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As a beginner, how should I go about learning difficult concepts? (sh.itjust.works)

submitted 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) by Nommer@sh.itjust.works to c/programming@programming.dev

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I'm trying to learn programming and something I struggle with the most is trying to separate code mentally into chunks where I can think through the problem. I'm not really sure how to describe it other than when I read a function to determine what it does then go to the next part of the code I've already forgotten how the function transforms the data and I get stuck trying to figure out the solution. So instead I'll often cludge something together just to make it work but I don't feel like I made any progress. Has anybody else run into this issue where they struggle with abstracting code from text to mental instructions?

Edit: Thank you all for the suggestions and advise. I wish I could reply to everyone but there's been a lot of good information given and I have some ways now to try and train my brain to think about how to break down the code. It's also a little reassuring knowing I'm not the first to have these same struggles.

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[–] Feathercrown@lemmy.world 6 points 1 year ago

You might be trying to hold too many details in your head at once. Once you've read a function, try to reframe it in a simpler and easier way; for example, instead of remembering all the steps it makes, just remember what goes in and what comes out (and any side effects). This will let you think about how different functions interact, not just different lines of code.