Breaking the deadlock: solving complex problems
Are there any unsolvable problems?
Have you ever thought about the fact that just 30-40 years ago, programmers had no one to ask questions? Just imagine how difficult it was for the pioneers of our field, because they had to blaze this trail themselves. Was it difficult for them? Yes. Were their problems unsolvable? No. If they hadn't found solutions, programming would have remained at its initial stage of development.
In today's world, there is so much information available that it is sometimes difficult to imagine that no one has ever encountered a problem like yours before. It is important to understand that someone may have encountered and solved the problem, but simply did not share it with the world. Of course, there are cases when a problem or task is truly unique and new, but that only adds to its interest. Being a pioneer is difficult, but incredibly interesting. With the right approach, you can share your solution online and immortalise your name in history.
Have you ever thought about the fact that just 30-40 years ago, programmers had no one to ask questions? Just imagine how difficult it was for the pioneers of our field, because they had to blaze this trail themselves. Was it difficult for them? Yes. Were their problems unsolvable? No. If they hadn't found solutions, programming would have remained at its initial stage of development.
In today's world, there is so much information available that it is sometimes difficult to imagine that no one has ever encountered a problem like yours before. It is important to understand that someone may have encountered and solved the problem, but simply did not share it with the world. Of course, there are cases when a problem or task is truly unique and new, but that only adds to its interest. Being a pioneer is difficult, but incredibly interesting. With the right approach, you can share your solution online and immortalise your name in history.
Faced with a problem that no one can help you solve? Forums are silent, and Stack Overflow has no information? Encountering an unusual problem is no reason to freeze up. Even if you are a young programmer. If the solution to the problem has not been described by anyone on the internet, that does not mean it cannot be solved. Managers at Magenta Favorita Unipessoal LDA shared their insights on finding a way out of a dead-end situation.
Where to start?
First of all, you need to understand that you are not at a dead end with your bare hands, but standing in front of a jungle thicket with a machete, and now you have to cut your way through. Look around carefully, study the path that led you to the dead end. Perhaps things are not as bad as they seemed at first glance. It is worth ruling out the possibility that you have made a mistake somewhere. The safest option is to take a 15-20 minute break and, with a fresh mind, review everything again from the beginning, without missing any details. You can even have a dialogue with yourself out loud, as if explaining what is happening here. According to the experts at Magenta Favorita company, this kind of verbalisation has repeatedly helped to find solutions.
First of all, you need to understand that you are not at a dead end with your bare hands, but standing in front of a jungle thicket with a machete, and now you have to cut your way through. Look around carefully, study the path that led you to the dead end. Perhaps things are not as bad as they seemed at first glance. It is worth ruling out the possibility that you have made a mistake somewhere. The safest option is to take a 15-20 minute break and, with a fresh mind, review everything again from the beginning, without missing any details. You can even have a dialogue with yourself out loud, as if explaining what is happening here. According to the experts at Magenta Favorita company, this kind of verbalisation has repeatedly helped to find solutions.
Make mistakes
Let's say you couldn't find the mistake in the previous stages of development. That means there is still a problem. What should we do? Make mistakes! Yes, you heard right. The more mistakes, the better. The first programmers gained their first valuable knowledge through trial and error. Developing or inventing something new always involves a certain cycle of trials and failures, which ultimately lead to the desired result. And usually, the more failures there are, the more valuable and profound the knowledge becomes. After all, we not only spend more time with our object, but also try different approaches and study it from all angles.
Why is it important to know the inner workings?
You will have to study the inner workings of what you are working with. For example, the core of the operating system. This will be much more useful than creating new threads on forums in the hope that someone will help you someday. Studying the ‘under the hood’ will, of course, take a lot of time. But in the end, you will not only get a solution to the problem, but also a deep understanding of what you are working with. This will save you a lot of time in the future.
Break it down into small blocks
Modern systems can be huge and confusing, and it can take a long time to thoroughly understand how some of them work. But just as any complex algorithm can be broken down into simpler algorithms, any system can be broken down into simple blocks. Start by studying these blocks and moving from the nearest one deeper into the core. Don't be afraid to experiment. Only by probing in this way will you best and most quickly gain an understanding of how everything works, and this will be your clear and smooth path through the jungle.
Algorithm of actions
Magenta Favorita specialists have summarised the results. What should you do if you encounter a problem that cannot be solved by searching for information?
Follow this plan:
Let's say you couldn't find the mistake in the previous stages of development. That means there is still a problem. What should we do? Make mistakes! Yes, you heard right. The more mistakes, the better. The first programmers gained their first valuable knowledge through trial and error. Developing or inventing something new always involves a certain cycle of trials and failures, which ultimately lead to the desired result. And usually, the more failures there are, the more valuable and profound the knowledge becomes. After all, we not only spend more time with our object, but also try different approaches and study it from all angles.
Why is it important to know the inner workings?
You will have to study the inner workings of what you are working with. For example, the core of the operating system. This will be much more useful than creating new threads on forums in the hope that someone will help you someday. Studying the ‘under the hood’ will, of course, take a lot of time. But in the end, you will not only get a solution to the problem, but also a deep understanding of what you are working with. This will save you a lot of time in the future.
Break it down into small blocks
Modern systems can be huge and confusing, and it can take a long time to thoroughly understand how some of them work. But just as any complex algorithm can be broken down into simpler algorithms, any system can be broken down into simple blocks. Start by studying these blocks and moving from the nearest one deeper into the core. Don't be afraid to experiment. Only by probing in this way will you best and most quickly gain an understanding of how everything works, and this will be your clear and smooth path through the jungle.
Algorithm of actions
Magenta Favorita specialists have summarised the results. What should you do if you encounter a problem that cannot be solved by searching for information?
Follow this plan:
- Don't panic. Focus on developing a solution.
- Eliminate the possibility of a silly mistake by checking the code you have already written.
- Understand the inner workings of what you are dealing with.
- Try and make mistakes.
- Find a solution.
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