Stuck on a Coding Problem? Here are 5 Steps to Solve It
Solving problems is a programmer’s bread and butter. While everyone has their own tricks to employ when they’re stuck, I’ve personally found five surefire steps that, more likely than not, will help you solve any programming problems you encounter—and do it faster and more efficiently.
1. Read the problem several times until you can explain it to someone else
This is by far, the most important step. Read the problem several times until you fully understand it. If you don’t understand it, you simply won’t be able to solve it. And the best way to know if you understand the problem is by being able to explain it to someone else.
2. Solve the problem manually
Nothing can be automated that cannot be done manually!
Any code we write has a foundation: the manual process. So before you start automating, before you start writing code like a maniac, solve your problem manually first. That way, you’ll know exactly what you want to automate as you move forward. This will save you a lot of time.
