Another example of why we try to get people to ask clear and well thought out questions…
I am at work, taking a break. I was asked to do something and was convinced that it could not be done with the data we are given, after having spent a few hours on it. As I was taking 15 minutes writing up an explanation for the other devs on why it couldn’t be done with the data we’re being supplied and the library we were using, I accidentally discovered how to do it - in my effort to be thorough I tried something in an ever so slightly different way, a tiny difference that I’d thought was irrelevant.
Taking the time to write it up and explain it taught me a lesson in assumptions, helped me solve my task, and saved me a little embarrassment. Being able to organize and communicate ideas and problems is an important skill. That’s why we don’t like posts who’s only description is “It doesn’t work.” We’re trying to help you learn to be better developers.
Every developer has more than one story like this. Many of us have several.