When learning something new, say a new language or framework, do you go through the docs or tutorials, or do you just learn by doing and figure it out as you go?

I like to learn by doing and getting a finished project and start modding and changing stuff. what do you guys do?

I build a chat app first. With all the languages I was learning I always start with a chat app. And only then do I go to the real thing I wanted to build

@netikras sooo what does a chat app do exactly? does it have to be networked? so many questions 😅

I prefer docs.
Especially the standard library is always quite interesting for me.

@Sh4d0w saamee 😂

@Admin-who up to you.
I usually make a networked chat app. This way I learn inputs/outputs, multithreading, networking [if applicable], calculations, types conversions, build/startup mechanisms, memory mgmt [if applicable], other core stuff.

If I went straight to the real thing I'd mess so many things up and spend an eternity trying to get out of that turd pit. By making a learning project I don't worry about quality, efficiency, etc. I just learn how can I use that tool to make things happen. Then once I see where I could have done better I can avoid those pitfalls building the thing I wanted

I'll search a tutorial video that can explain me in just 1 - 4 hour(s)

If it's just a new framework, I probably already know the basics as they all have something in common. I just start building what I want straight away and figure things out with the docs. Saves time.

New language? I'll start with a todo app to get my head around the syntax and stuff.. Probably follow along with a youtube tutorial

The same with docs.
I'm grabbing some projects, modding the crap out of them and then read the docs and mod them to Oblivion.

excellent question:
I don't always do this but I think the best progression to strongly learn anything dev related is, in order:

1) video courses
2) hands on coding (simultaneous with course is preferred)
3) read the official docs
4) reading prestigious blogs on the subject, google, chat with the community

video courses are made for humans, and there's barely any confusion.

you learn pretty quickly what the software does with little cognitive frustration. playback speed modifiers save time.
(unfortunately the best ones are usually paid yet aren't too expensive)

with 2, you confirm that when you do it the way the courses did, the software does the shit it advertises, no smoke and mirrors, and you build your
C O N F I D E N C E
with said software.

3 and 4 is necessary to build extensive knowledge

though each documentation is written in its own confusing magical way.
but if you've done 1 and 2, then you're familiar with it and it no longers feels like hyeroglyphs.

this isn't a silver bullet because:

if the software is too niche, like emudev or similar low level stuff, then video courses can be scarce and you're at the mercy of the good will you can find in some almost dead irc channel.

or if the software is non free and expensive, then the courses can be expensive too.

of course, all this doesn't matter and you can do just 3 and 4 IF you're some dev prodigy or coded basic when you were 5.

docs -> tutorials -> step into its code when it's needed to understand what's going on

Documentation is paramount because context is important. It's best to read all about how it works and go from there.

Docs to get started, then get hands dirty and reference docs / tutorials when I need to know something.

Both I skim docs to see if there framework or tool will make life easier or harder. Then I just start building hit docs when needed often going to the API or code to find undocumented methods and such as well. For example there is so much under the hood in laravel that isn't covered in the docs. You learn a lot about how the framework works by seeing what methods and attributes exist on all the underlying classes.

@jesustricks video courses are sloooow even if you increase speed. You cant easily skim through them to skip and find what you want. Written stuff is so much better.

Every time I open up a video tutorial, I want to shoot myself in the head. I guess not everyone is like that, since they exist.

@Quirinus ok, that's an absurd comment.

what do you mean by slow? I have done video courses in under 2 hours via 1.5x or 2x speed. is that slow?

> You can't skip and find what you want.

why would you ever skip any section in a course?

skimming through things is the anti spirit of proper learning.

i have skimmed through docs countless of times only to bite me in the ass afterwards.

i actually struggle with focus and skim and machinegun google sometimes, but i won't deny that true patience rewards.

@jesustricks it's not really absurd.
But I already acknowledged that it is good for some people, but not others.

Anti-learning? You know what actually kills learning more than skipping things that are obvious and boring, or that you dont need? Watching the whole video or reading a whole book before trying something out.

Proper learning is through doing, not consuming knowledge. I prefer trying things myself, and when i need something, search for it online. Videos are the anti-thesis of an easy search.

Pause helps though.

It will be interesting when ML gets better with speech-to-text. We live in great times for tech.