how to improve problem solving skills in python

10 Python Practice Exercises for Beginners with Solutions

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A great way to improve quickly at programming with Python is to practice with a wide range of exercises and programming challenges. In this article, we give you 10 Python practice exercises to boost your skills.

Practice exercises are a great way to learn Python. Well-designed exercises expose you to new concepts, such as writing different types of loops, working with different data structures like lists, arrays, and tuples, and reading in different file types. Good exercises should be at a level that is approachable for beginners but also hard enough to challenge you, pushing your knowledge and skills to the next level.

If you’re new to Python and looking for a structured way to improve your programming, consider taking the Python Basics Practice course. It includes 17 interactive exercises designed to improve all aspects of your programming and get you into good programming habits early. Read about the course in the March 2023 episode of our series Python Course of the Month .

Take the course Python Practice: Word Games , and you gain experience working with string functions and text files through its 27 interactive exercises.  Its release announcement gives you more information and a feel for how it works.

Each course has enough material to keep you busy for about 10 hours. To give you a little taste of what these courses teach you, we have selected 10 Python practice exercises straight from these courses. We’ll give you the exercises and solutions with detailed explanations about how they work.

To get the most out of this article, have a go at solving the problems before reading the solutions. Some of these practice exercises have a few possible solutions, so also try to come up with an alternative solution after you’ve gone through each exercise.

Let’s get started!

Exercise 1: User Input and Conditional Statements

Write a program that asks the user for a number then prints the following sentence that number of times: ‘I am back to check on my skills!’ If the number is greater than 10, print this sentence instead: ‘Python conditions and loops are a piece of cake.’ Assume you can only pass positive integers.

Here, we start by using the built-in function input() , which accepts user input from the keyboard. The first argument is the prompt displayed on the screen; the input is converted into an integer with int() and saved as the variable number. If the variable number is greater than 10, the first message is printed once on the screen. If not, the second message is printed in a loop number times.

Exercise 2: Lowercase and Uppercase Characters

Below is a string, text . It contains a long string of characters. Your task is to iterate over the characters of the string, count uppercase letters and lowercase letters, and print the result:

We start this one by initializing the two counters for uppercase and lowercase characters. Then, we loop through every letter in text and check if it is lowercase. If so, we increment the lowercase counter by one. If not, we check if it is uppercase and if so, we increment the uppercase counter by one. Finally, we print the results in the required format.

Exercise 3: Building Triangles

Create a function named is_triangle_possible() that accepts three positive numbers. It should return True if it is possible to create a triangle from line segments of given lengths and False otherwise. With 3 numbers, it is sometimes, but not always, possible to create a triangle: You cannot create a triangle from a = 13, b = 2, and c = 3, but you can from a = 13, b = 9, and c = 10.

The key to solving this problem is to determine when three lines make a triangle regardless of the type of triangle. It may be helpful to start drawing triangles before you start coding anything.

Notice that the sum of any two sides must be larger than the third side to form a triangle. That means we need a + b > c, c + b > a, and a + c > b. All three conditions must be met to form a triangle; hence we need the and condition in the solution. Once you have this insight, the solution is easy!

Exercise 4: Call a Function From Another Function

Create two functions: print_five_times() and speak() . The function print_five_times() should accept one parameter (called sentence) and print it five times. The function speak(sentence, repeat) should have two parameters: sentence (a string of letters), and repeat (a Boolean with a default value set to False ). If the repeat parameter is set to False , the function should just print a sentence once. If the repeat parameter is set to True, the function should call the print_five_times() function.

This is a good example of calling a function in another function. It is something you’ll do often in your programming career. It is also a nice demonstration of how to use a Boolean flag to control the flow of your program.

If the repeat parameter is True, the print_five_times() function is called, which prints the sentence parameter 5 times in a loop. Otherwise, the sentence parameter is just printed once. Note that in Python, writing if repeat is equivalent to if repeat == True .

Exercise 5: Looping and Conditional Statements

Write a function called find_greater_than() that takes two parameters: a list of numbers and an integer threshold. The function should create a new list containing all numbers in the input list greater than the given threshold. The order of numbers in the result list should be the same as in the input list. For example:

Here, we start by defining an empty list to store our results. Then, we loop through all elements in the input list and test if the element is greater than the threshold. If so, we append the element to the new list.

Notice that we do not explicitly need an else and pass to do nothing when integer is not greater than threshold . You may include this if you like.

Exercise 6: Nested Loops and Conditional Statements

Write a function called find_censored_words() that accepts a list of strings and a list of special characters as its arguments, and prints all censored words from it one by one in separate lines. A word is considered censored if it has at least one character from the special_chars list. Use the word_list variable to test your function. We've prepared the two lists for you:

This is another nice example of looping through a list and testing a condition. We start by looping through every word in word_list . Then, we loop through every character in the current word and check if the current character is in the special_chars list.

This time, however, we have a break statement. This exits the inner loop as soon as we detect one special character since it does not matter if we have one or several special characters in the word.

Exercise 7: Lists and Tuples

Create a function find_short_long_word(words_list) . The function should return a tuple of the shortest word in the list and the longest word in the list (in that order). If there are multiple words that qualify as the shortest word, return the first shortest word in the list. And if there are multiple words that qualify as the longest word, return the last longest word in the list. For example, for the following list:

the function should return

Assume the input list is non-empty.

The key to this problem is to start with a “guess” for the shortest and longest words. We do this by creating variables shortest_word and longest_word and setting both to be the first word in the input list.

We loop through the words in the input list and check if the current word is shorter than our initial “guess.” If so, we update the shortest_word variable. If not, we check to see if it is longer than or equal to our initial “guess” for the longest word, and if so, we update the longest_word variable. Having the >= condition ensures the longest word is the last longest word. Finally, we return the shortest and longest words in a tuple.

Exercise 8: Dictionaries

As you see, we've prepared the test_results variable for you. Your task is to iterate over the values of the dictionary and print all names of people who received less than 45 points.

Here, we have an example of how to iterate through a dictionary. Dictionaries are useful data structures that allow you to create a key (the names of the students) and attach a value to it (their test results). Dictionaries have the dictionary.items() method, which returns an object with each key:value pair in a tuple.

The solution shows how to loop through this object and assign a key and a value to two variables. Then, we test whether the value variable is greater than 45. If so, we print the key variable.

Exercise 9: More Dictionaries

Write a function called consonant_vowels_count(frequencies_dictionary, vowels) that takes a dictionary and a list of vowels as arguments. The keys of the dictionary are letters and the values are their frequencies. The function should print the total number of consonants and the total number of vowels in the following format:

For example, for input:

the output should be:

Working with dictionaries is an important skill. So, here’s another exercise that requires you to iterate through dictionary items.

We start by defining a list of vowels. Next, we need to define two counters, one for vowels and one for consonants, both set to zero. Then, we iterate through the input dictionary items and test whether the key is in the vowels list. If so, we increase the vowels counter by one, if not, we increase the consonants counter by one. Finally, we print out the results in the required format.

Exercise 10: String Encryption

Implement the Caesar cipher . This is a simple encryption technique that substitutes every letter in a word with another letter from some fixed number of positions down the alphabet.

For example, consider the string 'word' . If we shift every letter down one position in the alphabet, we have 'xpse' . Shifting by 2 positions gives the string 'yqtf' . Start by defining a string with every letter in the alphabet:

Name your function cipher(word, shift) , which accepts a string to encrypt, and an integer number of positions in the alphabet by which to shift every letter.

This exercise is taken from the Word Games course. We have our string containing all lowercase letters, from which we create a shifted alphabet using a clever little string-slicing technique. Next, we create an empty string to store our encrypted word. Then, we loop through every letter in the word and find its index, or position, in the alphabet. Using this index, we get the corresponding shifted letter from the shifted alphabet string. This letter is added to the end of the new_word string.

This is just one approach to solving this problem, and it only works for lowercase words. Try inputting a word with an uppercase letter; you’ll get a ValueError . When you take the Word Games course, you slowly work up to a better solution step-by-step. This better solution takes advantage of two built-in functions chr() and ord() to make it simpler and more robust. The course contains three similar games, with each game comprising several practice exercises to build up your knowledge.

Do You Want More Python Practice Exercises?

We have given you a taste of the Python practice exercises available in two of our courses, Python Basics Practice and Python Practice: Word Games . These courses are designed to develop skills important to a successful Python programmer, and the exercises above were taken directly from the courses. Sign up for our platform (it’s free!) to find more exercises like these.

We’ve discussed Different Ways to Practice Python in the past, and doing interactive exercises is just one way. Our other tips include reading books, watching videos, and taking on projects. For tips on good books for Python, check out “ The 5 Best Python Books for Beginners .” It’s important to get the basics down first and make sure your practice exercises are fun, as we discuss in “ What’s the Best Way to Practice Python? ” If you keep up with your practice exercises, you’ll become a Python master in no time!

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If you have worked in the programming field, or even considered going into programming, you are probably familiar with the famous words of Apple founder Steve Jobs:

“Everyone in this country should learn to program a computer, because it teaches you to think.”

Python is one of the most popular programming languages and can teach us a lot about critical thinking. But if you are in programming, you also know that there are important reasons to keep your programming skills up to date, especially with Python . In this article, we’ll consider some of the most important ways you can update your programming skills—and it isn’t just about learning more Python. Critical thinking is essential to programming and a great way to build your skills.

Why programmers need more than programming skills

According to HackerRank,

“Problem-solving skills are almost unanimously the most important qualification that employers look for […] more than programming languages proficiency, debugging, and system design.”

So how can you apply this to developing Python proficiency?

Obviously, the most important way to build programming skills in Python is to learn Python. Taking Python courses is a great place to start, and building toward more advanced Python learning will help you build technical skills. But programmers need more than just technical skills. You need to understand the best way to solve problems. While most people solve problems through brute force, but, this is not the best way to reach a solution. Instead, Python programmers need to develop a methodology for problem solving that will lead them to a well-crafted solution.

Improving Python Programming Skills in Four Steps

There are a few key steps, and they are listed below. However, it is not enough just to read them — you need to actually make them the part of your programming “life.”

• Evaluate the problem. Understand the programming issue you are attempting to overcome and all of the parts of the problem. In Python programming, a key skill is simply evaluating what needs to be done before you begin the process of programming a solution. Therefore, in any Python challenge, the first step is to study the problem in order to ascertain what you need to research and what skills you need to develop in order to begin to approach a solution. Frequently, if you find that you are able to explain the problem in plain English, it means that you understand it well enough to start to find a solution.
• Make a plan to handle the problem. In Python programming, as with any other type of programming problem, don’t simply launch into your programming without making a plan to handle potential problems logically from beginning to end. You want to begin from a position of strength, not simply start hacking and hoping for the best. Therefore, consider where you are starting and where you want to end up in order to map out the most logical way to arrange steps to reach that point.
• Make the problem manageable by dividing it up. When you are programming Python, it can be intimidating to tackle a major project of a major problem all at once. Instead, try dividing your next programming task into smaller steps that you can easily achieve as you move step by step through the programming or problem-solving process. This will not only make it easier to reach your goals but will also help you to celebrate small victories on your way, giving you the motivation to keep building on your successes. One of the best ways to achieve success is, to begin with, the smallest, easiest division to complete and use that success to build toward increasingly large and complex problems. Doing so will often help to simplify the larger tasks and make the overall project easier. As V. Anton Spraul said, “Reduce the problem to the point where you know how to solve it and write the solution. Then expand the problem slightly and rewrite the solution to match, and keep going until you are back where you started.”
• Practice your skills every day. Lastly, the most important way to develop your Python programming skills and how to troubleshoot Python code is to practice all the time. That doesn’t mean you have to seek out problems just to try to fix them. There are other ways to practice the same skill set in other ways. Elon Musk, for example, plays video games and Peter Thiel plays chess to build problem-solving skills that apply in many areas of life.

When Your Programming Skills Are not Enough

While all the tips above will certainly work if you actually apply them, you can rest assured that you will stumble upon many difficult tasks, which you won’t be able to crack without some assistance. Asking for help is one of the most efficient strategies of problem-solving. You can hire a tutor to help you gradually increase your programming skills, analyze your mistakes, etc. However, if the matter is urgent, you can choose another path — start with delegating your coding assignments to specialized services, and let experts help you with your homework here and now. Later, you can use the assignment done by professionals as tutorial material for other similar assignments. Let’s face it, if studying materials were of better quality and answered the current programming trends more accurately, students would need much less extra assistance.

If you are studying Python programming or trying to problem-solve in Python for a course, your biggest challenge is probably making it through your programming homework. Fortunately, if you have programming challenges, you can pay someone to do a programming assignment for you. Professional homework services like AssignmentCore have programming experts who can help with any type of coding project or Python assignment. There is a team of experts who are on stand-by to leap into action as soon as you have a Python challenge that you need an expert’s eye to complete so you can get ahead of the competition.

Author Bio:

Ted Wilson is a senior programming expert at AssignmentCore , a leading worldwide programming homework service. His main interests are Python, Java, MATLAB languages, and web development. He is responsible for providing customers with top-quality help with programming assignments of any complexity.

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Problem-solving is the process of identifying a problem, creating an algorithm to solve the given problem, and finally implementing the algorithm to develop a computer program .

An algorithm is a process or set of rules to be followed while performing calculations or other problem-solving operations. It is simply a set of steps to accomplish a certain task.

In this article, we will discuss 5 major steps for efficient problem-solving. These steps are:

• Understanding the Problem
• Exploring Examples
• Breaking the Problem Down
• Solving or Simplification
• Looking back and Refactoring

While understanding the problem, we first need to closely examine the language of the question and then proceed further. The following questions can be helpful while understanding the given problem at hand.

• Can the problem be restated in our own words?
• What are the inputs that are needed for the problem?
• What are the outputs that come from the problem?
• Can the outputs be determined from the inputs? In other words, do we have enough information to solve the given problem?
• What should the important pieces of data be labeled?

Example : Write a function that takes two numbers and returns their sum.

• Implement addition
• Integer, Float, etc.

Once we have understood the given problem, we can look up various examples related to it. The examples should cover all situations that can be encountered while the implementation.

• Start with simple examples.
• Progress to more complex examples.
• Explore examples with empty inputs.
• Explore examples with invalid inputs.

Example : Write a function that takes a string as input and returns the count of each character

After exploring examples related to the problem, we need to break down the given problem. Before implementation, we write out the steps that need to be taken to solve the question.

Once we have laid out the steps to solve the problem, we try to find the solution to the question. If the solution cannot be found, try to simplify the problem instead.

The steps to simplify a problem are as follows:

• Find the core difficulty
• Temporarily ignore the difficulty
• Write a simplified solution
• Then incorporate that difficulty

Since we have completed the implementation of the problem, we now look back at the code and refactor it if required. It is an important step to refactor the code so as to improve efficiency.

The following questions can be helpful while looking back at the code and refactoring:

• Can we check the result?
• Can we derive the result differently?
• Can we understand it at a glance?
• Can we use the result or mehtod for some other problem?
• Can you improve the performance of the solution?
• How do other people solve the problem?

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13 Ways to Improve Python Coding Skills (Pro Heights)

by Stanley Udegbunam | Jul 25, 2023 | programming , Python | 0 comments

Becoming proficient in Python isn’t just about knowing the syntax. It’s about knowing how to solve problems, debug code, and continuously learn to stay ahead. 

In this article, we’ll discuss 13 tested ways to improve Python skills and become a more proficient coder.

Without further ado, let’s get started.

Table of Contents

1. Understand Python Fundamentals

The journey to Python mastery begins with a thorough understanding of the basics. 

Just as a building needs a strong foundation, mastering the basics provides a solid footing upon which you can build more complex coding skills.

What comprises Python Basics

Python basics encompass data types (such as integers, strings, and lists), control flow (like if-else statements and loops), functions, error handling, and basic file operations. 

Learning these concepts forms the cornerstone of your Python journey.

2. Solve Python Coding Problems

What’s the fun of learning Python if you’re not getting your hands dirty with some real coding problems? Start coding – daily if possible. 

Use platforms like HackerRank , LeetCode , or CodeSignal to find problems of varying difficulty levels and, of course, solutions when you’re stuck.

Remember, it’s not just about solving problems; it’s about solving them the Python way. 

Yes, Python has a particular way of solving problems, often termed as ‘Pythonic’. These solutions are typically clean, simple, and readable. 

It’s almost like Python is whispering in your ear, “Readability counts. Simple is better than complex.”

Solving Python coding problems will not only improve your problem-solving skills but also help you understand how to apply Python concepts effectively.

3. Engage in Code Reviews

Engaging in code reviews exposes you to different coding styles and best practices. 

You can admire the beauty of a well-written function, marvel at the efficient use of data structures, and perhaps spot a few code smells to avoid in your own code.

Sites to Find Python Codes

GitHub and Bitbucket are excellent platforms where you can review code from other Python enthusiasts and professionals. 

Remember, the goal of engaging in code reviews is to learn, not to criticize.

4. Work on Real Projects

Working on real-world projects gives you practical experience and allows you to apply what you’ve learned in a real-life context.

Nothing beats the feeling of seeing your code come alive in a real-world application. 

Working on real projects gives you practical exposure to Python programming. It also helps you understand how different Python concepts come together to create something functional and perhaps, even cool! 

You can build a web scraper, a simple game, or even a machine-learning model. 

5. Participate in Coding Challenges

Coding challenges help you learn how to think critically and solve problems efficiently, which are critical skills for any programmer.

It’s like a gym workout for your coding muscles.

Websites like TopCoder , Kaggle , and CodeForces host regular coding challenges that can push your limits.

6. Contribute to Open Source Projects

Open-source contributions provide practical experience, a sense of collaboration, and even recognition in the coding community.

Python’s own website has a list of projects you can contribute to!

Contributing to open-source projects is like adding a sparkling badge of honor to your coding portfolio.

7. Understand and Use Python’s Object-Oriented Features

Mastering concepts like classes, objects, inheritance, and polymorphism will help you write organized and efficient code. 

Understanding OOP in Python is also crucial for larger, complex applications.

8. Learn to Write Efficient Python Code

Writing efficient Python code not only speeds up your program but also makes it more readable and maintainable.

Some tips for writing efficient Python code include using built-in functions wherever possible, leveraging data structures effectively, and minimizing the use of loops.

9. Use the Right Tools and IDEs

Integrated Development Environments (IDEs) provide a central interface where you can write, debug, and run your Python code.

Recommended Python IDEs

IDEs like: 

Jupyter Notebook , and 

Visual Studio Code are recommended for Python coding due to its powerful features and user-friendly interfaces.

10. Use Python Standard Libraries

Python’s popularity lies not only in its simplicity and readability but also in its vast ecosystem of powerful libraries that extend its functionality. 

These libraries cater to diverse needs, from data analysis and web development to machine learning and artificial intelligence.

Here are some essential Python libraries that every developer should be familiar with:

– NumPy : NumPy is a fundamental library for numerical computing in Python.

It provides support for large, multi-dimensional arrays and matrices, along with a wide array of mathematical functions to operate on these arrays efficiently.

– Pandas : Pandas are an essential library for data manipulation and analysis. 

It offers powerful data structures like DataFrame and Series, making it easy to handle and analyze structured data.

– Matplotlib : Matplotlib is a popular library for data visualization in Python.

It allows you to create a wide range of plots, charts, and graphs to represent data visually.

– Requests : Requests is a simple yet powerful library for making HTTP requests in Python.

It simplifies interactions with APIs and web services, making it a go-to choice for web scraping and web development tasks.

– SciPy : SciPy builds on NumPy and adds additional functionalities for scientific and technical computing. It includes optimization, integration, interpolation, and much more.

– scikit-learn : scikit-learn is a leading machine-learning library in Python.

It provides a wide array of algorithms for classification, regression, clustering, and other machine-learning tasks.

– TensorFlow : TensorFlow is an open-source deep learning library developed by Google. 

It allows developers to build and train deep neural networks for various artificial intelligence applications.

– PyTorch : PyTorch is another popular deep-learning library with a dynamic computation graph.

It is favored by researchers and developers for its flexibility and ease of use.-

– OpenCV : OpenCV is a computer vision library that offers a wide range of tools for image and video processing, object detection, and facial recognition.

– Beautiful Soup : Beautiful Soup is a library for parsing HTML and XML documents, making it an excellent choice for web scraping and data extraction tasks.

– SQLAlchemy : SQLAlchemy is a powerful ORM (Object-Relational Mapping) library that simplifies database interactions in Python . 

It supports multiple database backends and facilitates database abstraction.

– Django : Django is a high-level web framework that follows the “batteries-included” philosophy, providing all the tools necessary for building robust web applications quickly.

As a Python developer, it is not necessary to know every single Python library available.

Python’s library ecosystem is vast, with thousands of libraries catering to various domains and use cases.

Trying to learn and memorize all the libraries would be impractical and overwhelming.

Instead, Python developers should focus on understanding the core libraries that align with their specific domain or project requirements. 

For example, a data scientist might prioritize libraries like NumPy, Pandas, and Scikit-learn, while a web developer might focus on Flask or Django for web development.

11. Master Python Debugging Tools

Mastering Python debugging tools can save you from countless hours of scouring your code for bugs.

Python’s built-in debugger (pdb), PyCharm Debugger, and PyDev Debugger are some of the most popular Python debugging tools.

12. Get Better with Testing and Code Refactoring

Testing your code is like hiring a quality inspector for your code factory. 

Learning how to write and conduct tests ensures your code is doing what it’s supposed to do.

Familiarize yourself with unit tests and the philosophy of test-driven development (TDD).

Mastering testing and refactoring is crucial to maintaining the health of your code. 

Remember, a code that gets tested is a code that can be trusted.

Regular testing catches bugs early, while refactoring helps improve the design, structure, and performance of your code.

13. Stay Up-to-Date with the Latest Python Trends

With the fast-paced nature of the tech world, staying updated with the latest trends and developments in Python is essential.

You can stay updated by following Python news on their official website, subscribing to Python newsletters, or joining Python forums and communities.

– Is Python a good language for beginners? 

Yes, Python’s simple syntax and readability make it an excellent choice for beginners. Its vast community support and versatility in web development, data science, automation, and more make it a preferred language for learners.

– How long does it take to become proficient in Python? 

The time to become proficient in Python varies depending on your dedication, learning resources, and practice. 

With regular practice and focused learning, one can become proficient within a few months.

– Can Python be used for web development? 

Absolutely! Python has various web frameworks like Django, Flask, and Pyramid that enable developers to create dynamic and robust web applications.

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Final Thoughts on Ways to Improve Python Coding Skills

There you have it! 

13 effective strategies to improve your Python coding skills. 

Remember, the journey of a thousand lines of code begins with a single character.  

In other words, coding is a marathon,  not a sprint so It requires patience, dedication, and, most importantly, a willingness to learn. 

So, keep learning, keep practicing, and before you know it, you’ll become a Python master!

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Website Hurdles is readers supported.

If you find this content helpful, you can support me by buying me a cup of coffee.

Till we meet again on another article,

Happy Coding!

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I’m Stanley, founder of Website Hurdles and I curate high-quality guides geared towards making money online, profitable blogging and building passive income.

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Algorithmic Thinking with Python: Developing Problem-Solving Skills

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Instructor: Robin Andrews

The need for competent problem solvers has never been greater, and Python has become an important programming language. Because of its clarity and expressiveness, Python is an ideal tool to explore algorithmic thinking. In this course, Robin Andrews explains algorithmic thinking and guides you through puzzles, problems, and theories to help you build and challenge your skills. After a warmup problem, Robin shows you how to use the divide and conquer problem solving technique and the Quicksort algorithm, with puzzles to practice each. He dives into the transform and conquer technique that applies preprocessing to the data for a problem before implementing a solution, with additional puzzles for practice. Robin goes over dynamic programming, both top-down and bottom-up, and gives you problems to practice both theory and implementation. Plus, he introduces and explains hash tables and how you can use them to solve problems in Python.

How to think like a programmer — lessons in problem solving

by Richard Reis

If you’re interested in programming, you may well have seen this quote before:

“Everyone in this country should learn to program a computer, because it teaches you to think.” — Steve Jobs

You probably also wondered what does it mean, exactly, to think like a programmer? And how do you do it??

Essentially, it’s all about a more effective way for problem solving .

In this post, my goal is to teach you that way.

By the end of it, you’ll know exactly what steps to take to be a better problem-solver.

Why is this important?

Problem solving is the meta-skill.

We all have problems. Big and small. How we deal with them is sometimes, well…pretty random.

Unless you have a system, this is probably how you “solve” problems (which is what I did when I started coding):

• Try a solution.
• If that doesn’t work, try another one.
• If that doesn’t work, repeat step 2 until you luck out.

Look, sometimes you luck out. But that is the worst way to solve problems! And it’s a huge, huge waste of time.

The best way involves a) having a framework and b) practicing it.

“Almost all employers prioritize problem-solving skills first.

Problem-solving skills are almost unanimously the most important qualification that employers look for….more than programming languages proficiency, debugging, and system design.

Demonstrating computational thinking or the ability to break down large, complex problems is just as valuable (if not more so) than the baseline technical skills required for a job.” — Hacker Rank ( 2018 Developer Skills Report )

Have a framework

To find the right framework, I followed the advice in Tim Ferriss’ book on learning, “ The 4-Hour Chef ”.

It led me to interview two really impressive people: C. Jordan Ball (ranked 1st or 2nd out of 65,000+ users on Coderbyte ), and V. Anton Spraul (author of the book “ Think Like a Programmer: An Introduction to Creative Problem Solving ”).

I asked them the same questions, and guess what? Their answers were pretty similar!

Soon, you too will know them.

Sidenote: this doesn’t mean they did everything the same way. Everyone is different. You’ll be different. But if you start with principles we all agree are good, you’ll get a lot further a lot quicker.

“The biggest mistake I see new programmers make is focusing on learning syntax instead of learning how to solve problems.” — V. Anton Spraul

So, what should you do when you encounter a new problem?

Here are the steps:

1. Understand

Know exactly what is being asked. Most hard problems are hard because you don’t understand them (hence why this is the first step).

How to know when you understand a problem? When you can explain it in plain English.

Do you remember being stuck on a problem, you start explaining it, and you instantly see holes in the logic you didn’t see before?

Most programmers know this feeling.

This is why you should write down your problem, doodle a diagram, or tell someone else about it (or thing… some people use a rubber duck ).

“If you can’t explain something in simple terms, you don’t understand it.” — Richard Feynman

Don’t dive right into solving without a plan (and somehow hope you can muddle your way through). Plan your solution!

Nothing can help you if you can’t write down the exact steps.

In programming, this means don’t start hacking straight away. Give your brain time to analyze the problem and process the information.

To get a good plan, answer this question:

“Given input X, what are the steps necessary to return output Y?”

Sidenote: Programmers have a great tool to help them with this… Comments!

Pay attention. This is the most important step of all.

Do not try to solve one big problem. You will cry.

Instead, break it into sub-problems. These sub-problems are much easier to solve.

Then, solve each sub-problem one by one. Begin with the simplest. Simplest means you know the answer (or are closer to that answer).

After that, simplest means this sub-problem being solved doesn’t depend on others being solved.

Once you solved every sub-problem, connect the dots.

Connecting all your “sub-solutions” will give you the solution to the original problem. Congratulations!

This technique is a cornerstone of problem-solving. Remember it (read this step again, if you must).

“If I could teach every beginning programmer one problem-solving skill, it would be the ‘reduce the problem technique.’

For example, suppose you’re a new programmer and you’re asked to write a program that reads ten numbers and figures out which number is the third highest. For a brand-new programmer, that can be a tough assignment, even though it only requires basic programming syntax.

If you’re stuck, you should reduce the problem to something simpler. Instead of the third-highest number, what about finding the highest overall? Still too tough? What about finding the largest of just three numbers? Or the larger of two?

Reduce the problem to the point where you know how to solve it and write the solution. Then expand the problem slightly and rewrite the solution to match, and keep going until you are back where you started.” — V. Anton Spraul

By now, you’re probably sitting there thinking “Hey Richard... That’s cool and all, but what if I’m stuck and can’t even solve a sub-problem??”

First off, take a deep breath. Second, that’s fair.

Don’t worry though, friend. This happens to everyone!

The difference is the best programmers/problem-solvers are more curious about bugs/errors than irritated.

In fact, here are three things to try when facing a whammy:

• Debug: Go step by step through your solution trying to find where you went wrong. Programmers call this debugging (in fact, this is all a debugger does).

“The art of debugging is figuring out what you really told your program to do rather than what you thought you told it to do.”” — Andrew Singer

• Reassess: Take a step back. Look at the problem from another perspective. Is there anything that can be abstracted to a more general approach?

“Sometimes we get so lost in the details of a problem that we overlook general principles that would solve the problem at a more general level. […]

The classic example of this, of course, is the summation of a long list of consecutive integers, 1 + 2 + 3 + … + n, which a very young Gauss quickly recognized was simply n(n+1)/2, thus avoiding the effort of having to do the addition.” — C. Jordan Ball

Sidenote: Another way of reassessing is starting anew. Delete everything and begin again with fresh eyes. I’m serious. You’ll be dumbfounded at how effective this is.

• Research: Ahh, good ol’ Google. You read that right. No matter what problem you have, someone has probably solved it. Find that person/ solution. In fact, do this even if you solved the problem! (You can learn a lot from other people’s solutions).

Caveat: Don’t look for a solution to the big problem. Only look for solutions to sub-problems. Why? Because unless you struggle (even a little bit), you won’t learn anything. If you don’t learn anything, you wasted your time.

Don’t expect to be great after just one week. If you want to be a good problem-solver, solve a lot of problems!

Practice. Practice. Practice. It’ll only be a matter of time before you recognize that “this problem could easily be solved with <insert concept here>.”

How to practice? There are options out the wazoo!

Chess puzzles, math problems, Sudoku, Go, Monopoly, video-games, cryptokitties, bla… bla… bla….

In fact, a common pattern amongst successful people is their habit of practicing “micro problem-solving.” For example, Peter Thiel plays chess, and Elon Musk plays video-games.

“Byron Reeves said ‘If you want to see what business leadership may look like in three to five years, look at what’s happening in online games.’

Fast-forward to today. Elon [Musk], Reid [Hoffman], Mark Zuckerberg and many others say that games have been foundational to their success in building their companies.” — Mary Meeker ( 2017 internet trends report )

Does this mean you should just play video-games? Not at all.

But what are video-games all about? That’s right, problem-solving!

So, what you should do is find an outlet to practice. Something that allows you to solve many micro-problems (ideally, something you enjoy).

For example, I enjoy coding challenges. Every day, I try to solve at least one challenge (usually on Coderbyte ).

Like I said, all problems share similar patterns.

That’s all folks!

Now, you know better what it means to “think like a programmer.”

You also know that problem-solving is an incredible skill to cultivate (the meta-skill).

As if that wasn’t enough, notice how you also know what to do to practice your problem-solving skills!

Phew… Pretty cool right?

Finally, I wish you encounter many problems.

You read that right. At least now you know how to solve them! (also, you’ll learn that with every solution, you improve).

“Just when you think you’ve successfully navigated one obstacle, another emerges. But that’s what keeps life interesting.[…]

Life is a process of breaking through these impediments — a series of fortified lines that we must break through.

Each time, you’ll learn something.

Each time, you’ll develop strength, wisdom, and perspective.

Each time, a little more of the competition falls away. Until all that is left is you: the best version of you.” — Ryan Holiday ( The Obstacle is the Way )

Now, go solve some problems!

And best of luck ?

Special thanks to C. Jordan Ball and V. Anton Spraul . All the good advice here came from them.

Thanks for reading! If you enjoyed it, test how many times can you hit in 5 seconds. It’s great cardio for your fingers AND will help other people see the story.

If this article was helpful, share it .

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15 Tips to Improve Logic Building Skills in Programming

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“In some ways, programming is like a painting. You start with a blank canvas and certain basic raw materials. You use a combination of science, art, and craft to determine what to do with them.” – Andrew Hunt

Yes, programming in itself is a very beautiful art. Sometimes we may face some problems while trying to program, but we can definitely overcome them. So, in this article, we will be sharing the top 15 tips and techniques that can help you to make your programming skills more strong, and rectify some common programming problems and this will also help you in the logic-building process.

How to Improve Your Logic-Building Skills in Programming?

Here are the ways in which you can improve your logic-building skills in programming. So let’s get started!!!

1. Concepts are Building Blocks for Programming

While trying to crack the logic of any coding problem, many of us think that we never came across such algorithms or theorems while studying and therefore are not able to solve the problem. In order to solve any problem, we should know the concepts of that topic, then only we would be able to apply them and solve the problem. Theoretical knowledge and concepts can be gained by reading articles, blogs, documentation, and watching videos based on that topic. You can also refer to the articles on GeeksforGeeks for building your concepts. We should also know the application of concepts and practice some important problems based on that topic.

2. Be Consistent

Many times it happens that we take up a challenge to solve a question for some number of days and then discontinue in the middle after some days!! It is a popular saying that practice makes a man perfect!! The same is the case with building programming logic. Make it a point to revise, or read an article or solve a question daily despite being very busy with remaining activities. Practicing consistently will help a lot in the overall logic-building process. In order to motivate yourself, you should always contemplate the reason why you started, reward yourself, and make programming fun by solving some quizzes and experimenting with the programs to see different outputs.

3. Pen and Paper Approach

After seeing any problem, we generally start coding the same on our IDE. So, when we are asked to write code on paper in interviews, we fail to do so. Always try to write the pseudo code or algorithm of the code before implementing them. It will help you in writing the code and the next time whenever you approach a similar problem you will be able to recollect more easily. It will also help you in getting syntactically strong.

4. Revision is Very Important

Many of you might be facing this issue that you learn a particular concept but after a few days or months when another question with the same logic or concept appears, you are unable to solve it. This is because you haven’t revised the concepts. Always make it a point to write down the important concepts and logic of questions that are important and keep them revised again and again. This will help you in recollecting the concepts easily.

5. Do as Many Questions as You Can 

It happens with most of us that there comes a single question and most of us get stuck there for 4 to 5 days and still are not able to crack it. Always try to practice lots of questions in order to develop your programming logic skills. This will help you in improving your logic building. If you are stuck on a single question, don’t spend a lot of time after a single question instead look for the concepts hidden behind the question.

6. Puzzle Solving

In many coding competitions, problems are not directly asked based on a concept. Instead, it generally involves a story woven around it, and we have to figure out the logic for solving the program. In such cases, sometimes we are unable to solve the problem. Try solving puzzles such as Sudoku to develop your logic and thinking ability because programming is nothing but solving complex problems with the help of good logic. 

7. Follow Step-by-Step Approach

We don’t start running since the day we are born. Similar logic applies to coding also. We should not directly jump to difficult questions. We should go from Basic to Advance questions. You can take the ratio of questions such while choosing 10 questions you can divide them into 5 easy, 3 medium, and 2 hard questions. You can find these questions on many good websites. Sometimes, people solve a lot of easy questions from all the sites, but they are not able to solve medium-level questions. Instead, make a balance of all the levels. This will help in clearing the coding tests while placements as most of the questions are from easy to medium level.

8. Find a Programmer’s Community

Sometimes we get bored while solving problems by ourselves with no one to teach or guide us. In such cases, you can always try discussing solutions or complex questions with fellow programmers and friends. This will always help you in finding new logic for the same problem and will help you in optimizing your code. This will also improve your confidence and communication skills!!

9. Go through the Editorials

It happens a lot of times that we are not able to solve some questions, so we just leave the question or understand the editorial and move forward without implementing it. After programming any question, go through the editorial section and the top submissions of the code. Here you will be able to find optimized and different logic for the same code. Try to implement the solutions in the editorial section after understanding them, so that the next time you find such a question you will be able to solve it.

10. Take Part in Coding Challenges

Most people are aware of coding challenges and if you want to build your logical skills then you must keep taking part in the same. Taking part regularly in coding challenges is very useful as it makes you familiar with the logical mindset. In a coding challenge, there are numerous types of questions that provide you with a lot of exposure. Also, taking part in such challenges allows you to see solutions of various codes provided by different coders and helps you if stuck at some point. 

11. Learn New Things Regularly

Programmers should never stop learning or being stuck on one topic. They must keep on solving multiple topics as it will help them to expand their area of knowledge by building technical skills. The aim should be solving new problems daily and not being stuck to the old pattern or algorithm in order to achieve success. However, at times some topics are a bit tough and take numerous attempts to solve, in that case, stop solving that and go on to the next one as sometimes new problems are helpful in solving the old ones. 

12. Understand Mathematical Concepts

Mathematics is an important aspect of programming and understanding properly will help you in making numerous visuals or graphs, coding in applications, simulation, problem-solving applications, design of algorithms, etc.

13. Build Projects

Project building is another task that will enhance your logical building skills in programming. It challenges your ability to tackling with new things by using different methods and tactics. It is recommended that you must build one project in order to get a proper clarity of the subject and assess yourself in order to work ahead efficiently.

14. Notes Preparation

Notes are saviors and if one does that regularly then nothing can beat them from achieving their goal. While making notes you must write down every trick, concept, and algorithm so that if you need it again it is easily available. So if you are solving any problem then make sure to note down the library functions it will also be helpful for your future interviews. Noting down basic algorithms such as merge sort, binary search, etc. will help you if you are stuck somewhere. 

15. Patience is the Key

Most of the time we leave programming after some days just because we are unable to solve the questions. Let’s always motivate ourselves by saying let’s just try one more time differently, before we decide to quit!!!

If you’ll patiently work on your programming logic skills and follow the tips which we have shared with you, no one can stop you from being a good programmer and you will surely crack all the coding tests and interviews!!!

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6 Ways To Build Your Skills in Python

A journey towards learning and mastering Python is one of dedication. As you embark on this process and endeavor towards getting a python certification, it’s vital to know how you can improve your skills faster.

A journey towards learning and mastering Python is one of dedication. As you embark on this process and endeavor towards getting a python certification , it’s vital to know how you can improve your skills faster. Some have a good idea of how to learn. Others struggle even with extract instructions.

There are several ways you can try and add more skills to your Python repertoire. Knowing how to do more complex things can fast-track your Python learning. Here are a few ways to build your skills in Python.

• Keep Coding Everyday

Becoming a Python developer is a matter of repetition. No matter what kind of programming genius you are, if you don’t use the knowledge, you’re less likely to remember it. Consistency is very important when learning a coding language, more so when learning Python.

We recommend making sure you commit a few hours a day every day when you’re building your Python skills. Commit to your learning enough that the algorithms become muscle memory. At the most minimum, you want to commit around half an hour every day to make you comfortable typing the language.

At the same time, do your best to not have more than a 3-day gap between your practice. A multi-day learning gap can prevent your body from committing to the information you learn and 3 days is enough for you to forget the muscle memory. Learn a new concept every three days and keep practicing them until coding becomes second nature.

• Write Down What You Learn

When you’re learning about the Python program terms , it’s best to write things out and take notes. Write out quirks and ways you believe can commit the terminology to memory. Sometimes, there are several uses for an IF statement that you can’t immediately remember that you may want to write down.

Writing information down can be a useful way to remember things. Studies show that learners who write down the information they discover can commit more to memory. If you’re also looking to become a full-on developer, writing down your findings can help towards your long-term retention. 

Many interviews in the future would need you to write code on a whiteboard to present it to your future employers. Once you start working on personal projects, write your algorithms by hand. Write out which functions you think you need, as well as classes and how they interact.

• Go Searching In Github

For those who already have a little background in Python, a great way to build on your knowledge even further is to search Github. Github is the internet’s largest public repository of source codes and applications. 

As you search around, look for libraries that are of particular interest to your current projects or of particular interest. Read through these Github libraries. Why?

Depending on your style of learning, it’s best to read other people to learn more about syntax and idioms, as well as the Python Standard Libraries and third-party libraries. Among these points of interest, third-party libraries will expose you to more syntax that you’ve never seen before. This broadens your knowledge of libraries, as well as alternatives for several functions.

• Learn Pythonic Style From Official Documentation

For new learners of Python, one of the most common ways to build your knowledge is to learn from books and tutorials. In most systems, books and tutorials will have one way of teaching you how to code. With that said, a better way to learn Python is to learn from the official documentation.

Python has official documentation that teaches you how to implement code properly. By doing so, you will have a lesser need for books and tutorials in the future. Rather, you will know how to implement pythonic styling for your code. Pythonic styling means your code leverages the beauty of the Python language.

There are several opinions when it comes to Python style guides and which one is the best choice. Even among Python veterans, everyone agrees that PEP8 is the commonly accepted standard for pythonic code. Get a linter to enforce PEP8 and start learning how to write beautiful Python.

• Do Python Challenges

If you’re the type who’s looking to optimize your Python skills, coding challenges are some of the best ways to maximize your knowledge. Search for “Python challenges” online and find coding challenges designed for every coding skill level available. 

With these challenges, you’ll work not only on your Python skills but also on your problem-solving skills. Coding challenges drill you into learning the code, as well as developing your ability to solve issues and debug code. As your skills develop, you can go on harder challenges that will push you to learn more.

More importantly, do your best to get out of your comfort zone. Pick a challenge that you basically have zero ideas about how to do and write a script to solve the problem. You want to run across something that’s not a part of your skillset, which will force you to learn more and search for functions you don’t know.

• Start With Small Projects

Much like any Python tip list, the most important part of learning is to create something every week. Start with small projects like a graphical user interface that you can finish within a few hours to a week. Push yourself towards slightly bigger projects every week. You can also pick and choose small projects to coincide with a bigger scale project.

At the end of the day, Python projects don’t have to be grand projects that span months, if not years, to make. A good way to use Python in your daily life is to create small snippets called scripts, which can help you automate and simplify your process.

Many of these scripts can reduce help improve your pipeline, reducing workloads and automating results when you need them. Many automation scripts can even reduce workloads by as much as 95%, which you can then spend on more productive tasks or more rest.

Final Thoughts

As you learn Python, you need to remember that it’s the start of a long journey of wonder. In most situations, you likely would start learning the foundations of the language first and eventually build on your mastery of the language. Once you possess a strong foundation with Python, the journey has only started.

Follow these tips and let us join you in your learning journey towards learning Python. Everyone starts somewhere, so start clacking your keyboards and get started today.

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Problem-Solving Skills: Think Beyond the Whiteboard Test

Mastering technical problem-solving skills involving data sets and algorithms are all fine and good, but getting a handle on these other problem-solving skills are equally important.

Are you technically brilliant? Even a rock star? 

Sorry, that may not be good enough to get you hired or promoted, said Philippe Clavel, senior director of engineering at Roblox, a game development platform company based in San Mateo, California.

Mastering technical problem-solving skills involving data sets and algorithms are all fine and good, but getting a handle on these non-technical problem-solving skills are equally important, according to hiring managers.

Prior to joining Roblox, Clavel managed a technically brilliant engineer who had a toxic personality that constantly challenged others and failed to let them think, Clavel said. After giving feedback to the engineer about his behavior, Clavel paired him with someone more senior to ensure he and his teammates worked together in solving problems.

This engineer eventually started to change and realized it wasn’t so hard to temper his comments and even say hello to people. 

“The outcome was much better. He could do more with other people than what he could do alone,” Clavel told Built In. “It definitely speeded up the collaboration process by 20 percent because there was more discussion on the front end.”

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How You Sabotage Yourself

Without possessing non-technical problem-solving skills, you are likely to miss out on landing your dream job or securing that promotion you’ve been seeking.

“Technical skills can be acquired. What I’m looking for when I hire someone is can they learn quickly? Technology changes very quickly and you have to stay on top of it,” said Igor Grinkin, a DevOps manager at San Francisco-based Newfront Insurance.

Roughly 50 to 60 percent of job candidates that come through Roblox’s door believe their technical prowess is the only thing of importance to land the job, Clavel said. He noted this belief is especially prevalent among new college graduates. However, Roblox’s interview process tends to weed people who lack non-technical problem-solving skills by the time they reach Clavel for an interview, he said.

“I would say a lot of people think these skills aren’t important. But I will be honest, they are wrong. We especially see this in new engineers, but even senior engineers think this way. They think, ‘I’m so good at technology, there’s nothing else I need to know.’ But, what this does is it prevents you from having the job you really want, because that will be one of the differentiators with you as a candidate. Or, if you get the job, it will block you in your career,” he warned.  

Amazon Web Services (AWS) also places a high importance on non-technical problem-solving skills, according to Caitlyn Shim, a general manager and director of AWS Organizations and Accounts at the Seattle-based company. “We don’t want brilliant jerks,” said Shim.

“You can be extremely smart, but if you can’t work with others, you’re gonna have a really hard time in the end. Ultimately, we’re trying to tackle problems that one person can’t solve alone.”

She added if you can’t work in a group, then you’re limiting yourself to solving one-person-sized problems and limiting your career. 

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Why These Non-Technical Problem-Solving Skills Are Needed

Effective communication and collaboration skills are an “absolute must” for any job at autonomous vehicle maker Waymo, said Annie Cheng, engineering director at Mountain View, California-based Waymo. She, like other hiring managers, notes that solving big problems takes more than one person.  

You also need to learn from your mistakes, as well as have an open mind, when tackling problems, Cheng added, noting these attributes rank high in non-technical problem-solving skills.

“Being able to think out of the box, looking at things from different angles and considering alternative solutions is an important problem-solving skill, especially if you’re working on a novel, or a moonshot project,” Cheng said.

10 Critical Non-Technical Problem-Solving Skills

• Active listener
• Good communicator
• Collaborator
• Open mindedness
• Accepts feedback
• Learns quickly and from mistakes
• Attains consensus
• Drive to see problems through

Making mistakes is not only inevitable but it’s a key part to developing your problem-solving ability, said Cheng, noting it leads to learning from one’s mistakes.

Driving consensus is another non-technical problem-solving skill you should master, said hiring managers.

“We have passionate people who have really strong opinions but you also have to listen to each other. Then, you have to be able to figure out how to pull the right things from everyone’s ideas so that you can all come to a good consensus in the end,” Shim said. “That’s a skill in and of itself.”

Embracing feedback will grease your problem-solving skills and prevent you from becoming stuck to one idea, no matter how much you love it and believe it smacks of brilliant innovation, said Shim, noting it’s a tough but important skill to develop.

Drive is also critical to problem-solving skills, especially complex ones.

“In computer science and software development, you have to push to the finish line. But there’s a lot of complexity that may get in your way. While it’s easy to say you want to finish, you need to go the extra mile,” Clavel said.

Curiosity is also needed for problem-solving, he added. Engineers progress by wanting to learn more and that, in turn, adds to the bench of tools you can call on to solve problems.

These non-technical problem-solving skills are important for all technical roles, hiring managers said, but they note some skills, like effective communication , have greater weight for some positions.

Engineers who work in the product feature area at Roblox, for example, need to have good communication skills because they are working closely with designers in determining what users want. Excellent communication skills can help explain your vision to product managers and designers, said Clavel.

Actionable Steps to Develop These Problem-Solving Skills

“There’s no silver bullet, as every person is unique,” Cheng said. “While some people naturally have good soft problem-solving skills, others might need to invest quite some time to develop those.”

Emotions also often overshadow the core problems you are trying to express, Cheng observed.

“One piece of advice I gave to a direct report years ago is first learn to detect whether they are in an emotional state and see if they can control their emotion while trying to express the core problem. When they find it challenging, use different communication methods, such as writing, so they can filter out emotions and focus on bringing clarity to the key problem statement,” Cheng said.

Talking to lay people in words they can understand can bolster your technical communication skills. This skill can also be developed by teaching courses or explaining your work to a fifth-grader, she added.

There are many different ways to develop your problem-solving skills — consider these five steps from authors John Bransford and Barry Stein detailed in their book, “The IDEAL Problem Solver: A Guide to Improved Thinking, Learning, and Creativity.”

IDEAL Steps

• Identify the problem
• Define the challenges
• Examine potential strategies
• Act on the strategies
• Look at the results and evaluate whether other actions are needed

Broaden your collaboration skills by going beyond the day-to-day scope of your work and try collaborating with coworkers outside your team on projects across the company, such as forming an ERG group or working with interest-based groups like a cycling or yoga group, Cheng said. She added these efforts may also improve your communication skills too.

Matching employees with other employees to help them grow is an effective solution to develop their non-technical problem-solving skills, Clavel said. 

Managers can also take other steps to help employees develop their non-technical problem-solving skills too.

Rather than telling your employee, ‘Hey, you need to focus on communicating better or improving your creativity,’ try giving examples over time, Clavel said. The combination of knowing they need to change and having examples as a framework leads to more realistic outcomes where they can develop these problem-solving skills, Clavel said.

“Engineers are smart and it’s a matter of learning how to apply your smartness to other areas.”

“You may not get all of the skills at once, but that’s OK. You may not be very good at communication, but you can compensate by your drive or creativity, or other of those skills.”

Self-discovery in developing non-technical problem-solving skills yields the best results, hiring managers said. 

That is what Shim saw at AWS.

“Someone used to present their ideas with a bunch of attitude and was kind of aggressive. But he saw when someone else would restate his ideas in a more open way, others would listen to it and were far more receptive,” Shim said. “That really helped him see it’s not necessarily what you say, but how you say it. He started to experiment with different presentation styles and found one that worked and felt natural for him.”

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