Just did the Debugging part, i wish i did it after i got halfway into the basic JS course, spent so much time finding out why my code didn’t work, just to find out that i did one small but almost invisible typo ._.
I think the debugging part should be earlier in the courses, as most people probably go from top to bottom as i do.
Hey Ross - I also came from a sales background before making the switch and couldn’t be happier. Initially aimed for front-end work but I just left a full-stack job / front end heavy job for a data heavy role, in large part thanks to debugging.
Debugging is crucial and sets apart a novice dev apart from a seasoned one. The skills you learn debugging can usually be generically applied to most languages you’ll interface with but it’s a ultimately a highly opinionated process beyond the code you type to set up / enter debugging mode. The debugging process I learned for JS is now one of my most valuable skills as I use it every day while stepping through ancient BASIC programs that we’re getting ready to finally modernize.
I highly recommend curating your own ‘course’ on debugging while you continue to work through what FCC has curated for you. They probably have some really good tutorials but even youtube, udemy, medium, etc can be great. You can’t be too good at debugging and any time spent getting better at it will return a lot of happiness for you down the line.
Yeah, debugging is crucial, it is one of the most important skills and you’ll spend a lot of time doing it - on your code and other people’s code.
The problem is that it can be boring to teach. Part of FCC’s mission is to create a curriculum that is easy to digest, non-intimidating, and (at least at some level) fun. I think people might find an early section on debugging off-putting, especially since they may not understand why they need it.
In a perfect world, I wish things on debugging and algorithms could be sprinkled throughout the curriculum. But that doesn’t really fit with how FCC organizes things.
I think console.log should be introduced as soon as possible and its use encouraged. An early rundown of common gotchas like typos would also make sense.
Yeah, it is a little shocking how many people are “surprised” that that exists. Yeah, there should be an early challenge that tests that and explains how important that is.
I’d definitely be in favor of squeezing in a short challenge at the start on console.log
Getting in the habit of looking at the results of code as/after it has been executed and not just relying on reading static code (i.e. static analysis) is important. It is far too easy to miss errors when just reading code.
The test runner and how code is normally executed might also be creating a slight disconnect that seems to confuse some users. Executing your code and looking at its output is part of the process which to some extent is bypassed by the test runner.