Ask HN: Overcoming coder's block?
I was wondering if anyone has any good tips for overcoming coder's block.
16 comments
1) If you find yourself trying to design features and write the code simultaneously, then try breaking up those steps. Get away from the computer, grab a pencil & paper, put your designer hat on and go to town. Then drop the notes by your desk, grab lunch, come back, and act like you are implementing someone else's design.
2) If you have a design but are just trying to figure out how to implement it, then TDD can help a lot. Write a test that checks if your thing does what it is supposed to. Then run the test, it should say you have X failures. There, now you have a concrete problem to solve: you need to fix those failures.
3) If you are intimidated by a large coding problem, try instead to just make the simplest possible prototype version that just barely works. Even if this exercise causes you to write throwaway code, it's worthwhile. Once you have something working at all, it's easier to think about the features that you need to add to make it finished.
In general I think people get blocked when they try to solve too many open-ended questions at once. So try to break apart your problems into bite-sized pieces, and find ways to turn your open-ended questions into specific, measurable problems.
2) If you have a design but are just trying to figure out how to implement it, then TDD can help a lot. Write a test that checks if your thing does what it is supposed to. Then run the test, it should say you have X failures. There, now you have a concrete problem to solve: you need to fix those failures.
3) If you are intimidated by a large coding problem, try instead to just make the simplest possible prototype version that just barely works. Even if this exercise causes you to write throwaway code, it's worthwhile. Once you have something working at all, it's easier to think about the features that you need to add to make it finished.
In general I think people get blocked when they try to solve too many open-ended questions at once. So try to break apart your problems into bite-sized pieces, and find ways to turn your open-ended questions into specific, measurable problems.
Thats a hard one. Zen and the art of motorcycle maintenance talks about the concept of a gumption trap http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gumption_trap and how we might get out of one.
With me, its usually normal to feel "down" for some amount of time from time to time. I usually use this down time to sleep and relax, im probably not gonna get any real work don, so i might as well rest.
I have a lot of non coding "projects" for times like this. Usually its a book im reading a few pages at a time, or a list of tasks i might as well do NOW, since i have noting better to do. Maybe a list of bands i should check out. Basically anything that goes in the "check out later when you have more time" category, this is the time. So you do that stuff and relax and wait for it. It usually lasts a between a few hours to a whole week in my case. I don't mind it, im in school, so i can actually afford not to write code, i just show up for lectures and try to think of cool stuff to work on, eventually it comes to me.
Actually im in such a moment WRIGHT NOW, which is unfortunate, because the little free time for coding i have is on weekends.
With me, its usually normal to feel "down" for some amount of time from time to time. I usually use this down time to sleep and relax, im probably not gonna get any real work don, so i might as well rest.
I have a lot of non coding "projects" for times like this. Usually its a book im reading a few pages at a time, or a list of tasks i might as well do NOW, since i have noting better to do. Maybe a list of bands i should check out. Basically anything that goes in the "check out later when you have more time" category, this is the time. So you do that stuff and relax and wait for it. It usually lasts a between a few hours to a whole week in my case. I don't mind it, im in school, so i can actually afford not to write code, i just show up for lectures and try to think of cool stuff to work on, eventually it comes to me.
Actually im in such a moment WRIGHT NOW, which is unfortunate, because the little free time for coding i have is on weekends.
Some things I have learned:
Make a big, approximate plan of everything you have to do. Take the first step and detail it, dividing it in little, non-scaring tasks. Then start working on the first. While you are working on one, concentrate on that and forget about the big map.
Seriously divide work and non-work life. During the non-work part, completely forget the work. This is actually beneficial for work too.
Never sacrifice on sleep.
If you notice that you find difficuly in starting a new task on your list at the beginning of a work day, try closing your work day by leaving something to be completed (but that you know how to do it). This helps bootstrapping the next day. But don't think about it all the night!
If you feel that coding is becoming boring and repetitive, escalate your skills a little (enough to make things interesting, not enough to cause panic). Learn metaprogramming.
Make a big, approximate plan of everything you have to do. Take the first step and detail it, dividing it in little, non-scaring tasks. Then start working on the first. While you are working on one, concentrate on that and forget about the big map.
Seriously divide work and non-work life. During the non-work part, completely forget the work. This is actually beneficial for work too.
Never sacrifice on sleep.
If you notice that you find difficuly in starting a new task on your list at the beginning of a work day, try closing your work day by leaving something to be completed (but that you know how to do it). This helps bootstrapping the next day. But don't think about it all the night!
If you feel that coding is becoming boring and repetitive, escalate your skills a little (enough to make things interesting, not enough to cause panic). Learn metaprogramming.
A good night's sleep.
First, go for a walk. Everyday. No excuses. 1 hour minimum.
Then, stop trying to work at the end of your day. Start working within the first 6 hours of your day.
Tea is awesome.
And if you're into it, cannabis is a great concentration/inspiration aid, but just a couple of hits, you know. Otherwise you get too wasted and won't code a thing.
Then, stop trying to work at the end of your day. Start working within the first 6 hours of your day.
Tea is awesome.
And if you're into it, cannabis is a great concentration/inspiration aid, but just a couple of hits, you know. Otherwise you get too wasted and won't code a thing.
takes notes
I normally change the technology I am working in and move to something else or just pick a random topic and read about it as much as I can and then as matthew said do a blog post on it. For example: State machines and Ragel state machine compiler.
I had a similar issue sometime back. Here's what people on HN said: http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=876674
For me it's writing blog posts: http://matthewcford.com/coders-block
Sometimes the "block" just means you aren't actually all that into your project.
Draw it out.
Music.
Two things:
1) Understand whether you are blocked on a design question or a coding question. Is the problem you can't find the answer or the problem that you can't make the answer happen in code?
2) Purposeful distraction. Sleep. Go for a walk. Play a FPS. Learn to distract yourself for short periods throughout the day. When done correctly, this gives your subconscious time to work on the problem. When done very well over a period of days, it "ramps up" your problem-solving skills.
I'm starting off a small project this weekend. After a few hours of coding last night (my first coding session in a while) I got blocked.
So I went to sleep.
As I slept, in my dream (or when I was barely conscious, hard to tell) I realized what I needed to do next. When I woke up I was ready to get at it.
The trick is to make these times purposeful (not random procrastinating) and to never try to code your way out of a design block. Sometimes problem-solving is best approached like night vision: you see the most at night by not looking directly at the thing you're tying to see.
Hope that makes some sense.
1) Understand whether you are blocked on a design question or a coding question. Is the problem you can't find the answer or the problem that you can't make the answer happen in code?
2) Purposeful distraction. Sleep. Go for a walk. Play a FPS. Learn to distract yourself for short periods throughout the day. When done correctly, this gives your subconscious time to work on the problem. When done very well over a period of days, it "ramps up" your problem-solving skills.
I'm starting off a small project this weekend. After a few hours of coding last night (my first coding session in a while) I got blocked.
So I went to sleep.
As I slept, in my dream (or when I was barely conscious, hard to tell) I realized what I needed to do next. When I woke up I was ready to get at it.
The trick is to make these times purposeful (not random procrastinating) and to never try to code your way out of a design block. Sometimes problem-solving is best approached like night vision: you see the most at night by not looking directly at the thing you're tying to see.
Hope that makes some sense.