In the world of software programming, programmers will often run into bugs whether they are just learning or seasoned professionals. There are also a diverse number programming languages that would make it nearly impossible for a single person to be proficient in them all. So when you get stuck on a problem what’s the first thing you should do? Well for starters, read the manual or search the web for answers. Why? Because your problem may have already been asked by someone else.
If you have been coding for a while now odds are you may have seen a site called StackOverflow. It is a forum site dedicated to asking and answering programming questions. However, this doesn’t mean that you can just ask what the answer is to your homework question or expect an immidiate answer to say something you are programming as a hobby. There is a certain etiquette in asking questions. A nice example below on how to ask a question.
The user took a small portion of code he is asking about, asks why the code is as is and then gives his own example on how he would code it. In this case, the person asking the question shows that he is somewhat knowledgeable but is unsure of why this snippet of code is the way it is. He is curious and wants to learn. The answers he recieves are both in detail and straight to the point. Now if you are being hasty in expecting an answer, expect some not so nice answers. In this next case, the user is asking a question and expecting someone to basically do the coding for him. Instead, one of the responders put a link that answers his question that the user simply could have tried to find on his own.
Also notice the quality of the responses of both questions. If you asked in a bad way your results may be short and rude. If you give a more detailed and insightful question, the community will often give a very detailed response. You are also more likely to attract more people to try and answer your question and confirm that the top answer is indeed correct.
If you take the time to do some looking around the manual or the web, odds are you can find the solution to your coding problem. If for whatever reason you tried and nothing seems useful, then consider posting a question to StackOverflow. Be sure to remember that the quality of your question will affect the quality of your answer. If you are very clear with the title of your question and give a succinct description of the problem you are having as well as some snippet of code if possible, the community will most likely do their best to help you in their free time. If you ask rudely or are unsure of what to ask you will only be wasting people’s time.