Syntax Error - User does not compute

Coding Lanuages

It's becoming more and more obvious why they call them coding 'languages'. I know, I know, it's obvious - but, I mean, I'm really started to get the picture of how switching from one coding language to another can be an interesting endeavor, as the syntax for the same thing might completely shift, or be so close to what you're used to with another language, it's frustrating how you miss the error nearly every time.

With that being said, Chris has often told us how, while they may go about trying to accomplish the same type of tasks, the commands used might be entirely different. Or worse, there might be a command in one language that means something completely different in another, but they're the same word.

We're getting into the basics of rails, and the power of the program application is totally insane. We've gone from a simple string, to building arrays and hashes of strings, to manipulating those hashes, to building methods for those, to integrating them into html and css, and now we're stacking multiple layers of sets of those. To put it into terms of landscape architecture: we started with the basics of slope, and we're now doing construction documentation for the master grading plan and the layout plan - in 4 weeks.

Me.

Currently in class

I know what I'm supposed to be doing. ...but that doesn't mean I have a full understanding of how to get it there, just yet.

Last week we used html and css to build a webpage based on a template (the Kittens and Bacon page). Now we're taking that and turning it into a rails template that makes a dynamic page with links that lead to new pages within that template showing new "posts".

Starring: Me. (The code is clearly a smoke monster)

Currently I will be spending a vast amount of time this weekend going over this, and making sure I understand the proper syntax to call these items in the proper way. The organization of where the files need to be located in rails, I seemingly understand. And after many a head-bash-to-the-wall over git, I'm happy to report I'm understanding it. (I still think it's incredibly  NOT user friendly, and makes little sense for new learners, but I'm understanding it.)

"One bite at a time, One bite a time, one bite...man I'm hungry." - My thoughts when I feel lost.

Totally unrelated

I'm just going to throw this out there: if you don't like the British comedy, the IT Crowd...
...I don't know how I feel about you anymore.
I started watching it back when they were still filming the 3rd season, and I love how it's on Netflix now, as I keep finding more people who also enjoy the show or have just discovered it. ...but I recently talked with someone who didn't think it was funny. Part of me stopped functioning for a brief moment. "...you what?"

Couldn't have said it better.

Git-ing user friendly

Git

For those of you outside the realm of programming, there's this thing called 'git'.

Git is pretty simple in terms of concept. It goes like this:

Let's say you have a team of developers are all working on a project. Obviously, if person #1 begins working on things, and person #2 begins working on different things, they'll need a way to be able to easily combine their efforts back into the main file. This is where git comes in. You have your 'main', and people can branch off of it to make edits, and later, those can be combined into the 'main' for new branchings to occur. And since it's all online, your team can work anywhere, anytime and update your info for the project. Wow! Doesn't that sound awesome?!

It is! 

(There's a reason TONS of developers use it daily, including the Iron Yard for their assignments)

...unless you don't know how to use it. Then you're pretty much fucked.
I happen to be one of those people.

Yes, I understand how it works conceptually. Yes, I've read through the material online on how to manipulate and use it to my advantage. But it's so infuriatingly NOT user friendly. If you are new to using it, it's like trying to shove an entire pizza into the mouth of a 7 week old child.

-Meet my niece Adeline-
Adeline, meet this pizza...

I understand the users are tech people who are used to using this, and once I get more familiar with working directly from command line it will be a cinch  ...but as someone who loves user interface and who enjoys trying to make things "dummy-proof", utilizing git is nails on the chalkboard of my brain.


I suppose I'm just trying to get out my frustration. And let everyone know - if you every hear of a redesign request for Github - send it my way.
On a lighter note - I'm beginning to get a clearer picture of how html, css, and ruby code all work together. 

Week 3 Recap and Mid week 4

Week 3

Well...I'm just glad it's over.

Between living in various locations (including: moldy apartment, empty-complex-provided apartment, my brother Josh's house in the adjacent town, or with friends), dealing with the apartment complex over this issue, working, coding, finding places outside of the Iron Yard HQ that has internet so I CAN work (though the apartment has internet...it comes at the cost of surviving through the spore infested air.)....let's go back to my first statement. I'm glad it's over.

Coursework

This past week we learned html and css, which were both entirely new to me. While there were a number of terms that I was more than familiar with, due to my proficiency in the Adobe suite (thanks, design degree!), there was also the trouble of having to learn this new syntax and making sure the two communicated properly.

The writing of the html wasn't too rough, and the css - though I had heard stories of how rough it can be to work with - didn't seem all that bad....I just couldn't get the two to properly communicate. This, coupled with missing the lab portion of a few days to deal with the apartment complex had me feeling I was so far behind. I took my one free evening and sat at HopCat to use their free wifi and worked from the bar all night. I read through most tutorials and pieces I could find on whatever was causing me errors. The assignment I was backed on was one where we were provided the html, but we needed to edit it and add the css to manipulate the images and text to appear the same as a prompt.

...for the life of me, I couldn't get it to work. (Retrospectively, I was under the impression we were not to change the html for this assignment. I later learned that was kinda needed to make anything work on the page.) So come Friday, I knew if I didn't get to working on the lab assignment, I would fall into the deep-end of confusion, frustration, and generally being lost.

...right in line with my Halloween costume this year, as Ron Burgundy...

The lab assignment was: here's what we want the 'blog' page to look like. Build it. (on Normal Mode, anyway)

Surprisingly, when I made the html and css from scratch, it seemed to all 'click'. (pun intended)
Chris humorously provided us links to place-holder image generators for cat images and another for bacon images, as he said the images could be anything we wanted, the text could be anything, etc. ...so long as it fit the layout theme. Naturally, my blog page I built was titled "Kittens and Bacon". I'm super proud of it, and it makes me laugh every time I look at it. I just wish I knew how to place it on a server and have it live. (But apparently we'll be getting to that by the end of next week or so.)

Me-ow!

Mid-week

This week has been about getting stability back. After working 30 hours between Saturday, Sunday, and last night, I'm doing my best to stay awake and focused. I'll ashamedly admit, I did conk out for a moment near the end of lecture today. Whereas I hear that's a sign of 'hard work' in some societies...I don't want that to happen again.

We had an introduction to Sinatra as a way of stepping into adding together Ruby basics with html and css, using .erb files to pull the data when entering in specific URLs. ...I had no idea what the hell that statement would have meant on Monday. And honestly - I still have only a basic grasp, but at least I know the components well. Now I just need to orchestrate them with Sinatra. (Boy, there's a statement that works for multiple lines of work.)

Today we're using Rails for the first time as well. It's similar to Sinatra...except way more powerful and has much more at its disposal. Like Kanye West, if he was a crooner...and wasn't an asshole. (There's one man who SHOULDN'T have all that power...)

Again, I'm finding myself having a loose idea of what's happening in class. I feel I know each of the components being used, and I'm familiar with them being used in simpler settings, but now we're beginning to really layer it on in ways that seem impressive - and potentially overwhelming - if they aren't taken step-by-step. I just keep reminding myself - "How do you eat an elephant? ...one bite at a time..."

I love how this photo makes no sense. 

Mold Update

I'm currently waiting on paperwork for the terms of termination of my lease. I should be living somewhere where the air is fresher soon. (Hopefully with Terry Gross.)

Thanks for reading - feel free to comment or follow - I appreciate you.

Photo sources - 

http://i2.cdnds.net/13/06/618x411/movies-anchorman-09.jpg

https://c2.staticflickr.com/6/5045/5371287359_d554932606.jpg