Re:Ask HN: Is it normal to fall out of love with coding?
by brootstrap on Wednesday January 09, 2019 @10:12AM
(#18865237)
i often try to explain programming to a layperson with a cooking analogy. Programming is like cooking with a recipe. You've got your ingredients at the top (input data, variables etc). Then you've got the processing (slicing, cooking, stirring etc). Eventually you pull all the ingredients together for some final output (a dish).
INGREDIENTS onion, whole tomato, whole jalapeno
GOAL: make salsa
prepped_onion = chop(onion)
prepped_tomato = roast(whole_tomato)
prepped_jalapeno = roast(whole_jalapeno)
salsa = blend(prepped_onion, prepped_tomato, prepped_jalapeno)
You will also be able to set yourself challenges in the kitchen that are not unlike some "itches scratched" by programming. i.e.
- How can I make this dish in a simpler way and still have it taste great?
- What delicious thing can I make using only the ingredients I happen to have laying around?
- What is the most delicious thing i can make with the fewest ingredients?
=)