How to get more experienced ?

Question

The last 1.5 year I have been getting into programming more and more. I have been dabbling a bit in C++ ( just very basic things like processing a huge csv file lightning fast ) and started to learn python ( which I started to like very much already ) but mostly have been using php for building websites with a 'simple' custom cms. I reached a point where I'm pretty capable of doing the things I need for that kind of work and I'm learning more and more every day but still feel like I'm miles away from the 'serious' stuff.
Does anyone here has some tips / thoughts on what to do next to progress and learn how to program properly instead of my probably quite ineffecient 'trial and error' way of doing things. ( tail -f is my friend )
I already learned about OOP and I'm currently studying about MVC but haven't been really doing any real hands on stuff with it. I also have been coding everything without using any frameworks until now but maybe I should look into one when wanting to some more serious things ?
Last edited by redcomet (2011-02-16 23:58:16)

Answer 1

I have been programming as a hobby on and off since I was 16. I started with Visual Basic 3.0 making "addons" for AOL when it was "cool." Anyways, I am still no expert by any means. Not by a long shot, but I _KNOW_ I will be one day if I put my nose to the grindstone and hit the code head first. I am pretty good with C, Python, Bash, Vala, and Lua. I can sort of code in C++, but I don't really like it. I have made a constant effort to get into C++, but in writing a Gtk3 program, the C++ bindings weren't being updated fast enough so I grew frustrated. Maybe I will return to it again in the future. C++ is an important (and massive) language to get a grasp of. Here are my tips that I use to take control of my learning process:
1. CODE. This is the most important thing. Whatever language you decide to use, you have to use it! At least everyday. I make sure I get in at least 2 hours a day of coding. Since I am not a professional coder, this is vital to my success (er, future success, i'm still learning). When I get "wired in" I usually block access to my favorite sites in "/etc/hosts" so I can stay focused. Once I get going, I'm usually very productive, especially in python
2. Study! I read a lot about programming. There are a bunch of blog you can goto and read professional opinions about techniques. I like going to reddit.com/r/programming for cool stuff.
3. Read lots of source code. This is what I do most of the time, especially when I am trying to figure something out. Here, grep is your friend. Often I find myself doing this for Gtk apps because the documentation is lacking. I visit git.gnome.org everday to see whats new and read lots of code, usually on my lunch break.
4. Read K&R, and do the exercises. This book not only teaches C, it teaches good old fashioned programming techniques. Not tremendously useful when writing apps with glib, but still helpful.
5. When I see crazy code that completely blows my mind, I don't let it faze me. This is so true for OOP in C (like gobject). It just make me go WTF some times. When this happens, I take a breath, and start at the most logical point and work my way from there. I take lots of notes. And grep, lots and lots of grep queries. When I still can't figure it out, I hit google. The absolutely last resort is irc.
Hope this helps.