@derrockwolf @AlSweigart I see this all the time in how people learn. It's okay to be motivated by real-world projects. But if you want to program effectively, you really need to learn all the pieces at some point.
The big question is figuring how many pieces are enough.
I don't think it's ever too late to learn something new, but I find that if i don't have a fundamental goal to achieve, learning stuff is hard.
@roknrol I have things I want to do with the skills. Usually I outsource but I find it inefficient and I don't have any ownership. Dependent on the coders to get it done. Any tips on where to start?
People can quibble over which language is better/best or whatever, but I've found that concepts are fairly universal.
Choose the language based on what you need...if your needs change, changing the language isn't really all that difficult (broadly speaking).
If you're looking to do it professionally you'll probably want to take a different course, but to just manage your own stuff? Pick a language and jump in.
I used to get a lot of mileage out of the "For Dummies" books for what it's worth.
@roknrol Cool. OK doesn't sound so daunting. Any kind of courses out there (self-directed) that you'd know?
Not that I would swear to; I cut my teeth on C/C++ back in the 1990's and taught myself HTML when it was still possible to do that by looking at web page source. I've needed to do a lot of stuff in a lot of other languages over the years since then, but that foundation really set me up to pick up other language syntax/format quickly.
I would be willing to bet that there are very free, very robust resources somewhere on the internet if you do some searches.
Some of your selection will depend on what OS you use and what language(s) you're looking to learn.
Hell, do a hashtag search for the language here on Fedi...I bet it'd turn something up.
@roknrol Thanks, mate. Appreciate it. I wish I'd done some of that stuff back then - you know when the entry stakes were lower because things were just starting up. But I guess it's better late than never. And you're right theere must a lot more resources now.
Software developer trainer here. We use both methods when addressing a group since everybody learns in different ways.
As always it depends on the group and the subject. The communication style of the group is often the deciding factor for me. People who prefer theory are often willing to wait, so often they get “served” last, so that I keep the full attention of the rest of the group.
A lot also depends on how much time I have.
Sometimes I just ask. Once I had a group who really preferred practical approach which resulted in me rewriting the course material.
@RonJeffries @AlSweigart And another time I had a group where 90% preferred a methodical approach. I even rearranged the seating so that I could speed up the approach for those who didn’t care about the fundamentals.
I don’t believe there is a single solution or approach. The only wisdom I can provide is that when you are unsure you should interlace the approach in rapid succession. 30 seconds theory, then 30s demo, then 30s story telling, then theory and so on.
Also keep in mind that this is what works for me and my trainees. I know other good trainers that have their own approach.
Tim Oltjenbruns
Al Sweigart
RockWolf
Eric Matthes
Brian Baldock 🇨🇦
Laura Langdon
Raindrops and Roses
Roknrol like the slur
Carolyn
Martin
Noel Kelly
Wouter Lindenhof
Ron Jeffries