02-11-2014, 08:16 AM
I have a suggestion!
One of the potential problems that a new coder might have not that they might not be able to code well (although, they're new, so they're not going to be good~) but that the only thing they can do IS code.
For example: I have about the equivalent of a year of formal C++ under my belt. I took a semester of C++ in college (introductory programming), then I filled in the rest by doing a book (The Strustroups's Programming Principles and Practices in C++, for the curious.)
This is a problem because that only focuses on basic programming in the IDE. Using pointers, objects, and etc. Before last week, I never even heard of Git Bash. I don't know how to properly use any of the tools or the normal convention of "real" programming. Fixing a typo was a monumental task because I couldn't figure out how find the text in question. (And the current version of Git Bash is glitched.)
So, why am I saying this? Well, I think it wouldn't hurt to have some beginner tasks that focus more on getting a handle for actually helping a source code project. Fixing a typo was great for me because it involved no programming at all, so I could focus on getting a better grasp of how to use Git. Typos would probably be a great starter fix if possible.
Also, a bit better documentation wouldn't hurt. There aren't any datamembers listed on the API site and it would probably be helpful to list those on the site. (Unless that's not normal convention? VS Lists a classes datamembers afterall.)
One of the potential problems that a new coder might have not that they might not be able to code well (although, they're new, so they're not going to be good~) but that the only thing they can do IS code.
For example: I have about the equivalent of a year of formal C++ under my belt. I took a semester of C++ in college (introductory programming), then I filled in the rest by doing a book (The Strustroups's Programming Principles and Practices in C++, for the curious.)
This is a problem because that only focuses on basic programming in the IDE. Using pointers, objects, and etc. Before last week, I never even heard of Git Bash. I don't know how to properly use any of the tools or the normal convention of "real" programming. Fixing a typo was a monumental task because I couldn't figure out how find the text in question. (And the current version of Git Bash is glitched.)
So, why am I saying this? Well, I think it wouldn't hurt to have some beginner tasks that focus more on getting a handle for actually helping a source code project. Fixing a typo was great for me because it involved no programming at all, so I could focus on getting a better grasp of how to use Git. Typos would probably be a great starter fix if possible.
Also, a bit better documentation wouldn't hurt. There aren't any datamembers listed on the API site and it would probably be helpful to list those on the site. (Unless that's not normal convention? VS Lists a classes datamembers afterall.)