Forem: Saint Thomas Brown ♟

Not feeling brave are we?! 😆

Saint Thomas Brown ♟ — Thu, 18 Sep 2025 13:01:06 +0000

Saint Thomas Brown ♟

Sep 17 '25

What's The Biggest Project You've Ever Taken?

#discuss #webdev #programming #beginners

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1 min read

What's The Biggest Project You've Ever Taken?

Saint Thomas Brown ♟ — Wed, 17 Sep 2025 22:00:00 +0000

Wanted to hear from as a newbie some of the biggest projects my fellow programmers have taken and how they overcame different challenges in their field.

How confident do you think if you were to attempt it again, don't be shy to share something that maybe not as challenging to others. I welcome anybody of any experience level to share!

What Was One of Your First Projects As A Programmer?

Saint Thomas Brown ♟ — Wed, 18 Jun 2025 18:00:00 +0000

Whether you're a seasoned developer or just starting out, we all remember our first project, Id love to hear about.

Passion Project, Work project, School Assignment. I'd love to see what inspired others to learn programming failed or successful.
(Mines Sure Wasn't lol)

C++ vs Python: What Should You Learn First?

Saint Thomas Brown ♟ — Mon, 16 Jun 2025 18:00:00 +0000

If you’re just getting into programming, one of the first (and hardest) choices you'll face is which language to start with. Two of the most recommended ones are C++ and Python. But which one should you pick first? (TL;DR at the bottom)

Let’s break it down based on your overall goals, learning style, and what each language offers.

Why You Might Want to Start With Python

Easy to Read & Write
Massive Community & Libraries
Great for Rapid Prototyping

Why You Might Want to Start With C++

Deeper Understanding of Computers
Game Development & Systems Programming (This is a BIG reason)
Challenging

Career Path Considerations

Data Science / AI Python
Web Development Python
Game Development C++
Embedded Systems / IoT C++
Systems Programming / OS Dev C++
General Software Engineering Both!

Data Pulled From https://www.geeksforgeeks.org | https://stackoverflow.com/questions | python.org | cppreference.com |

My Conclusion

If you're okay with a tougher start and want to understand computers on a deeper level, start with C++. It builds strong foundations that make learning other languages easier down the line.

In the end, learning either will make the other easier.

TL;DR

Python is great for beginners who want fast results and an easy learning curve.

C++ is ideal if you want to understand how computers really work or if you’re heading into game development, embedded systems, or high-performance computing.

Both are powerful. The right one to learn first depends on what you want.

Why Its Important to Ask Questions When You're Learning C++..

Saint Thomas Brown ♟ — Wed, 28 May 2025 07:24:17 +0000

C++ can be brutal, End of Post lmfao.

Seriously though, I used to wait hours (sometimes days ) to ask my peers, thinking it would be embarrassing to ask stupid questions that I should've known by now.

Now I learned that in some cases, a 2-minute conversation can save you 6 hours of frustration.

Between memory management, templates, and cryptic compiler errors, getting stuck is practically guaranteed in life just like taxes & death. But if you’re learning C++ like me (or using it in school/work), one of your most powerful tools isn’t your compiler…

…it’s knowing HOW to ask effectively.

I'll share a few simple strategies that make it easier to get the help you. For example, here's a bad question.

"My code doesn’t work. Can someone help?"

Helpful answers? Not likely. You’ll probably get one of the following:

“Post the full code.”
“What are you trying to do?”
“What error are you getting?”

Very vague and commenters are unaware of your end goal making unnecessary challenges for them. Here's some alternatives that gets way better results.

Explain the goal, not just the nature of your error.

Explain your approach or code so far.

If all else fails, paste or use the snippet tool

Note: It also helps to mention the compiler and version so helpers have an idea of what your workspace.

To conclude, Learning C++ is hard enough. Don’t make it harder by suffering in silence or posting vague question. Cheers!

3 HUGE Things I Wish I Knew When I First Started

Saint Thomas Brown ♟ — Sat, 24 May 2025 19:35:41 +0000

I stared learning code in high school, it started out as a small project that I wanted to learn to understand more about the software that I use on a daily basis.

Now, I'm learning how to code my very own game using C++.

When I first started I didn't have many resources available to me. I often watched videos and asked other developers for their insight on how to do the most simplest lines of code. However, I was meet with no response or no videos to explain exactly what I do. So Instead I've done these three things in order to help further my reach and understanding on C++.

So If you’re just getting started or even if you’ve been coding a while—here are 3 things I wish someone told me sooner that I'm sure will help you out.

1. You Don’t Need to Learn Everything

It’s tempting to try and learn JavaScript, Python, React, Node.js, Docker, Git, GraphQL, Rust, Go, Kubernetes... all at once. Stop. Pick one stack. Go deep. The rest will come later.

2. Googling Is a Skill

Senior developers don’t know everything off the top of their heads, they’re just really good at searching for the right answer.

If you’re stuck like I was:

Google the exact error message
Try phrasing it differently
Add the language or framework (e.g., react cannot read property of undefined)

Bonus tip: Look at GitHub issues for obscure errors—they’re gold.

3. Community Matters More Than You Think

Programming can be lonely. Find your people. Join a Discord server, contribute to open source, write posts on dev.to(Kind of like I'm doing). You’ll learn faster and feel less isolated. This makes all the difference!

Thank you reading to the end, that was alot. Hopefully some of these tips can help the newer ppl, and even the pros!

How to Get Out of Coding Slumps!

Saint Thomas Brown ♟ — Thu, 22 May 2025 04:38:01 +0000

How I Got Out of a recent Coding Rut. We don’t talk about it enough, but here it is. Sometimes at least as a beginner, coding just feels off or unnatural.

Your fingers are on the keyboard, your IDE is open, but your brain? It’s completely somewhere else. Maybe it’s just the burnout talking, or maybe it’s imposter syndrome, or maybe you’ve just hit a wall.

I’ve been there. Recently I was working on my most recent game development project and I was in the same situation. Stuck and nowhere to go and no one to turn to. So here’s what helped me get out, and what might help you too...

Shift From Output to Curiosity

When I’m in a rut, I tend to focus on what I’m not producing — “I should be building more,” “I haven’t shipped anything in weeks,” etc.

Learn Something You Don’t Need

Learning without pressure is powerful. Last month, I started learning a new programming language. Not because I needed it for work or the project I was working on, but because it felt like a challenge that excited me. A new perspective to help me grasp a better understanding. Suddenly, I was looking forward to coding again.

Reorganize Your Dev Environment

This one surprised me. I spent a weekend tweaking my terminal setup, updating my VS Code theme, and cleaning up old repos. Small things, make a big difference.

Hopefully this can help you guys as well, I'm not that experienced but I try to help whenever possible and share my point of view. That's all for me now. Cheers!

DEV Help! #Speakup!

Saint Thomas Brown ♟ — Sun, 18 May 2025 19:20:20 +0000

Hey Dev Community

💬I'm curious to see your tips and recommendations for aspiring programmers, what's something that you wish you knew when you first started? Applications, tools, technical tips, I would love to hear anything no matter your experience and sure others would love to hear as well. Help us new guys out :)

Readme

Saint Thomas Brown ♟ — Fri, 16 May 2025 01:24:41 +0000

My Introduction to Dev.to as a novice programmer...

This is my first ever post on dev.to, I'm very excited for the opportunity to share my thoughts and experience on my coding journey. Here I will share details on my various projects that I plan to challenge and show others how I was able to accomplish my goals. I love to connect with new people, leave your socials down below and I'll give a follow and say hello 😊

Here are my Socials, hopefully you can find yourself there and get well acquainted!