I’m over 50 (became 50 on 28 October 2024) and, while I did do some coding in a grey past, I noticed I’m currently finding it difficult to pick it up.
There’s so much to learn:
Coding (in my case C++)
The API of the relevant libraries I intend to use for my Amazing FLOSS Project™. (In my case FLTK, and yaml-cpp).
The language of the build system (CMake in my case).
Some editor like thing with some creature comforts (in my case I’m going with sublime text).
Git (including how to deal in a sane, clean, and especially safe way with a git server like github.
Some automation for git (commit testing, automatic building of .deb archives, etc.)
Website for my project (its own can of worms).
When I was still young (16y/o) I understood Assembly in a few days. I devoured a book and that was it: ready to apply.
Now? After two days of working through a tutorial, I find that I’m struggling to hold on to the information. Not that the tutorial presents it that densely, but I find all the stuff I have to memorize to be a lot.
So, how do all the older people in here do all the memorization at their late age? Is it better to just stop and focus on my writing instead? I’ve been pissing away my life in a multitude of very creative ways, but I intend on finally working on creating some results. However, before I invest significant amounts of energy in an endeavor which simply has no opportunity to flourish, I figured I’d ask.
My father has 70+yrs old and still is a professor and always is learning something new. Same case than my uncle 70+yrs
I think it depends of your own style of life. According with some studies. Is very important keep the mind busy be reading and learning. Do sports is very critical. And of course eat healthy food
Hi Xander,
I can tell you from my experience that my memory is “deteriorating” with age, I’m going to be 57, and I can’t retain information either.
I always take lots of notes in text files, I create snippets so that I don’t have to write all the time and make mistakes because I’ve forgotten the correct syntax, I have “thousands of tabs” open in my browser with exampke of code, tutorials and manuals that I’m writing, even if they’re examples, so that I don’t block, And those same tabs are also stored in a folder in the bookmarks and every time I find a solution to an error I may have, I take more notes, I put lots of descriptions and comments in the code, because what I write today, tomorrow I no longer know what that code is for and, above all, I always have lots of papers written with personal flowchart-type maps “don’t forget this” → “then do that”, etc.
Age doesn’t forgive and, like you, I also programmed in assembly on microcontrollers and my memory was stupendous. Now, I even have trouble understanding my own notes that I make so as not to forget what I was programming.
When you look at tge age of most of our members we are in a similar boat, yes it does get harder with age to do things.
I find computer repairs stimulating and now no longer have a speed or money factor playing so I can take time to listen, study the problem and work towards a solution, where before it was all about getting a finished product out of the door.
When teaching programming I found setting students problems most helpful in the learning process, especially if they could be broken down into smaller steps with a end resu,t at each stage. Dont try to eat all the ckw at once, start easy build on lessons learned and introduce a new part.
Perhaps the tutorials need to be from different sources and you may try one thing with the aid of one nethod and then try another. We all learn differently and grasp knowledge in different formats. So read the book, try the example, go onto youtube look for something similar.
Try not to be hard on yourself.
Gotvto admit I hate C, never really took to it, no real reason why…
I am now 67… but been in computing and IT all my life running my own business as well as teaching and working for companies. But I am difficult to manage, thats why I kept moving and ended up for myself cheif cook and bottle washer
I was a Cobol programmer and when the home PC came out I taught myself Basic. Learned by doing and by buying a Basic programming book. Coded the examples, even coding some small working programs found in the PC magazines. Went on to code my own home budget program that I used for over 20 years.
Then back about 3 years ago I want to learn a little bit about coding in Bash shell. So Jorge (@Tech_JA) and I decided to write the game MasterMind (a guessing game) in Bash.
My Linux note folder has over 90 items in it about commands and procedures (like on Grub) in it.
Good Luck @xahodo on learnning C++. Learning something new can be lots of fun, frustrating at times, and very rewarding.
I am 79. I started programming in the 1960’s with Fortran. Yes I can remember ‘devouring the manual ’ like you describe. I did a bit of assembler too.
When it came to learning C ( in the 1980’s) it was harder. I was advised to try Pascal first… that worked … it still took me about 5 years to become proficient in C.
I did look at C++ , but I could not grasp it, even knowing C. The additional concepts in C++ over what is in C are challenging.
Then in 1990’ s I discovered R. R was easier to master. It is higher level than C and is object oriented. I still prefer it today.
I have tried several times to get started with Julia. I failed.
So why do some things work for me, and others not?
enthusiasm is important… you have a project, that will help
find ‘your’ language… I wonder is C++ the best choice?.. why did you choose C++… in my mind C++ has difficult concepts to be mastered … could you do you project in plain C, or maybe rust?
support structure… we had the IDE debate… keep it as simple as possible … convenient appealing tools usually means more to learn … your work mrthod matters
note taking… when I write one of those occasional long itsFOSS contributions, I have an editor going and write draft as do the research or testing. I can not rely on memory to write it up later.
external environment… I cant program if there are interruptions. It requires long periods of concentration. … I have to choose the right times… sometimes that has meant sitting up in bed late at night with a pen and paper… make a fixed time of day for uninterrupted computing
divide and conquer…reading your post, I sense you are trying to grasp many things at once. Ignore all that and start doing something simple with C++. Then build on what you have done, one step at a time.
dont give up… programming is a rewarding activity
When you discover the secret of coping with age decline, tell all of us.
I still want to have a serious try with Julia. Might wait till my 80th … only a couple of months to go.
I have been picked up on that before.
The name Julia refers to a mathematical object called a Julia set
but Julia is not a language exclusively for mathematical work… it can be used for system programming and any general programming task.
But after Z ?
Restart with AA or A1 or move to guys names or animals, or follow apple with bits of the states, or microsoft with xp, 95, 98, NT, 7, 8, 10 11, 12
(In my case FLTK, and yaml-cpp).
