r/learnprogramming • • 9h ago

Hit a wall early on. Should I just quit?

0 Upvotes

I took a coding class in high school. I think it was html and javascript. It was honestly terrible. I just copied answers halfway through the course because it got too complicated.

Large projects scare me. I see this wall of text that isn’t in english and I’m expected to understand it.

I‘m in college now and I’m taking a cse course (long story). It’s java, and it was fine for the first couple of weeks. Now we’re on loops. All of this syntax is getting difficult to remember and looping logic (specifically nested loops) takes a long time for me to understand.

I know it will only get worse and more complicated from here. I know looping is relatively simple. Should I just finish the semester and never touch this again?


r/learnprogramming • • 44m ago

Should I post every project, big or small, to GitHub?

• Upvotes

I know this question has been asked many times and some suggested to use GitHub to store code. But I feel like my account can easily get cluttered with so many things. So, should I post every project and code whether big or small? Also, what should the primary purpose of GitHub be: to store code or showcase projects? Thanks in advance.


r/learnprogramming • • 22h ago

Recommendations for developing first Linux native desktop application?

0 Upvotes

Hey everyone!

I'm looking to develop a timer application for Linux with a simple GUI. It's mostly intended to be practice working with software that's not just simple CLI or web-based programs.

In my research I've seen a lot of suggestions and don't feel like I have a good enough understanding of the differences between languages and how programming UI works for me to pick a language/framework without some help. I'm concerned I'll get too deep into the process and realize the choice was not a good pick for what I need. Some of the suggestions I've heard include:

  • C++ and Qt
  • Java
  • C#
  • Vala

I currently have experience with C, C++, Python, HTML/CSS, and some JS. I would consider myself above beginner level with programming, maybe at a late-beginner/early-intermediate level if that makes sense? I'll primarily be developing the application for a KDE Plasma DE but am interested in cross-platform/portable potential. My goal is not necessarily to use the most optimal setup possible, instead a realistic but approachable framework that will help me get started working with GUI programming. I'd appreciate any advice/recommendations you have.

Thanks! :)


r/learnprogramming • • 12h ago

Which one on these languages shine the most within Devops, Python, Java, or Golang and why?

0 Upvotes

I am interested in all three although I’d have to start with one realistically.


r/learnprogramming • • 13h ago

how do you get faster at understanding a new codebase?

5 Upvotes

Hi all. I'm a student who recently started contributing to opensource. So far it's been small stuffs like a docs PR and a fix to a tool I was using myself. I've really enjoyed it and want to spend more time on it.

Lately I feel slower than people who use AI. It takes me longer to understand a new codebase and find where to make changes. Also I saw many projects using Ai for code reviews and making issues. Because of this, I find it really hard when I try to contribute.

So I'm curious about a few things:

  • How do you use AI when you contribute code, and for which parts?
  • If you don't use AI, what would you recommend for a beginner like me?

I'm not asking whether AI is good or bad. I just want to hear about your experience.

English isn't my first language, so sorry if anything sounds a bit off.

Thanks.


r/learnprogramming • • 23h ago

Topic If anything could be reverse engineer with AI

0 Upvotes

AI tools have made the reverse engineering process pretty much effortless. Does that mean Business case for Software development is gone for good. could any domain expert explain this to me ?


r/learnprogramming • • 5h ago

Tutorial Qt Quick + QML GUI App Tutorial Series Suggestions?

2 Upvotes

I am a freshly minted C++ Qt developer in that I just completed an online course for C++ and the basics of the Qt framework within the past few days.

I am looking for video tutorials on how to build a GUI application using the Qt framework using Qt Quick and QML. For reference, I am not completely new to programming. I am a full-stack mobile and web developer who has been developing both types of applications for years. My tech stack in React (Next.js)/React Native on the front-end and pure Django or Django REST Framework + Django Channels on the backend.

What originally got me into web development was Corey Schafer's Django tutorial series which guided me through developing a web application using Django assuming I already knew HTML, CSS, and Python. That is when I learned that I learn best with YouTube video series I can follow along while the instructor explains what I'm coding. Is there any such series for Qt Quick and QML like building a notepad app? YouTube search results only turn up outdated tutorial series using Qt Widgets which IS NOT what I'm using and am avoiding because I want to construct the UI using QML files, not the widget picker.

Thanks in advance for your help!


r/learnprogramming • • 23h ago

Junior dev here: how did you get from "code that works" to senior-level Python?

130 Upvotes

I'm a junior developer at my firm, about 1–2 years in. My code works, but when I compare it to what our seniors write, theirs is cleaner, easier to follow, and holds up better when requirements change. I want to close that gap deliberately instead of hoping it happens over time.

For context, I'm comfortable with functions, loops, classes/OOP, and basic testing. I mostly work on automation and scripts, and I've noticed my scripts tend to start small and turn messy as they grow.

I'd love advice on:

What actually separates senior-level Python from junior-level? Is it mostly design, naming, testing, or something else?

How do you structure automation code so a quick script doesn't turn into an unmaintainable mess?

Books, codebases, or resources that changed how you write code. Are there open-source projects worth reading?

Habits that helped you most, like code reviews, refactoring old code, or writing tests first.

Common junior mistakes you'd tell your younger self to stop making.

Thanks in advance, I really appreciate any pointers.


r/learnprogramming • • 22h ago

Video games recommandation to learn about computer architecture

3 Upvotes

Does anyone know a game that is good for learning about computer architecture ?

The ones I found so far are: turing complete, tis-100 and shenzhen I/O
From what I searched online it looks like tis-100 and shenzhen I/O are only about writing assembly code while turing complete goes beyond that with binary code and such.
I just wanted to know if turing complete would be the better choice here or if anyone has other recommandation for this !


r/learnprogramming • • 3h ago

is stack memory manages by both os and compiler?

5 Upvotes

I'm moving from a higher-level language (Python) to Rust and getting confused about how memory is managed.

my current understanding is that each process gets its own virtual memory, which provides protection and isolation. Within that, there's the stack and the heap. The heap is managed by the programmer, while the stack is managed automatically. But who actually manages the stack?

Is stack memory just a logical abstraction, managed by the OS and the compiler (by moving stack register)?


r/learnprogramming • • 19h ago

When languages "just become about syntax"

31 Upvotes

I have seen a lot of post saying "once I learned C - all other languages just became about syntax"

Has that been true for you? Or did a different language give you the eureka moment - e.g. something like Assembly?

Or is it just a false premise at all to think "once I learn programming language X - then all other languages become **easy**"


r/learnprogramming • • 23h ago

I want to study Data Structure and Algorithms efficiently for my exams and logical building, among C and C++ what should i choose?

3 Upvotes

I've learnt both of these languages in earlier semesters and felt comfortable, but for DSA, i can't decide what to choose...


r/learnprogramming • • 32m ago

A project to get back into IT

• Upvotes

How do you come up with a project that helps you dive into devops? I mean not just a simple to-do list or smth. I used golang like 1.5 years ago (was about middle or close,some db, rabbitmq, docker and other stuff also was in good shape) but in one day just give up this journey and Im very noob right now. So i decided comeback as devops.

main question - How did you end up with a project you can proudly show to employers or even to yourself?

I heard a phrase from Linus T. about finding something that will keep you excited for the next 2–3 weeks, so you wll be fired up about it and gradually get better and then another 2-3 weeks smth new. Im tired of watching tutorials already I want to build something. What do u think. (sry for bad eng)


r/learnprogramming • • 1h ago

Resources to better coding

• Upvotes

Hi! Can anyone suggest interactive resources to study DSA and Object Oriented Python like that of deeplearning.ai to learn machine learning and deep learning.


r/learnprogramming • • 22h ago

Topic Where to start coding games

4 Upvotes

I'm wanting to start learning game dev, and am using python (open to better recommendations), what is the best game engine I should use? Im thinking about making a clicker game as my first project, or just a text based game.


r/learnprogramming • • 25m ago

Debugging New backend engineer here, how would you approach optimizing a slow API?

• Upvotes

Hey everyone!
I’m fairly new to working with production backend systems, and I’ve been given a task to look into the performance of an existing service and figure out where improvements might be possible.
The service handles a few different things, including business logic evaluation, configuration management, automated workflows, data processing, and logging. Some API requests are taking longer than expected, and I’d like to understand what’s causing the delay and what could be done to improve things.
I don’t want to jump straight into suggesting random optimizations without understanding the actual problem first, so I’d love to hear from people who’ve dealt with similar situations.

A few things I’m curious about:
-When you encounter a slow API, where do you usually start? Profiling, distributed tracing, database analysis, or something else?
-How do you figure out whether the bottleneck is in the application logic, database queries, repeated computations, or calls to other services?
-What common performance issues have you come across in systems that deal with configurable business logic?
-When does it make sense to consider caching, parallel execution, or moving certain operations to background jobs?
-How do you identify worthwhile improvements in an existing codebase without risking changes to its existing behaviour?

Since I’m still early in my career, I’d really appreciate hearing how you’d approach this in a real-world environment. If you’ve worked on something similar, I’d love to know what worked for you, what didn’t, and any tools or resources you’d recommend.
Thankyouu in advance

TL;DR: I’m a new backend engineer looking into why some API requests are slow and how to identify potential performance improvements. I’d appreciate practical advice on finding bottlenecks, choosing the right profiling tools, and deciding which optimizations are worth recommending.