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Think like a programmer
Billy Bunn edited this page Mar 17, 2019
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A summary of How to think like a programmer — lessons in problem solving by Richard Reis
Being a programmer is less about technical skills in a syntax for some computer language and more about solving problems efficiently. Essentially, solving a problem "like a programmer" means a) having a framework for solving problems, and b) practicing that framework.
Key steps in problem-solving:
- Understand the problem fully, know what is being asked, know what the end-goal is.
- Plan the exact steps to solve the problem. Use pseudo code, comments, diagrams, etc.
- Divide the problem into smaller tasks. Do not try to tackle it all at once. Connect a series of sub-solutions to solve it.
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If you get stuck,
- Debug. Go step-by-step through your solution and look for any errors.
- Reassess. Take a step back and look at it from another perspective. Consider starting from scratch.
Practice, practice, practice. If you want to be a good problem solver, solve lots of problems. Practice using your problem-solving framework often.
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