Every time I try to study programming I find myself picking at the bone and trying to understand it intuitively. \
By that I mean, I could easily become a developer or engineer but I find myself trying to understand how assembly language works or how the whole computing era started. Like all the way back to the abacus.
Pretty much, its like trying to be a biologist but I find myself trying to understand how subatomic particles work. It's not practical for life and having a job/degree. If I was an academic and had a money sure I would shut myself away and do some Newton eccentric thing, but I want to be productive.
I just need a book that LITERALLY goes from ground up.
There is a naïve arrogance deeply embedded within this line of questioning, which is particularly offensive because the degree to which you accept the foundation of everything else you've learned without questioning it. Did you construct the axioms for real numbers when learning elementary algebra? Do you understand the quantum mechanics at play in the weather cycle? Or even the fluid dynamics? You don't start at the bottom. You never have before. And do you know why? Because it's the wrong way to learn.
Xavier Gray
Stop trying to "study programming" and go actually do shit. Pick a retarded easy project to do, get a compiler and go fuck around, trying to get it to work, then fuck around with it more.
Gabriel Perry
>I just need a book that LITERALLY goes from ground up. There's a lot of chapters missing from that book, and to obtain a copy would cost more than your entire life.
Cameron Jenkins
>I just need a book that LITERALLY goes from ground up. It's called the Bible
Thank you for your response. The difference is, I don't care so much about nor did I when I was an adolescent when learning this things.
I have gone in in a whirlwind of existential questioning of morality/quantum mechanics/religion/and pretty much the fabric of reality which has taken much time from me. I don't want to do that.
I'm don't mean to come off hubris. But I was just wondering if there was a book any of you found that at least ties some fundamentals to contemporary ways. Cheers.
Thanks for the reply. And yes I have. I began in webdev, then c and then some boot camps but I just keep getting dragged in some wormhole that deviates me into some tangent on how something works which takes me away from the initial prospect.
I don't think it's possible to just go learn coding in 2022. Modern programmers do not work with a language on its own, they import useful libraries or combine languages to solve problems. Learning a programming language in 2022 is like learning how to make flour when the actual payoff comes when you combine flour and other things to make bread.
It seems you understand that at least, so what you need to do is use premade flour + other things while following a bread recipe. Don't reinvent the wheel- just do the easiest possible thing to make bread. Once you've made bread, work backwards to learn the individual pieces. And toy with the recipe like said.
Right now, you should be focused on what you intend to achieve, not how to do a part without an end goal. When you've figured out what you want to do, figure out the easiest possible way to succeed, then work backwards and go deeper.
Also, feeling frustrated or lost is perfectly normal. Getting hard-stuck and reconsidering a project happens all the time. Abandoning projects is a healthy solution sometimes. But giving up entirely is not the answer.
Only to find myself scrutinizing it. Why not the Torah or Quran. This is not related to tech but I did go through a weird faze of some Dr. Manhattan/Philosophy and quantum mechanics, praying in the cold night wondering the street trying to find it. All of which just didn't have practical benefit to my life apart from spiritual fortitude. Anyway thanks for the reply chad.
"The Elements of Computing Systems: Building a Modern Computer from First Principles" might satisfy your autism. Should be able to find a used copy for cheap.
Luke Butler
Thank you so much user, this really helps.
Maybe I should just go with the flow. I just feel in the industry you have to know how everything works, especially in stem.
If I'm a bread maker and someone asks me where and how this flour was made, I'd want to know that, or maybe that's just my personal affliction. I feel lethargic when I can't understand what I'm working with.
>Have any of you guys gone through this? Yes. I went into digital systems technology in CEGEP. This taught me everything from the electron up to the OS. I also had the advantage of growing up during the DOS era, so I used CP/M, DOS.
I earn my living as a computer programmer and sysadmin, but knowing how each layer works helps a lot as a sysadmin.
Isaac Howard
>in the industry you have to know how everything works You do have to know how everything works.
You start learning how everything works by doing, aka reverse-engineering a working process then changing the recipe for new outcomes, and finally working your own projects from complete scratch.
>they import useful libraries This has been the case since C came out in ... 1972. So I don't fully understand what you're babbling about.
Hudson Bennett
We rely on them much more today. Especially in my field (data science) which requires hypothesis testing, visualization, machine learning, and data acquisition+preparation. A math library from 50 years ago is not nearly sufficient for ensemble machine learning, as an example.
meme book. Gnostics, the true christians, do not recognize the bible
Nathan Adams
My problem is stopping the reverse engineering...at least until I have a steady job prospect and or academic route. It's like I want to know it before even getting started on a project but I guess that's just me. Thanks again.
OP here. But you at least understand it intuitively. Like I don't know how my cloth is ALL made but I know how fabric and such and such come about. And how textiles are made, that was my question.
Do people care to learn about the libraries or am I stupid to ask. If things are so layered, is it hopeless to try to learn them.
Do what keeps you interested! I know people who literally never programmed to making great advanced Unity games or becoming excellent app developers in very short time.
Its the end goal that should fuel your fire.. Eliminate distractions.
A lot of the low level stuff like ASM can wear you out quick. But I'm all ears if someone has a great way to get started on it while keeping it fun!
Camden Collins
Thanks user, I'll have to redefine my goals I guess.
Maybe I can't learn everything, but I can learn enough.
