Break the problem

When I was starting with programming, every time I wanted to build something I got scared. I started overthinking the problem and the complexity, saying how much work is to be done.

And I didn’t just say it because I was lazy or something, but it really felt overwhelming at the time. Even if it was a small thing to be built. And I believe that also happened to everyone when starting out.

That's why today I want to share with you how to break the “problem” and walk you through my process of work.

NOTE: Through this article, when I say “problem”, it can also be a feature, an app, a website, or anything that you build/code.

First things first, coding is the last thing you should do, yes, and also probably the easiest. It will make sense in a moment, as you go through the process:

1. Understand the problem and do the research
   This seems obvious, but depending on the complexity of the problem, take your time to analyse it, and don’t be afraid to ask questions. If it is a feature, take some time and look for solutions online (DO NOT COPY PASTE 😂), purpose is to take inspiration and ideas. If possible review multiple solutions and follow the best approach you can find.
   By doing this step you will start to feel less “scared” because you will see that it can be done and the blur starts to come off.

2. Solve it in your mind
   Then you should think of the solution from your app viewpoint, think of how your app is structured, and how you can start applying the solution based on this. What will be the components, and how will the data flow? Usually, it is best if you use a piece of paper or something to write on.
   You should not write the code on paper, only the idea, for example:
   You have to create a button that deletes items from an array. In this step, you think about where this button component will be placed, how it will get the data from the main component, etc You don’t have to write the actual code that deletes the data from the array

3. Code it
   And this part is straightforward and usually the easiest, but it requires work. By now you understand the problem, you have the solution on mind/paper, and now you implement it. (Here you write the function to delete the item from the array 😅)