I'm currently studying programming in high school, but our professor takes quite a while to cover topics—we spent two years just on loops, if statements, basic operations, data types, and arrays. We won't even touch on object-oriented programming until later this year. To supplement that, I've been learning on my own. Since we are learning Java at school, I've decided to read up on classes and objects, and also dive into Python because I find its syntax easier and I use it more frequently.
For my graduation thesis next year, I've chosen to create a 2D rocket flight simulation in Python, as I have a keen interest in rocketry. I've started the project, but I'm having trouble figuring out where to begin, especially when it comes to using libraries like Numpy for mathematical operations that aren't available in default Python. I often struggle with how people know the syntax for the functions they need to use. I'm essentially looking for guidance on how to transition from just knowing the basics of Python to being able to effectively find and utilize a library's functions.
1 Answer
When it comes to learning new libraries, the best approach is to dive into their documentation. It might seem daunting at first, but that's where you'll find the syntax for the functions you can use. Start with what you want to achieve, search for it in the documentation, and look at examples to see how others have implemented it. You'll pick it up over time!
So coding really is just Googling a lot? That's a bit reassuring!