Problem solving

Time when I got stuck on a problem

I found it difficult during the sprint three board game exercise, where we were required to assign the total number of dots to the right property so that the total number of dots updates as soon as a user clicks on the dots.
Before finding the solution on the web, I tried to do everything I thought would work, but I couldn't solve the problem. I used a hint from the readme file to Google, and I went on a few different websites looking for a solution, but I still couldn't solve the problem. Some of the solutions on Google matched with my existing code, but that was not the right solution for me, which made me feel frustrated. After failing numerous times, I went on Slack to find if someone else had the same problem as I did. I went through the discussion board and realised where the mistake was. The mistake was small, and I realised although I need to try and fix the error myself, I shouldn't waste too many hours. Instead, I should seek help.

Time when I solved a problem in an elegant way.

When I was working on the built-in methods kata, I was stuck with the second function "capitalize" where I needed to write a code which makes the first letter of each word capital.
I went online, did my research, and I found the piece of code from stack overflow that would help solve my problem. To understand that code I researched on all the methods. When I used that code, I didn't get the desired result. I knew that the code is right, so, now I needed to find the mistake in my existing code. I had a for loop to get array elements so, I used console.log technique to see what am I getting back from an array. I found out that instead of receiving a whole string, I was getting characters one by one in "". I removed the for loop from my function and assigned a function argument into a variable. Then I used console.log again to check if I am receiving a whole sentence, and I did. I ran my code after making all the changes, and it worked. I learned that I don't always need a for loop to receive elements of an array.

Problem solving techniques and process

• Pseudocode: I haven't tried to write pseudocode yet, but I know from my research how helpful this technique can be. I will definitely use this technique from now on.
• Trying something: If I think that I have some knowledge to solve the particular problem, then I use that knowledge to solve that problem. If I get stuck, then I try different ways to fix the problem before I go looking for help from anywhere else.
• Rubber ducky method: I have not used this technique yet. I have noticed my peers are using this technique, so I may give it a try to see if this works for me.
• Reading error messages: Yes, I always read the error messages, and I find it very useful. If I don't know what the error message means, then I would copy-paste that message on Google, and find out what it means. Often I make small mistakes such as forgetting ";" or misspelling a variable name. Error messages help me solve these small mistakes all the time. 
• Console.logging: I use console.log when I get stuck, and I have multiple steps before I can see the desired result on the browser. One of the examples is the problem I mentioned earlier in this blog. I was receiving the right total, and I checked that by displaying it using console.log. 
• Googling: I think Google is my best friend. I always Google the problem before I seek help from my peers or teacher. 
• Asking your peers and coaches for help: I would ask for my peers to help if I can't solve my problem using the technique mentioned above. I will refer to a coach only if I cannot find the solution to my problem through Slack or Google.
• Improving your process with reflection: I have only started journaling after I started this course. I don't see this technique as solving my problem. Rather it gives me an indication of which area I need to work on more. I know journaling has great benefits, so hopefully, with time, I learn to use it the right way to gain all the benefits I could.