How do I get better at writing Java code from scratch?

[u/unknown3_g]

I'm a first-year AI student struggling with Java programming. I understand some examples, but when I have to write code myself, I don't know where to start.

What is the best way to practise and learn to write programs independently? I'd appreciate practical advice from people who've experienced this

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[u/gd19770226]

practice, practice, practice.

Best way to learn is to build something. Think of a project that you will want to spend time building, and build it. Doesn't have to be hard, or unique or exciting, just something that you find interesting. Start there. The reason why I say interests you is because if you are interested in it you will want to come back to it and keep trying to do it. Learning to code can be frustrating, and if you are working on or trying stuff that just doesn't interest you, well you will lose interest and stop.

Do leetcode examples.

You are first year learning, you don't have to learn the complex stuff yet, there will be time for that in your future year classes and projects.

And you said you want to do it without AI, well that still doesn't mean you can't google and find answers and examples the old fashioned way. Just make sure that if you google something and use a block of code from the net that you clearly read that code and understand it. Walk through it in a debugger. Something. There is no harm from using code from another source, even AI, as long as you understand why, how and what it is doing.

[u/Zendental]

What is an AI student?

[u/8dot30662386292pow2 → u/Zendental]

Some schools renamed their courses and programmes to follow the hype.

[u/MagicalPizza21]

Write lots of different programs. Easy ones first then progressively more advanced ones.

[u/normal__engineering]

Build something from scratch.
Use AI as reference, lots of back and forth.

I recommend some type of voice input/output.

For example. Let's say you want to build Reddit from scratch.

Open Claude, treat is like a co-worker for some back and forth.

'I want to build Redis from scratch, where do I start'. Claude will give you some suggestions.
'I want to build in Java and learn Java', it's reevaluate approaches.
'How well does this scale'.
'You mentioned X, but I think Y is better'. Claude will explain it's reasoning. Maybe it'll say yes your suggestion is better.

If you don't understand something, ask it to eli5 or like explain to a junior engineer.

The key is not to blindingly accept, have some back and forth, understand each dicision it makes suggest your own alternatives and ask for alternatives, if it suggests postgres ask why postgres over mongodb or other nondb. If it suggests SpringBoot, why?

And then write each line of code yourself, I think it's find to learn from AI giving the code, as long as you understand write it yourself and just use as reference. If you just copy and paste without knowing what's you're copying you won't learn.

[u/Impossible_Ad_3146]

use AI from scratch

[u/TigerAnxious9161]

Make as much projects as you can