Computer Programming Progress #2 - The Importance of Hand Typing Code
So, right now I'm mostly focusing on Python and C ...
The Python class is Event-Driven Programming on Coursera
The C Book is the K & R Book (the folks who wrote the language/compiler)
There are two main differences between these 2 things:
1. The Coursera class has instructors talking at you and demonstrating things
2. The Coursera class provides you with the Code that you're working with during lectures, which you then modify to complete assignments. The K & R Book, on the other hand, you have to copy the code into your editor if you want to be able to run it...
Through the K & R Book, it reminded me that it's really important to actually go through the act of typing code out from scratch (even if you're using/copying a model) ... it ingrains it in a way that just C/P'ing it doesn't do for you, and it makes you really think about it as you're doing it...
Similarly, we take notes in classes (or work, or w/e) to remember better - where as if the professor just gave us lecture notes, we would remember far less.
This has to do with how memory works... whenever a thing is verbally or legibly encoded, it goes through extra processing, and sticks in memory better (I was probably able to explain that better when I was in psych class in college :/ ...)
As a result of this, I feel *way* more confident with C than I do with Python (though once I noticed it, I began using this approach with Python), despite the fact that I've gotten to do cool basic GUI stuff w/ Python (We're approaching learning Pong)
Anyway, the point is: If you're learning something new - do it by hand - you'll learn it better
