The project 1 had been a great practice of my programming skills. It took a while to get used to figuring out how to solve a problem on my own, but it greatly contributed to my learning experience. I would post some hints of what I think would be a great strategy to follow when experiencing difficult programming task:
1) Copy out a portion of code that has an error and look specifically into it. Spend some time figuring out exactly what it does and what is the purpose of it.
2) Go through the relevant portions of textbook that have the topics covered from the problem code, search through DrRaket online help database for explanation and examples. Might provide you some hints.
3) The hardest step is to improvise! Change one relevant portion of the code at a time and click RUN to see what happens. If you do not know how to solve it, the only thing you really need is time. Keep your eye on the error messages and make sure you understand what is wrong and what needs to be fixed.
4) You may also want to look at the stepper. Which is a great tool to help you get to the right step where you messed up and find a specific spot that needs to be fixed.
5) If you are completely stuck, STARE at the code, at the problem that needs to be fixed and think what you can do fix it. Or do not think. The more time you spend on it the more likely it will come to you.
6) Never give up! Just remember that any problem that you've got can be solved. Maybe not now, but sometime soon it would be possible.
P.S. right when i submitted my project i noticed that when "down" key is pressed it stops the clock but also puts clock-hands into 1 2 3 mode. For a minute I panicked and thought that it should freeze at the time when I hit the "down" key. However when I checked the instructions it did not say anything about that, and I could not think of way how to do it. So if anyone else had the same thought in their mind please share if you had come up with some idea's on how to solve it!
1) Copy out a portion of code that has an error and look specifically into it. Spend some time figuring out exactly what it does and what is the purpose of it.
2) Go through the relevant portions of textbook that have the topics covered from the problem code, search through DrRaket online help database for explanation and examples. Might provide you some hints.
3) The hardest step is to improvise! Change one relevant portion of the code at a time and click RUN to see what happens. If you do not know how to solve it, the only thing you really need is time. Keep your eye on the error messages and make sure you understand what is wrong and what needs to be fixed.
4) You may also want to look at the stepper. Which is a great tool to help you get to the right step where you messed up and find a specific spot that needs to be fixed.
5) If you are completely stuck, STARE at the code, at the problem that needs to be fixed and think what you can do fix it. Or do not think. The more time you spend on it the more likely it will come to you.
6) Never give up! Just remember that any problem that you've got can be solved. Maybe not now, but sometime soon it would be possible.
P.S. right when i submitted my project i noticed that when "down" key is pressed it stops the clock but also puts clock-hands into 1 2 3 mode. For a minute I panicked and thought that it should freeze at the time when I hit the "down" key. However when I checked the instructions it did not say anything about that, and I could not think of way how to do it. So if anyone else had the same thought in their mind please share if you had come up with some idea's on how to solve it!
