.
Because it's fun.
Because part of maturing as a developer is learning to quickly identify problems which can be solved by a library or existing solution and which need personal attention.
When you're trying to learn how to do things, anytime something is accomplished "magically" by calling AwesomeClass.doAwesomeStuff(), you end up giving away a portion of control. When you are "new" and don't know what you're giving away or why it can be unsettling. This was my primary knock against Rails when I was first learning it. So many things just "worked" and I didn't know why without digging through lots of Rails source (which I generally didn't have time to do).
At least, that's my take on it.
The same reason that more experienced developers do -
Because it can often be as difficult to learn how to use a library as to write the part of it you need yourself. And at least then you can understand how it works when it doesn't do what you expect.
An experienced developer just has experience at understanding how to use libraries so more likely to consider it. An inexperienced developer it's one more thing to learn...
I'm a programmer, not a psychologist! :)
It was a long, long time ago for me, but it was because I wanted to learn and experience. I didn't want to use something I did not understand, so if I didn't think I understood the library and could program it myself, I tried not to use it. There might have been a bit of fear too; programming gives you a feeling of control, and using a library is like giving away this control.
Answer from a noob -
"I am not sure how to use the libraries or even how to access them or how it works"
Libraries often come with the overhead of learning some API and it's paradigm. It can get complex fairly quickly, and I could easily understand that beginners would prefer something a bit more in their comfort zone. From my experience, I found most libraries & frameworks seem to do a great job abstracting some tedious routine, but when I need to either extend this functionality, or use it in a way that's not intended, it can be a handful.
I think it's one of those things where "practice makes perfect".
Well, the newbie's purpose might be more solving the problem than implementing a solution. Perhaps what they really want to do is figure out how to solve the problem. I mean, if they're still heavily in the learning phase, it's quite possible they don't want easy answers handed to them.
I think the professors want them to stick to the basics. When I graduated from under-grad school, I knew C++, Java and some other languages but had no clue about libraries and frameworks being used in companies. It was like do you know java..yes..can you write a servlet..no.
For speed demons they rarely use 3rd party libraries and new programmers are usually looking to squeeze every once of speed of of their code. I think if they don't have control over their code they can't get the performance that they are looking for. At least thats why i avoided libraries when I first started to program.
I remember programing my first DAL and avoided all the other free libraries out on the web because I wanted my code to perform at top speed. Later, I discovered that usually its not the code thats the bttleneck its actually the database.
Some open source libraries are buggy or not as efficient as others.
In my eyes another factor is that additional libraries add complexity. Programs tend to get harder to understand, harder to maintain and buggier when getting more complex. I think what makes especially new programmers shy away from libraries is that adding library code increases complexity more than adding your own code - simply because understanding how the library works is still out of their grasp. So it seems to be a problem of both skill and psychology.
I think more fundamental issues can be recognized as a deterrant to using existing libraries.
Part of this as "newbie programmers" is a lack of exposure to libraries. If you don't know they exist, how do you know to use them?
Number Of Options Available. Let's say I'm really interested in learning more about MVC, but if I have to choose between cakephp and smarty and zend and ... well you can quickly see the gears work to discover a way to achieve the goal without investing the time experimenting. Take a look at Freshmeat or SourceForge to get a better understanding at the daunting selection of libraries available.
Questionable support combined with sketchy/outdated documentation for the libraries. Do I want to use this tool that may no longer work or may be abandoned in the future? It is likely that a project will evolve, and so it will for the project of a library too. Will its usefulness last the lifetime of my project or will I be required to re-do this work again?
Using a library requires you to understand the relatively complex design of the library, something that new programmers might not have mastered because all they've ever written is simple/procedural/single-purpose code. For example, to an experienced programmer standard design patterns like template method, observer and command seem pretty obvious, but to a newbie it all just seems like magic and/or unnecessary complexity. For me the turning point was when I got good enough to grok design patterns and write some basic reusable code.
It's been a long time now, but when I came out of college, I knew nothing of libraries. This was in the days of mainframes and mini-computers. Our college had a VAX and the managers were paranoid about students hacking the system, so didn't allow us to even see the library manuals. So, when I first came out of college, I didn't even think of libraries being available.
I am sure there are a lot of reasons why the newbie doesn't want to use the new library. But wouldn't this be a good opportunity, if you have enough time, to show them what the advantage of using the library is? With the people I work with, I will usually provide an example of why something is better than their approach. It helps them learn and mature as a programmer.
Happens that noobs use Libs without knowing, but when they must import/add one that is fairly less documented, there is a fear of unknow. That happens mostly for compiled langs!
In the interpreted, (or compiled IRT), mainly when there is a console, such fear is almost non-existent; since you can require and see if it fails, call a method and see what it returns.
Consoles are tools of bravery !
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I've been coding since my early teenager years. I started out with HTML, went on to PHP/MySQL (created my own forums, social networking sites, etc..) and then branched out into more traditional languages such as Java and C++ (also picked up a little VB .NET in high school). I'm most familiar now with C++ as that is the language of choice taught to us in Computer Science II (skipped Comp Sci I) at RPI. I now feel like I have a very good knowledge of how to program from this class (the homework assignments were brutal).
It is now summer and I am interning at a company that is providing me some level of new experiences with programming, but I want more. I want to feel the incredible satisfaction that I got out of my computer classes at RPI whenever I finished a long assignment (generating every possible wordsearch from a set of words to include and exclude comes to mind).
My question is, where do I go from here? I tried following a tutorials online, but they were all too simple. I then tried heading over to sourceforge and helping out with various projects. But, as soon as I downloaded the code I got lost in its complexity. I have never created actual software of a real life applicapable scale. And I don't know where to get started. How do you transition from programming knowledge to actuall creation of software?
I'm also open to learning new languages (javascript/jQuery, ASP .NET, C#, Python), or using new libraries and/or frameworks with c++ (we only used the STL in Comp Sci II) and other languages. Again my question is, where do I go from here? And I am welcome to all possible answers.
Thanks Much,
Michael
You could join a big open source project, you'll learn a lot and accomplish something cool.
EDIT after comment: If this is too complicated for you, try starting a "real" project. I say "real" because it should be something that you want to do, not a "create a blog" or "how to do a loop". For instance last year I created a fully functional project management system that I now use for some of my projects. If this is real, you will be more motivated and you will want to get this done.
Pick the technology you want for it. I'd recommend Ruby on Rails because it's awesome and full of interesting concepts that will improve the way you code overtime (DRY, RESTful, MVC...)... but you can pick whatever you want.
Try to create your project using what you know and basic tutorials. You will get stuck and have to learn some more in order to get the features you want going. To me that's the best way to improve the way you code and general programming knowledge.
Since you'll start the project from scratch, you'll see where to start and how this will evolve. I'll take the project management tool. We started with "A project has todos" and we ended up with all kind of other features such as a complex calendar, a full ajax interface, a embedded chat...
Once you see how you did this, try doing the same with a friend of yours to get a fealing of teamwork in development. Learn how to use SVN, basecamp... learn about software development processes (Agile!), peer programming..
There's a lot to experience! Then you could give open source another try.
Hope that helps
I'd recommend trying a pure functional language, such as Haskell. It's a completely different way of looking at programming, and I found it very satisfying.
I recommend the book Real World Haskell for learning it.
Edit: In response to comments, my interpretation of the question is where can he go from here as a programmer. Functional programming is a logical direction. For someone learning functional programming for the first time, Haskell is nice because it doesn't really allow for imperative programming practices. Furthermore, it has basically all features you will find in other functional languages, which means it will be easy to pick up other functional languages.
I would suggest looking at Project Euler. It's a great and fun way to learn a new language, and it does provide that level of satisfaction when you solve the problems. They offer a huge range of problems at all levels of difficulty.
I think the best way to improve your skills as a programmer is to do what programming was intended for: solve problems. I'm sure you've been playing around on your machine and at one time thought to yourself "I wish there was a program that did this..." or "I wonder if there are any programs that do X..." Instead of just googling to see if someone else wrote it, write it yourself. Start with something small, and gradually make it more complex. Add features. Allow yourself to fail, and when you do, ask yourself (or us at stackoverflow) how to overcome that obstacle. Once you have the basics of programming, everything else is just making big things out of littler things, and the little things are usually pretty easy.
When you are making something you know you will actually use, it's more fun and more gratifying when you finish.
Do you understand all of the following and how they work?
Linked lists (single and double)
Sequential vs. binary search
Binary trees
Stacks
Red-black trees
Algorithmic complexity and big O notation
Recursion
Hash tables and hashing algorithms
If you don't feel completely conversant in any of these, take a class in data structures and algorithms.
It seems like you've experienced many languages, but have not created a real-world application. Creating software in any of those languages will bring you to a new level.
PS: Creating software is much more than just knowing how to mess around with a language.
Check out Design Patterns.
I believe that's beyond mere simple coding.
You could offer your abilities to a non profit or a friend or someone who needs a website or program built.
Tell them you can do it for free and then just go for it. As you start to make it you'll start to see what you need to learn.
For example I bit ago I had the program Peel www.getpeel.com on my Mac. But sold my Mac for Wind as I am traveling.
Seeing that there was nothing for Windows (or nothing I could find) like Peel. I build my own in PHP and am up to a 4th rebuilding of it as I learn betters ways to do each new thing I am learning.
You've got to find a particular type of functionality that interests you. For me it's been basic socket programming and making my own protocols. I got that feeling when I was able to create a functional file uploading control that worked in conjunction with a file upload service on the server which I had created. The protocol handles authentication, chunking and hash comparison. Sometime soon I plan on incorporating file-resume functionality as well.
Well my advice will be to find a problem/project you are interested in and try to code it. Trying a real problem is something that drives you. Find something not to complex but not too simple. Something to try when starting a new language is to write some tools. You can for example program a python script that print metrics on a C++ project. You can write a tool that extract some statistics from a website you use, etc. When I learn programming game programming was quite fun (I was young :-) ). You can try to program some simple game using a 3D engine like Ogre3D for example. Participate in an opensource project is great too but as you stated perhaps a bit overwhelming for now ;-)
Find something you like and that has a REAL useful goal for you. You will thrive to solve the problem and learn a lot along the way !
I think the transition from the kind of finite tractable problems that are part of class projects (and some internships) to "real world" projects is quite tough. Sounds like language syntax, getting bugs out of code etc. is something you are comforatble with.
When we come to larger projects, probably with many release cycles, with developers working together, different kinds of problems emerge. I remember being shocked when I saw my first big project plan - what a small propertion of the time was actually writing code!
The thing I found helpful as a junior was "Sitting By Nelly", I was lucky enough to work for enlighted employers who put me with very experienced and helpful developers. Sometimes to work with, sometime to work alongside. I reckon that helped me get over the hurdles you describe.
So, I reckon you need to find employment of this kind. Be less concerned about specific technologies, salary etc. Look instead for the culture and level of responsibility you would have.
I think you should really start a "real world application" as suggested here. You will see that a real project requires a bit more than just knowing the language.
I suggest you find some simple problem you had issue with, and make a software that solves that issue.
For example, if you want some kind of software that checks RSS feeds every 5 minutes and makes a little pop-up as soon as a new one comes along. Or you want a program that will let you do simple presentations by just dragging a few pictures in.
Then whatever you choose, start by making the simple solution to the problem and extend from there (like do different settings, extra features etc.)
I've looked for the answer to this question for a while now. Most all of the suggestions are usually either help an open source project or build something that interests you. I'm starting to realize that those answers are vague because what's 'interesting' or 'valuable' experience and how to get started doing it is completely subjective. Also, there's only one way to get real experience, which is to work on real projects. It's difficult but find a project, personal, open source, or otherwise that will increase your knowledge in a technology or platform that you think will hold your interest. Then just dig in. It doesn't have to be of earth shattering importance, just valuable in relation to your own goals.
There is no magic bullet transition from academic puzzle solving programs to real world applications. The best way to learn is just to jump in head first. It will take you a very long time to learn what you need to if you only ever look at your own code. You need to be looking at code written by professionals and struggling to understand why it works the way it does until you do understand it.
It seems overwhelming at first, but you will quickly start to see patterns if the application is at all logical. Well written code will be separated in logical ways, so you should be able to pick it apart one layer at a time.
For example, you could try a bottom up approach where you try to understand how the database interactions are handled before looking at the code that uses the database layer. You keep going upward until you get to the GUI event handlers.
Large enterprise applications can be even harder to understand because there might be a lot more than one executable, or component. Try to stay focused and learn what the component is responsible for doing, and then pick it apart a piece at a time.
You will see that there are not just patterns at the function and class level, but at higher levels as well. This makes it simpler to understand what is going on when you understand those patterns.
Try to find an internship or co-op position. I was in a similar situation after my first few courses. I took a co-op position sophomore year and I learned so much more on the job than I did in class. Class is great for teaching you theory and the basics. I learned C# on my first project on my co-op and that got me my second co-op position at another employer (wanted to see how it was working at a small company).
This past spring, I accepted a position at my first co-op employer, reworking my first major project I had started on my co-op. I have a list of side projects I also want to complete, which will help round out my skills, as well as learn some other languages.
So my suggestion is try finding a job where you can have a great mentor. On my second co-op, I learned alot of the coding standards that I code against from my supervisor. He was a great teacher, and really had some great input, and explained why things should be done certain ways.
You will almost certainly go nowhere unless you find something that interests you. Figure out what is interesting, and then how to write software involving it.
The only way to begin is to begin! There is really no other way... The best answers you get would always tell you this. You have the knowledge, now put it to work!
I have become pretty fluent in a few different languages now, but I seem to have a hard time actually figuring out the best way to go about solving particular problems. What are some ways to go about getting better at the actual problem solving of programming.
Experience. Solving something completely new is hard. The best way to solve problems is to try and find a problem that you've solved before, and that is similar, and adapt you solution to the new problem. So until you have experience with many different kinds of problems, it's hard to solve new problems that you come across. Visiting sites like this and reading questions and theirs answers are a great way of learning how others solved problems that they encountered.
Basically, "just do it". When you have to make a choice, just make any choice (except flipping a coin).
Once you have something that works, then sit back and scratch your head about what you did wrong and how to do it better.
If you have absolutely no clue how to do even that, just solve a part of the problem completely and move on.
I suggest checking out this book. They aren't the best kid on the block, though they want us to think they are...but they did well with Basecamp.
When all you have is a hammer, everything begins to look like a nail.
So, make sure you're well versed in algorithms and data structures. When you study them, think hard about what sort of uses a particular algorithm is good for.
Ask someone else. Someone in your office, on Twitter or SO, or even your wife. People with no technical knowledge often come up with simpler solutions.
If you must solve it on your own, try one of these others:
Do a quick search for another person or project which has tried to solve your problem. If they have a blog, documentation or source code, you might be able to learn from their implementation.
Come up with at least TWO solutions and pick the best one.
Pretend you have 15 minutes to solve the problem before the civilized world is destroyed by Nuclear War / Skynet / Permanent endless re-runs of Seinfeld, you might think of something much simpler which gets 99% of the work done.
The book is a set of heuristics to go through when solving a problem. Read about it on Wikipedia. Buy it on Amazon.
By solving actual problems. Practice makes perfect.
If you have time to become fluent in multiple languages, my guess is that you haven't spent much time doing any actual work. If you have a job, it might be time for a new one. If you're still in school, do you have any interest in starting a project for yourself or contributing to one that you use regularly?
It might help to know what kinds of problems you're having difficulty solving.
Go find an open source or free project you can get excited about and contribute. I learned a lot by signing up to code for my favorite video game modification.
Experience.
Study really only goes so far. Find something fun and small. Do it.
One way that seems to work for a lot of people is to pick use a book like Programming Challenges as a guide, and focus on solving problems of a particular type. For example if you're weak in an area like graph problems or dynamic programming, find a set of problems on an online judge and work through them. You'll start to recognize patterns and be able to classify problems.
Google for an answer. Chances are someone else has solved the same problem or a similar problem before.
Ask on SO. :)
Read some textbooks or online articles about design patterns.
Problems may have many solutions, some simpler and some more complicated. Don't get stuck thinking there is only one solution. Just go with the simplest solution that makes the most sense in the context of your application.
After years of experience you'll be able to think of your own solutions to most problems. :)
Study Algorithms!
Search and get a hold on as many examples, books on the subject programming or otherwise, etc.
Problem solving skills can also be improved by playing tactical games.
These made me Enjoy problem solving and become better (not necessarily good) at problem solving:
Chess and igo
I like this general method:
List the possible solutions with their strengths and weaknesses
(This will push you to briefly taste all of them)
Chose the best one and make your design on it
(If you find any heavy obstacle, reconsider other options)
Implement
most importantly, on every step, learn
The best way is probably to learn form a master if that's an option. Especially if you can find someone familiar with the problems your addressing.
Generally the more tools we have at hand the more options we have for tackling a problem. I agree that's important to always code and to always deliver something that works (however inelegant it is). But I think we need to increase our skills/knowledge in many directions:
Language skills (know your language(s) in depth)
Programming paradigms (Imperative, Object, Functional)
Framework knowledge
Algorithms
Patterns
Date-Structures
Methodologies (Agile, DDD, BDD, ?DD)
Tools
etc
You can get a lot of skill through on the job just-in-time-learning, but I usually have a pet subject at any time that I'm trying to get a deeper understanding of, typically this means getting the book and reading it cover to cover.
Work your way through Project Euler, and look at other people's solutions to the problems. Almost every problem will have been solved in a way that wouldn't have occurred to you, and usually with greater efficiency.
I think that there is a lot more than raw experience involved in becoming a good problem solver - because I've seen poor problem solvers with lots of experience.
Here are a few tips but you can find many more around the web.
Look at a number of problems and
figure out what they have in
common. The greater the generality
with which you understand the
solution to a problem, the more you
can apply it to other problems.
Try to discover approaches which
good problem solvers use to solve problem. But don't assume anyone has monopoly on problem solving
If you read Richard Feynman's
books, you'll notice that he
considers many different routes to
get to his goal. Don't narrow your
approach prematurely
Be positive. Assume that you can find
the solution to anything. Your state of mind matters. Enjoying the process of problem solving makes it much easier
Don't beat your head against the wall. If you don't
seem to be making progress with one approach, try another approach
Always be looking for more ways of
solving problems and more insights
into the process of problem solving itself
Be willing to work. It still can take a lot of effort solve some problems
The more different fields of study you know, the more viewpoints you have. I have a strong math background and I find it very useful for many problems. Physics, music or any different viewpoint might be useful
Practice solving problems.
Take an algorithms or discrete math course.
Here some tools that I've used in the past to help me understand a particular problem and its solution. I don't always use them today, but they helped me to learn how to think about breaking down a problem and coming up with a solution.
Class-Responsibility-Collaboration (CRC) cards
One card per class, details the responsibility of the class and what other classes it collaborates with. Using cards you can layout your design for the solution and see where you have too much coupling or too much responsibility. They allow you to think about the design in a lightweight manner before committing to code.
Use cases
Either actual structured use cases that describe user interaction with the system or even briefer stories or story cards. I still use stories, though I capture them in a wiki instead. This allows you to capture the interaction with the system in an informal way. Stories are basically placeholders for conversations that you need to have with the customer about what is supposed to be done. Using the collected stories, you start getting a grasp on the overall intention of the code. You can also start seeing how things interact and what works with other things. This is really the beginning of design.
UML Diagrams - particularly interaction diagrams
For awhile I used these a lot. It really helped to see how things actually worked together under the hood. I will still diagram, informally, some complex interactions to make sure I don't miss anything important. Going through a lot of these really helped me to think about how my objects interacted and now it is sort of second nature to think in terms of interactions.
Class diagrams -- a really high level view of the code.
These allow you to see your code structurally, especially if you can break the diagram down into components or layers of architecture. Mostly I use these now to explain the code to other people when necessary. When starting out these provide a pretty good visualization, though, if you're struggling with the bird's-eye view of the code.
The best advice I can give you if you try these is to follow the "rules" until you really have a good grasp of what is going on. Once you feel like you have a better understanding of what they provide, you can use them or not, or modify how you use them to keep only what is helpful and let the other stuff go.