There are a million reasons why you want to make sure you label each variable properly. The number 1 reason is because it’s easier to read and the importance of readability is also efficiency. The more you dive into computer programming you’ll learn the term DRY. Dry is an acronym for don’t repeat yourself. As a beginning programmer you’ll probably see this and know exactly where in your code that it repeats. This is where labeling comes in handy. Labeling is good practice for making sure your code is readable. Lets take a look at an example.

You can see here that labeling plays a big part in understanding what the function is supposed to do. Clearly the variable randomword isn’t a random word. It’s a integral part of the sentence. We can get more in depth on what each word in the sentence does but that is for a later time. We all know that “The” is an article, “cat” is a noun, etc, etc but the point is that they are important for what makes a sentence a sentence. This same rule applies to most facets of programming. In order to really iterate what your thought process is for solving any coding problem is being able to make sure the label represents what your thought process is. It’s hard for most people to really put down on paper what it is that they are trying to convey so go with the gut instinct. Go with the variable name that is most appropriate for the variable name as well as the name of the function. In this example, badExample is actually a good indication of what I was trying to convey in this code but overall a bad name for the function.

Again I do want to iterate that I am not a professional coder by any means but with the amount of hours I have put into learning how to program, I can’t say that i’m the worst one either. It takes time and dedication to really honing in on your craft. Just like how you wouldn’t want to start a job with little to no experience (given that it’s not an entry level job), you want to really make sure that everything you do is with a purpose. There is always a purpose. Whether it’s wanting financial security or even a high paying job, that should be reason enough to want to be good at something.

Like the previous post, I started in an index at where I started. It’s not easy. I remember when I first learned how to ride a bike. I fell miserably and I never wanted to ride a bike again. Then you begin to understand that riding a bike is a functional piece of equipment. Though BMX is a big sport, there is still a practical functionality with learning how to ride a bike. It gets you to point A to point B. When you begin to understand the purpose of needing to know how to get to point B, you forget about all those times that you fell off the bike. So just like any learning process, and like this I want to share what i’ve been working on currently. There are a lot of gaps in-between where I am now to where I started but just like riding a bike you need to know where you are going in order to forget all the times you’ve fallen.

This may be complicating for most people but this is a beautifully written code. There are many different loops such as a for loop (which is basically iterating though an array), there are higher order functions ( being able to manipulate arrays), and there are also objects ( a set of data where you are able to store an object with characteristic). This is only the beginning stages but this is where I am at currently.

The cool thing about coding is that once you learn higher order functions, you basically have mastered javascript programming. There isn’t more you need to learn ( I say this tentatively because there is always something new to learn). The main thing that may become a drag for almost everyone is that you feel like you need to constantly learn something new. For that reason school may seem like a drag because once you finish high school, you have to go to college. Once you finish college, you have to go to grad school. Once you finish grad school, you have to get your PHD and this can be a very daunting task. The great thing about programming is that you don’t need some higher education. Once you understand higher order functions you are easily hirable to places like Facebook, google, etc.

Programming to me is attractive for many different reasons. The biggest thing about programming is that a computer isn’t going to take you job 10 years from now because you are the ones programming the computer. You tell the computer what to do not the other way around. With that freedom you are able to access a whole new way of living. You can work remotely and anywhere with internet access. This is great because if anything were to happen at your job, you have a very unique set of skills that will make you attractive to any employer. Think about the internet for instance. Just think about how many hours in a day you spend on a computer. What you are really looking at is a very condensed version of programming.

All in all, computer programming is a great place to start if you are looking for a better job that allows you the freedom to live and do what you want, when you want. You can’t say that for many jobs because you are most likely hourly and even if you are working salary, chances are you still have to work a set amount of hours.

Hello, i’m writing this to start a journey of programming for you, as well as an index of my journey. I want to write this blog in hopes that anyone that reads this knows what it may feel like to start programming at it’s beginning stages. Just like anything in life, getting started is the hardest part. Prior to taking the App Academy’s online bootcamp, I had no idea what I was getting myself into. About 2 weeks into the program I can honestly say that this journey has paid off. You are going to learn a lot and you are also going to fail at a lot of different aspects of programming. My advice to you (and it’s not a lot) is that you need to know what it is that is making your program fail in order to make it a functional program.

Lets take a look into my first couple of attempts at programming.

You can see here that this is an array of numbers. An array is basically a list of numbers or strings. An array is a very dynamic way of getting a list of data. You can have a list of animals, cars, colors, pretty much anything. The great thing about arrays is that you can manipulate them. The more in depth you get into programming the more you will see it as being able to manipulate data into virtually anything.

The second set of data you can have is an object. An object is any noun that can hold a value. For instance you can have an object that has a count. I.E. cat: 3, dog: 4, bird: 2. This is a very dynamic way of being able to store data and just like the array you are also able to manipulate this data. You can add more to your object as well as take numbers out. Lets take a look at an example.

The point of this blog is that I want to share information that i’ve learned thus far. Though  these data structures are primitive, it’s the basics that makes you build on a foundation. I’m not saying that I am an expert but it’s always good to know where and how you started. Just like being able to store data into arrays, I want to store my journey on this word press in hopes that one day anyone that comes across this knows that there are many aspects of programming that is very frustrating.

I encourage anyone that reads this or has any intention of starting their own journey into computer programming to log their journey as well. The coding community is far and very few so being able to share any information along the way is going to make big strides in making programming accessible and for everyone.

In the spirit of writing my first blog post, i’d like to introduce myself. There isn’t anything about me that is too interesting other then that I like to learn things, and I like to learn them fast. I’m not your typical straight A student, nor am I the best at anything that I do. The only thing that makes me stand out is how hard I try at everything I do. I believe that anything that can be inherited, can be manifested. What I mean by this is that you don’t need to be good at something to start off with. The only thing that you can control is the level of intensity you put into your craft. You can apply this to anything in life (small plug in for creating an algorithm). Think about where you were back when you first tried something. Compare that to now. It took you hours of developing and making sure that each day you wake up, you learn something new. Something different.

Having this attitude of wanting to improve on the previous day is an inherited trait, even being evolutionary. There is nothing in life where you are worse then what you did previous. The only trajectory for success if forward. Each day you wake up is a better version of your previous self. Your hair is longer, your body changes, you get stronger. These are all elements of taking in the previous day and adding something to it. You will always be the best version of yourself, no matter the context. The fact that you are living is in indication that you survived the rigors of whatever life threw at you yesterday. What makes you who you are is a collection of the experiences you been through to the perfect version of yourself now.

This blog is for everybody, not just the computer programmers. The main point of programming is being able to take anything and apply it to everything. Algorithms are being able to take in something inherited (nature) and being able to apply that to everyday situations. You don’t need to be the greatest at something to be considered the greatest at, it. The face of the matter is that characteristics are traits that retain over time (time being a constant).

Who are you are is you who you will become. You and only you can change the trajectory of your life. Are you making the right decision? Who knows, maybe you are. Only time will tell. The only thing you can do is make sure that whatever it is that you’re doing now, will either be the last chapter of your phase currently, or the index of the path you are going to pursue.