Coding Challenge: Your code-fu sensei

Remember that sinking feeling when you first encountered a coding challenge that resembled Mount Everest? Welcome to the club! We’ve all been there, staring at a screen filled with cryptic instructions and unfamiliar syntax. You’re not alone!

My friend recently approached me with a seemingly simple question: “How to reverse a sentence? ”. While it might be an easy peasy for some, others(newbies) find it quite challenging. This prompted me to share my method, hoping it might benefit others who encounter similar hurdles.

The Beginner’s Arsenal: 7 Steps to Slay Any Challenge

Step 1: Hands-on with a Tiny Example

Let’s work on reversing a sentence. Before diving into complex sentences, grab a pen and paper. Write down a simple sentence, like “Hello World!” Now, reverse the words by hand. This might seem silly, but it gets your brain working through the problem at a fundamental level.

Step 2: Document Your Journey

Now, write down the exact steps you took to reverse the sentence. Did you start from the end and swap letters one by one? Or did you break the sentence into pieces(words) and reassemble them in reverse order? Be specific; every detail matters!

Step 3: Unearthing the Hidden Pattern

Look for patterns in your manual solution. Did you find yourself repeating a specific action for each word? Can you express these repetitive steps in a more general way, like “for each word in the sentence…”? This is where the magic happens — you’re transforming your specific solution into a general algorithm!

Funny enough, a Ukrainian friend of mine asked me a few months ago to explain a problem to him. I grabbed pen and paper to outline the steps, and to my surprise, he quipped, “Girl, it’s 2024, and you’re using pen and paper!” His preferred method involves using existing code for the problem, visualizing each step using tools like Pythontutor, and crafting his own algorithm after getting the logic. But personally, I enjoy the brainstorming process XD

Step 4: Test Your Algorithm on New Terrain

Try your newly formed algorithm on a different sentence, like “Code is Fun!”. Does it still work? This step ensures your algorithm isn’t just a one-trick pony; it can handle any sentence thrown its way.

Step 5: Code Like a Boss

Now that you have a robust algorithm, it’s time to translate it into the language of computers — code! Use the syntax of your chosen programming language (Python, Java, etc.) to write the code that reflects your algorithm.

Step 6: Unleash the Test Cases

Imagine your code as a brand-new car. Before taking it for a spin, you’d give it a test drive, right? Here’s where you create test cases — different sentences the code should handle. Run these tests to make sure your code produces the correct output every time. And be careful with edge cases in reversing a sentence there are no edge cases but in in real coding challenges you have to worry about it.

Step 7: Debugging: Your Debugging Partner

Even the best programmers encounter bugs. If your code fails a test case, don’t panic! Use a debugging approach to pinpoint the error. Break down your code step by step, identify where things go wrong, and fix the issue.

This is my simple way of approaching any coding challenge I encounter, so simple yet effective!

Intermediate Challenges: Mastering the Steps with George Pólya

For more complex problems, let’s explore a renowned mathematician’s approach. In his book How to Solve It he explained a 4 steps problem-solving method that has been used and taught by many programmers, from computer science professors (see Udacity’s Intro to CS course taught by professor David Evans) to modern web development teachers like Colt Steele.

step 1: understand the problem :

-Read through the problem.

. Read the task and break it down into manageable small sub-problems.

-What are the inputs?

• Identify the inputs and their types, discerning why they are necessary and in which functions or methods they will be utilized.

-What are the outputs?

• Determine the desired outputs, specifying their types. If nothing is returned, clarify what will be printed or modified (e.g., an array).

Create simple examples, then create more complex ones.

• Craft simple examples to grasp the problem’s essence, then progress to more complex scenarios to solidify your understanding.

Step 2: create a step-by-step plan for how you’ll solve it.

. Write down a step-by-step plan (algorithm) that outlines your ideas

Step 3: carry out the plan and write the actual code.

. Translate it into code

Step 4: look back

Once your solution is working, take the time to reflect on it and figure out how to make improvements. This might be the time you refactor your solution into a more efficient one.

As you look at your work, here are some questions Colt Steele suggests you ask yourself to figure out how you can improve your solution:

• Can you derive the result differently? Are there any other alternative approaches?
• Can you understand it at a glance? Does it make sense?
• Is the result or method valid for some other problem?
• Are there opportunities to improve performance?
• Can the code be refactored further or optimized differently?
• How have other people solved this problem?

While both methods share similarities, they are your code-fu sensei, feel free to mix and match! perhaps one resonates more with you, or they complement each other in different contexts. Don’t be scared to code! A few lines won’t fry your PC… unlike that time I tried overclocking my graphics card to play Minesweeper in VR. (Just kidding… mostly.) And hey, if you get bugs, face them head-on — commenting them out is for code cowards XD