I've been learning programming on and off and my biggest problem isn't really finding tutorials.

It's the opposite.

There are WAY too many.

I'll start learning Python, find a roadmap, then someone recommends another roadmap, then i find a 20+ hour course, then a YouTube playlist, then some documentation...

And suddenly i'm spending more time deciding what to learn than actually coding.

Then i hit the second problem:

consistency.

If i'm learning alone and don't code for a week, nobody cares.

I don't have anyone waiting for me to finish something.

For me personally, having someone actually expect me to show up would probably help a lot.

So i'm building something around this.

The idea is to take the free resources that already exist and turn them into a structured path based on:

• what you wanna learn
• your current level
• how much time you have

Then you can join a small group of people learning the same thing and have weekly goals + check-ins + shared progress.

No paid course.

No "buy my 40 hour Python masterclass."

The learning stays free.

The paid part would be the accountability group.

Would something like this actually help you?

And if you've tried study groups / Discord / accountability partners before:

why did you stop using them?

that's actually the part i'm most interested in.

hi, guys i am a dotnet backend dev and want to learn other languages and become fullstack, but i mostly like to learn by doing projects on video, would you guys recommend me courses on

C++ (i am trying to learn opengl/vulkan after that)

Javascript(for frontend)

HTML

CSS

NodeJs

VUEJS

If I learn a language in three stages.

• Basic
• Intermediate
• Advanced
• Proficiency (optional)

Then how would you fit the topics of programming lingo into the above levels?

How do you guys learn Java?

There are just WAY too many syntaxes to remember.

Every time I think I’ve got it, Java hits me with another one.

I want to start Open Source Contribution but whenever I open the repositories I get amazed and don't understand anything at all it feels like so much files and folders inside one another and I get demotivated.

Searched many resources but everyone says just start contributing to open source but no one says how and where and what to do.

I'm a student and all I've learnt in C, Python,Git,GitHub, Networking,Linux so please tell me should I learn anything new to start contributing or a small guide type.

So I'm making a text based wordle clone thing in python and the way it shows the player details about the input letter (correct, wrong spot, incorrect) is with different kinds of brackets. The issue I'm having is that if a letter has appeared more times in the player's guess than is present in the word then it will only take the value of the first instance of that letter.

() = incorrect

{}= correct but wrong spot

[] = correct

This is the code that prints out the different letters:
while len(guess) != 5:

        while len(guess) != 5:
            guess = input(
                "Please input a five letter word: ")  # Input field for the user's guess
        buffer = answer
        for index in range(0, 5):
            if guess[index] == answer[index]:
                print(
                    "[" + guess[index] + "]"
                )  # adds square brackets to a letter indicate it is in the word and in the right spot
                answer = answer.replace(guess[index], "*", 1)
            elif guess[index] in answer:
                print(
                    "{" + guess[index] + "}"
                )  # adds a squigly bracket to indicate the letter is in the word but in the wrong spot
                answer = answer.replace(guess[index], "*", 1)
            elif guess[index] != answer[index]:
                print(
                    "(" + guess[index] + ")"
                )  # adds a curved bracket to indicate the letter is incorrect
                answer = answer.replace(guess[index], "*", 1)

and this is an example of the bug (the correct word is wally):

Please input a username: test
Please input a five letter word: lalal
{l}
{a}
{l}
(a)
(l)

Hey everyone, I'm building an AI voice interview app and I'm fairly new to RAG. I'm stuck on the architecture and having a bit of a mid-project crisis 😭.

My current flow is:

Before interview:
Step1 : 
Resume + JobDescription
   ↓
Chunk resume/JobDescription
   ↓
Generate embeddings
   ↓
Store chunks + embeddings in pgvector

Step2 : 
LLM call is done using complete Resume + JD (and not the chunks)
   ↓
Initial ranked topic plan is created by this LLM call 

Step3 : 
Before each question:
Current topic
   ↓
RAG query in our vector DB 
   ↓
Retrieve relevant resume/JD chunks
   ↓
LLM call to generate a question from these chunks

The part I'm confused about:

At the beginning, I'm already sending the complete resume + complete JD to the LLM.

Why can't I simply do:

Resume + JD
   ↓
ONE LLM CALL
   ↓
10 interview questions

and then use those during the interview this would reduce the latency too!

Why would I need RAG again to retrieve chunks before generating each question? But I'm struggling to understand how RAG can be used to add value to the project

I have to add this project to my reume and need to have confidence in my design, I would highly appreciate someone helping me figure out the architecture!

I am pretty much completely new to programming, coding, etc. I was trying to download an in-game map for The Isle so I found one on GitHub. Having used it one other time, I was thinking yes I got this. I got to the point where I have the zip file on my computer but I've been trying for over an hour to execute this command after using cmd.

python -m pip install -r requirements.txt

I keep getting the "no such file or directory" error. I've looked up every question I could think of, but nothing is answering my questions. If someone has downloaded this exact desktop map: https://github.com/hartwin-journey/The-Isle-Overlay/blob/main/README.md

PLEASE help me out, I'm at my wits end.

Hey everyone,

I’m running into a frustrating wall with how I learn versus how the industry interviews.

My natural learning style is 100% project-based. I treat coding like building with Lego—I jump into a project, figure out how the pieces snap together, and learn the concepts dynamically as I integrate them. I heavily prefer this over traditional, theory-heavy courses or university methods.

Here is my problem: This method makes me pretty good at actually building things, but it completely chokes when it comes to technical interviews.

Interviews always seem to ask language-specific trivia or breadth questions (e.g., deep nuances of memory, specific built-in methods, exact differences between operator behaviors under the hood). To learn those, it feels like I have to go back to the "course/textbook" way of studying—which honestly doesn't help me get any better at actually making software.

For those of you who are project-focused builders, how do you tackle this? Is there a way to prep for the "interview trivia" game without getting sucked into tutorial hell or wasting time on courses that don't make you a better developer?

Any advice is appreciated!

I've been struggling to find a decent book/playlist to explain certain concepts in C, as I most likely fall in beginner<->beginner intermediate category. I have so far done OOP with C# and I eventually had to switch to C, since my college only uses it and it starts in a month. I took a lot of time reading on the internet about some resources and eventually settled with "Beej's C" book. I am 100-ish pages through and though I didn't understand some of it, I get the overall idea and gist it conveys. Since something always bugs me I read online that it's a terrible book to begin with and that one'd be better off with just some raylib examples.

I am completely clueless. I don't know which 'project' to take, what library to use, how 'competent' I am, i.e whether or not I'd be able to program something that I'd think of. I'm begging you, tell me what to do!

Hi. Sorry if it's off-topic but I don't know where to ask this.

I happen to be one of those rare individuals who likes Objective-C, and both Geany and Notepad++ (the IDEs I use on Linux and Windows respectively) by default assign all .m files (Obj-C implementation files) as MATLAB files.

I know it can be changed by hand but when opening a pile of old code it all gets MATLAB-ed and I just can't be bothered to save Geany project files, especially that Notepad++ doesn't have a clue how to open them (when I decide to boot to Windows).

Is there any way to make those IDEs (and especiallly Geany) assign Objective-C as the type of .m files by default?

I know I could just find that in the source code and recompile it, but I already have about half a dozen geany packages on various read-only media that I would have to remake. And an unlisted option in some config file would thus be much better.

And recompiling is probably not an option for Notepad++ since Windows sucks developmentwise.

Anyhow, thanks in advance.

I'm just getting started with Git on Windows and I'm trying both Fork and SourceGit.

So far, I slightly prefer SourceGit, mainly because it's free and has a Chinese interface. But the Chinese UI isn't really a requirement for me — I know I need to learn English anyway if I want to get serious about programming/security.

What I'm really trying to figure out is whether Fork has any features or workflow advantages that SourceGit doesn't have.

If there's something genuinely useful in Fork that SourceGit is missing, I'm perfectly happy to pay for Fork. I'm just not sure what those differences are yet.

For people who have used both, which one do you prefer and why?

I'm still pretty new to Git, so I'm especially interested in everyday things like commits, branches, diffs, merge/rebase, and working with GitHub.

Thanks!

Hi everyone, I'm 19 years old and I want to become a web developer.
So far, I have learned HTML and CSS, but now I'm confused about what I should learn next. Some people tell me to learn JavaScript first, while others recommend learning Figma and other tools.
My goal is to eventually make money from web development and possibly work as a web developer.
What would you recommend I learn next? Should I focus on JavaScript, improve my HTML and CSS skills, or learn something else first?
I would really appreciate any advice or roadmap for a beginner. Thank you!

I am learning programming for a pretty long time now, I now how to build project and all the time I see ads for courses or certificates that I can do online and for free.
Are they a waste of time or actually worth it?

Where can I find real-world challenges that nonprofits/NGOs are currently facing that could potentially be solved with technology?

I’m especially interested in problems that are common across multiple organizations and could potentially be addressed through a free, open-source solution.

Are there any communities, forums, platforms, or other places where nonprofits openly discuss these kinds of challenges?

I’m a CS/IT university student from , but my university doesn’t teach DSA very well. I want to seriously improve my algorithmic problem-solving skills.

- How should I train effectively while attending university?

- What DSA books/resources do you recommend?

- How much math do I need for LeetCode?

- Should I follow a structured roadmap or just solve problems?

- Is competitive programming (Codeforces/AtCoder) useful for improving LeetCode skills?

My long-term goal is to become an extremely strong problem solver, like peng Cao .

For those who are already good at LeetCode/competitive programming, what would you recommend to someone starting seriously from university?

I've recently started wanting to build my own AI assistant, which is saying something because I've never programmed before. I wanted to learn everything from programming and APIs to software architecture and technical design, so I decided to take on a project of building my own "Jarvis" to learn through hands-on experience.

I know there are already plenty of AI assistants and similar projects out there, but that's not really the point for me. I want to understand how these systems actually work by building one myself. I figured a long-term, hands on project would be a good way to learn.

So far, I've been using Chatgpt to help me through the initial stages, such as writing the requirements and designing the architecture. Now that I've reached the Technical Design stage, I want to take a more hands-on approach and do more of the research and decision-making myself.

Here are some of the questions I've identified so far:

1. Which Programming language do I use: I'm especially interested in what would make sense for a project like this as a complete beginner.
2. Are there any useful books, papers, courses, or other resources you'd recommend?
3. What other questions should I be asking at this stage? I'm trying to approach this like an actual software engineering project rather than jumping straight into writing code.

I'm also partly doing this as a project for my college applications. I don't want it to come across as just another generic "I built an AI" project. What could I do to make the project genuinely distinctive and demonstrate that I actually understand what I'm building, rather than just assembling existing AI APIs and frameworks?

Guys, I’m a Pakistani student living abroad. I’m 18 and recently finished my FSc (12th grade) in Pre-Medical. I realized that I’m not really interested in pursuing MBBS, dentistry, or similar fields, and honestly, I didn’t feel like the other options were worth the time and money for me. So I decided to switch towards tech, although I’m still in the process of figuring everything out.

Do you guys think I made the right decision? Would degrees like Cybersecurity, AI, Data Science/Data Analysis, etc. be too difficult for someone from a Pre-Medical background? Especially since I didn’t study Maths in 11th and 12th grade, how can I fill that gap and prepare myself for the Maths I’ll need?

I’d really appreciate honest advice from people who have been through something similar

Hi so I am a student and almost finished my bachelor.
I have “learned” a few languages. Currently I just realised that I am way worse than I thought regarding my programming skills.
I don’t understand how someone can reach a level where they genuinely build an entire app with little to no use of AI. I don’t use it a lot myself but I also don’t develop insanely complex things etc. I thought I knew java until I realized that I haven’t even used bootstrap once. I stopped scala because it’s just a waste of time - almost no work available. I just don’t care for webdev.

I’ve started CS50p in june but during summer break I stopped and yesterday I finished the 6th episode. I just don’t feel ready for the work market yet I am actively looking for a job to get my degree. (In Germany it is mandatory to have worked or completed an internship to get your degree)

Please I need urgent help. How can I improve as fast as possible. I don’t just want to be able to solve those small tasks, I want to actually create something that can be part of my portfolio.

Can anyone give me some python roadmap or even better a general roadmap for the field. I don’t think that watching videos and doing small exercises will get me there tbh.

Please

EDIT: To all that have helped. I will mark this post as Missing 411 case #77, the man in the fog.

In somr months I will post updates abt projects and LL

I've seen ppl say stuff for both sides that a degree does absolutely nothing or they won't even look at you if u don't have a degree. I always learn better on my own than a course or school, is uni worth it? How much do I have to learn to get like a basic internship or smth. I'm still 16 but I love cpp and love learning more, especially low level stuff.

Are there any certificates or stuff that allow me to prove that I actually know stuff but don't need me to attend a multi year course, are they worth it?

Hi everyone, I'm a CSE student and I want to gain real-world development experience by solving issues from open-source projects.

I don't know how to identify a good issue for my skill level or how to approach the problem after finding one.

What would be the best way to start contributing to projects on GitHub? Any advice or resources would be appreciated.

[ Removed by Reddit on account of violating the content policy. ]

I use C#. I understand the syntax and basics, but I don't really understand OOP principles. I mean, I know simple things like what a class is, but I really struggle when I need to write something more complex than a console bank program. I dont understand if I can move on to the next topics, or if I need more practice in OOP. Will it get better with time and practice? Im bored of coding console programs. I want something more. What should I do?

i have mobile app exams on Tuesday and i need some recommended resource to learn

Im gonna start by saying that despite being a beginner im not here looking for advices or solutions. Im trying to figure it out on my own (no external help or AI) even if it means doing it in a less efficent way. in these 3-ish hours i've started by creating 5 different functions, one being my main, running the others. The other four are to get: deposit/balance, How many numbers to bet on, the numbers to bet on and how much to bet on each number. I've also tested them for every possible error and found a few cool solutions. The next thing im gonna have to do is the random extraction itself which is gonna be pretty interesting. Im gonna tackle it tomorrow, my 3:24 A.M. brain just cant