When am I supposed to learn all these coding tools and concepts?

I remember coding on plain VI back in the day, and it was a lot simpler! No fancy tools, just basic text editing and file naming conventions. But, times have changed, and knowing how to navigate modern tools is critical. Just take it step-by-step and don't feel too pressured.

Think of it like being a carpenter—you need to familiarize yourself with your tools. Start small; focus on learning one tool at a time while working on little projects to get comfortable. As for IDEs, my go-to is JetBrains tools because they offer a consistent experience across languages, even if they can feel a bit heavy with features.

If you're looking for a straightforward IDE for C++, try Microsoft Visual Studio (the full version, not the Code variant). There’s even a free version available. It comes with a lot of built-in features that you might find really useful. And don't dismiss features you think you don't need—having a good debugger is crucial, especially when you're starting out.

I've been switching between editors myself. I liked VS Code but had trouble with performance, so I tried Neovim. If you don’t want to configure everything from scratch, look for pre-built configurations like 'Kickstart.nvim.' Also, check out good resources for Git, like The Odin Project; they offer great guides for beginners. It’s natural to feel lost when starting with these, but it’ll get easier with practice!

Honestly, if you're finding the tools frustrating at this point, you might want to consider your options in the software field. Software development is all about continuous learning and adapting; there’s no end to the number of tools and technologies out there. Once you switch jobs, you’ll likely face a whole new set of tools that you’ll need to learn independently. Instead of feeling overwhelmed, consider building your own simple code editor. It’s a challenging project, but it could be fun and provide you with the experience you're looking for!