Hey Y’all.
I am on my 3rd week learning swift, and had started with the swift playgrounds game. I got stuck somewhere on Arrays on the “third module” Learn to Code 2; and hit my first ugly brick wall. It was a laid out on the desk moment for sure. I realized I needed more help or to come at it from another angle. So I started scouring the internet and found a few different people to follow starting with Hacking With Swift, then Sean Allen, then back to Hacking with Swift. Once I got to the first checkpoint on the 100 Days of SwifUI course I was stuck again. It was supposed to be an easy challenge but I did not have an understanding of the tools needed to do it; despite having diligently studied Day 1 before hand, and rewatching it, and remembering what was taught on a basic level. I realized I needed more information. Having recalled Hacking with Swift recommended CodingWithChris and saying we need to find a teacher we click with, I mozzyied yonder here. It has been pretty good so far. There has been a few challenging times, but I just remember, “ I am just starting out…”, Paul Hudson at Hacking With Swift said not to stress out. To not suck all the joy out of coding trying to memorize everything; because it is not likely to be able to do so. After that first major brick wall, I had the thought that this is what coding is like in perpetuity. Constantly learning and coming across struggles. And having familiar and easy wins as well. So here we are to the present day and yes, I just hit a second brick wall in module 2 with the List Menu Item lesson. For a night and an entire day I rewatched the List list list and item item item lesson until I kind of figured it, or I thought I did. I changed the var name item to sushi; which seemed to help. Then I was like ok I know enough to go forward. Can I make my own anything of the current level teachings without an example? No. Sure can do vars/lets and the button work and Text is no problem. But the List calls the menu which calls the item over multiple views is like, What is going on? List MenuItems MenuItem to Item huh? After watching that lesson 7 times I think I get it when Chris does it. But once the challenge came I laid on the floor, praying for peace and for a way thru. Not the prettiest thing… But how resilient humans are. Some dinner and time to get over it ( 2 hours time or so) and now I am laughing as I share this. God is really great. 
So now I am working thru internal stuff and ready to try complete the movie challenge again looking at the solution. Maybe it will take all day or another two days? I guess however long it takes; that is what it is. I think it was Sean Allen that said even if it takes 5 years to break into the developer field, it is worth it: because we get to do it for another 40 years. I say Lord Willing to that! I want to wrap up here saying, Let’s Go! We can do it! Many have said, “We don’t fail unless we give up.” Even if we are not the best, or takes forever to get the job, or make a meaningful app or 2; if we keep trying then we have the chance to do it indefinitely. High Five
My Goal Lord Willing, is by new years 2025 to have a game on the App Store. I want to make good games that are wholesome and beneficial. As soon as I can I want to make games and apps for Vision iOS. (And no I have not pre-ordered one…) I don’t know how long off that is, but I share all this to encourage and connect with others. That it would be great to have a healthy network of like minded friends in the biz. So thanks for reading thus far, and I hope that your journey is blessed and fulfilling all the way till we hang up our hats or Lord Jesus comes…
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We’re on the same trajectory! I have learned a few things though, which is making it easier to chip away at the lessons, each day.
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Learn how you learn: I have noticed that I learn best by watching and mimicing the coding. Then, I like to practice, albeit very slowly and tediously, the same ideas with concepts around me, or that interest me. Finally, I like to take two-steps back with the lessons from another source, so I’ve been bouncing between HWS+ and CWC+. Not a fan of the way Sean Allen teaches, but he has a lot of good information.
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Keep it interesting: I have a couple of open projects that I add to as I learn. This helps me to solidify, with my own values, what I’ve been learning and also allows me to see the real-time progress of when I get stuck, and then my bounceback.
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You’ve already got the good attitude: Keep it up! That quote from Sean Allen is some good advice!
If you’re on GitHub or X, hit me up! Best of luck!
https://twitter.com/Kreach_R
Hey KreachR.
Nice! I like that you are taking more time with the code on your own. I also like how you are having a couple of open projects going that are updated as you go. I appreciate your encouragement. I am a super noob right now, but I gave your GitHub a watch as that is about as far as I know how to use the site. Looking forward to the lessons on how to use GitHub. Because that means I will have a more advanced project worth version controlling. Not on X right now, but there are some leading dev’s that would be helpful to follow for sure. At that point I hope to reach out to you there as well. Great to hear from you KreachR!
Update for Feb 6th, 2024:
Made it through Module 2 with comprehension and a working and revised Movie App!
For those like me that struggled from Module 1 to Module 2… Give it some extra: Time, Effort, and practice. Pray about it. I had an interesting dream where while I was sleeping to the book of Luke; God showed me how the code worked in Module 2 via a window much like out of Vision Pro. Luke was the Struct etc. etc. It was so epic I woke up. Anyhow…
I spent a whole week, and restarted the entire module. If I didn’t understand something I just kept rewinding it until I got it well enough. It helped to just relax on the couch and just watch Chris code and explain things where I was comfortable and with some tea. At the end of the in depth learning week, I was fresh, motivated with the firey passion in my heart again, and able to do the Movie app with joy, zest, and speed. A stark comparison to the first attempt of Movie App and even the later lessons in the module.
We can learn, we can grow, we can do it! Sometimes it takes growing personally in order to grow professionally.
Module 1 → Module 2 is tuff cause we are leaving the kiddy pool. We can also look at it as a screening or gate keeper if you will. How much do you want to code? Even if we aren’t naturally gifted to do it, are we willing to go through hardships and struggle to be successful? What is your DREAM?
I watched a bunch of videos today on the Vision Pro. While it was a little different than what I was thinking it was; there are many fun and awesome surprises of things it can do. I am excited all the more as I see this first iteration becoming into something much more. Form factor the size of OAKLEY’s? A thin frame wire earpiece that comes out like an invisible presentation mic? A collab with Elon Musk for a Spatial Computing implant to the likes of EVE Online? My Dream is intact and waiting for me to learn what I need to learn, and become proficient in the required areas. I hope you are on the move as well!
Let’s Go!!!
Hey y’all.
Well I just completed iOS Fundamentals course. Coding is pretty deep! It is interesting and while I have a laundry list of apps and games to be created; I have learned a lot more as to what swift/swiftui/uikit/spritekit is about. I also understand more about industry standards in production of apps vs. games. I learned about unity and some of the nuances of what it takes to create a game both in unity as well as natively coded in swift kits of sorts. It was also really informative to see 2 friends posting their journey to create their financial app.
All that to say, my brain and body is not created to be a software engineer.
I wanted to say thanks and I appreciate the opportunity to learn and grow. I also didn’t want to ghost out.
Thanks Chris and staff.
I hope everyone finds happiness and success on your new journey in Swift.
~ Charles
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these 2 friends objectively sound awesome! lol and so does your journey
The learning curve can feel pretty steep especially the first year but you get a little more used to it every day. Important thing is to have fun.
I’m sure eventually you’ll be launching your own games and apps on the App Store! I’m rooting for you Charles 