Tag: problem solving

Learning any new skill can be a very intimidating prospect, to begin with, we’re likely to clumsily fumble around like a baby learning to walk, often falling on our asses, but over time, with enough perseverance, we’re all capable of metaphorically rising elegantly to our feet and not just walking, but running, dancing and jumping, and some people, with practice, can somersault and land back on their feet with great style.

In these modern times, with technology driving the business landscape to change so rapidly, there is a greater requirement for individuals to also be able to change rapidly, to be able to learn and develop new skills, and be open to new challenges and demands.

The ability to learn rapidly is going to be increasingly necessary if individuals are going to thrive.

So learning quickly is going to be a must, moving forwards. So the question is, how can we learn and master new skills fast?

Tim Ferriss has developed a learning framework he calls  DiSSS, which is an acronym for Deconstruction, Selection, Sequencing and Stakes.

1. Deconstruction: What are the minimal learnable units we should be starting with?
2. Selection: Which 20% of the blocks should we focus on for 80% or more of the outcome we want?
3. Sequencing: In what order should we learn the blocks?
4. Stakes: How do we set up stakes to create real consequences and guarantee we follow the program?

We’re looking to break a skill down to it’s most important components.

I find it easier to imagine starting a new project from scratch, and walk through it, step by step, noting down each requirement as  I go.

I have recently put some of the teachings, found on this website, into practice for myself, while learning Python programming. Things like, finding reliable sources of accurate information by using role models, mentors and mastermind teams, and finding out the methods, relationships, systems and habits they use  for success. You can find more about these things on other articles on the site, so I won’t go into depth here, but as part of the learning process I also looked to deconstruct the skill of programming into it’s essential ingredients. This is what I came up with..

Essential elements of programming

1. Understand the syntax for Python code, so that it does what I need it to do.
2. Develop the ability to break a problem down, so that I can use Python code to address or solve it. After all code is written to solve problems, some of which are complex and some of which are more straight forward.
3. Following on from number 2, being able to spot problems to begin with is also a skill that can be developed, not everyone has enough empathy for others to be able to stand in their shoes and see how they see any given situation. Good coders either solve problems they, themselves experience and need fixing or they empathise for other people.

These were my major findings when it came to DECONSTRUCTING Python, these being the top level concepts that I needed to learn about and develop. They constitute the 20% that needs learning to achieve 80% of the results, in my opinion, as Tim Ferriss advocates in his DiSSS framework.

In terms of number 1, understanding the syntax of Python, there were/is countless websites and YouTube videos devoted to the subject. The most time consuming part of it was finding reliable ones that made it easy for a newbie like me to understand.

Some of the tutorials mixed mathematical principles and coding together, which for me, made it rather confusing, as I needed  to brush up on maths I hadn’t used for years, such as Algebra. I eventually found the tutorials that linked the new concepts I needed to learn about Python programming to things I already understood, and this made the learning process much easier.

The list of important syntax included:

• Commenting on your code
• Variables
• Mathematical operations
• Logical Operations
• Conditionals such as if, elif and else statements which effect a programs flow
• Loops – for, while loops particularly
• Built in library
• External library and use of modules
• Data types – strings/ integers/ floats/ booleans/ lists/ tuples/ dictionaries
• Dealing with errors and exceptions
• Functions
• Classes

I practiced code examples, repeating time and time again, until I could recall the code without any prompting and completely from memory.

I practiced the code, broke it apart, removed some of it to see what happened, moved the order around to see what difference it made. I changed it so that I knew what each part did and why.

I progressed by making a few small apps for myself, such as one that just did a simple “to do list”, another that converted currencies, sizes, weights. I did one that helped in the decision making process, another that evaluated moods and so on. Through this practicing and the subsequent trial and error, I gained a better appreciation for what could be done using Python.

I went on forums and groups and tried to spot the problems in other people’s code and solve them. Some forums and groups had challenges that I tried.

Through this I not only improved my coding skills, I developed my problem solving skills and ability to use code effectively to provide real solutions, this also realised number 3 in Tim’s framework criteria, SEQUENCING. I didn’t set out to learn code before sharpening my problem-solving skills, it just intuitively happened that way.

My programming skills are still a work-in-progress but I’m getting better all the time, through purposeful practice, and challenging myself.

I’m 50 years old, and coding with Python is a completely new experience for me, but I’m enjoying the learning process which means I don’t really have to bother with the final criteria of Tim’s framework, STAKES, the shear joy of doing it is enough to keep me going, mixed in with the fact that it’s giving me new skills and a greater knowledge of the new technical world we are facing. With knowledge comes power as they say, but equally with knowledge comes less fear, fear of the unknown.

For more about learning click here.

As part of my own journey of self improvement, and the subsequent creation of this website, I’ve worked at putting many of the sites teachings into practice. It’s made a huge difference to my business, my relationships and my general outlook on life.

As part of this process, I’ve opened myself up to doing new things. One of these new things has been learning to code.

Historically I’ve convinced myself that I’m not the type of person to be a coder, and have failed to be able to get into it. I now realise this to be a coping strategy and an attempt to not have to take responsibility. Kind of saying to myself “If god hasn’t designed me to be a coder, I guess he knows best”. This allows me to psychologically move on to something else.

However, I’m now a little wiser and certainly more self aware, I can admit I’ve been closing myself off to the challenge.

I’m now open to the challenge and the surprising thing is, I’ve really enjoyed studying it. There is so much to learn it can be overwhelming, but also really exciting, with regards to the headroom for learning and the future possibilities for coding.

The key skill to programming is the ability to solve problems. I like solving problems, as well as helping people, so coding is a good fit for me personally as it aligns with my core purpose.

So where to begin? After doing some initial research, and asking a couple of programmer friends of mine (who have subsequently become mentors), I came to the conclusion Python would be a good starting point. I like the idea of data mining , deep learning, AI etc and Python ticks many of these boxes. It’s also a high level programming language, which means it operates at a higher conceptual level, and this really appeals to me.

I realised that web based applications would also be possible, but figured learning more about JavaScript and PHP would be worth investigating. I was informed by one of my mentors that it’s relatively easy to pick up a second language once you have one under your belt, and this has subsequently proved to be the case.

I scoured the internet, particular Youtube to find easy to follow tutorials. Not having anything of a coding background, I found some of the terminology rather difficult to come to terms with, but  with plenty of patience and determination, I’ve been able to power through these challenges.

I figured it best to learn the basic building blocks of the language, which I’ve detailed below, this isn’t designed to be a comprehensive list, but to give you an idea of what is involved in the learning process. It also helps me crystalise my learning, because I’m a firm believer than if you can’t explain it simply, you don’t understand it well enough.

Hopefully you have gained some insight from my experience, and don’t shy away from learning new skills, I’m 50 years old and prepared to learn a completely new skill set at my age. It’s never too late.

The important thing to remember is not to get overwhelmed, or try to run before you can walk. Be patient, understand the fundamentals well, before progressing. Play with and enjoy the learning experience for it’s own sake, and not for what you will gain at the end. It’s about the journey, not just the destination.

If you’re not particularly interested in coding, you don’t need to read this post any further.

Learning the fundamentals of Python

I’m not going into the details of installing Python, there are many resources online detailing the exact process, other than saying you input  your code into Idle, which comes along with the Python installation.

“#” is a comment, it’s not part of the code, but allows you to add important notes to help readability and explain what you’re trying to do on each bit of code.

Variables

A variable is simply a pointer to something in memory.

Python variables do not need explicit declaration to reserve memory space. The declaration happens automatically when you assign a value to a variable. The equal sign (=) is used to assign values to variables.

The syntax is such that the operand to the left of the = operator is the name of the variable and the operand to the right of the = operator is the value stored in the variable.

So “myVariable” in the example below is the variable name, it should have no spaces and not start with numbers. variable names can only include a-z, A-Z, _, and 0-9. Other special characters are not permitted.

myVariable = "Hello World"

# this is a comment, and not part of the code. If you want to print the result to the screen do the following..
print(myVariable)

another_name = "Hello World" 
print(another_name)

Both the above examples print out “Hello World” to the screen. The variable name can be anything you want it to be, but make sure it’s descriptive enough so you and anyone else can understand the code at a later date.

Values can include strings (including sentences) which appear inside “”, numbers (including integers, floats, complex number) , lists which appear inside [], tuples () or directories {}, and we’ll cover these data types later. Here are a few examples

randomNumber = 400 
print(randomNum)

randomList = ["money", 43, "red", "UB40"]
print(randomList)

randomTuple = ("money", 43, "red", "UB40")
print(randomTuple)

Functions

A function is a block of reusable code that is used to perform a single, related action. Functions are convenient for reusing, without having to write the code out again and again later in a program.

The syntax for functions can be seen below; start with “def” and are followed by the function name (you choose what) and parentheses  ( ).

The code block within every function starts with a colon : and is indented. The indentation is very important, it will not work otherwise. Indenting code is done by pressing space bar 4 times on new line.

The bottom line below “calls” the function.

def bitcoin_to_sterling(btc):
    amount = btc * 3714.76
    print(amount)
bitcoin_to_sterling(10) #this line calls the function

# this function replaces btc with 10 which is multiplied by 3714.76 = 37147.6

def greet_user(username):
# Display a simple greeting
    print("Hello, " + username.title() + "!")
greet_user('mike') #this line calls the function

# this function prints out "Hello Mike"

Conditionals : if – elif -else

Conditional statements are common among programming languages and they are used to perform actions or calculations based on whether a condition is evaluated as true or false. If then else statements or conditional expressions are essential features of programming languages and they make programs more useful to users.

x = 14 
y = 14
z = 5

if x < y:
    print("X is less than Y")
elif y < x:
    print("Y is less than X")
elif z > x:
    print("Z is greater than X")
else:
    print("Y and X are the same and Z is less")

# prints out "Y and X are the same and Z is less"

Loops

A loop is a programming construct that enables repetitive processing of a sequence of statements. Python provides two types of loops to its users: the “for loop” and the “while loop”. The “for” and “while” loops are interation statements that allow a block of code (the body of the loop) to be repeated a number of times.

# WHILE loop example
condition = 1 # variable
while condition < 10:
    print(condition)
    condition += 1 # just keeps adding 1 until condition is met up to 10 but not including 10

# FOR loop example 
colours = ["red","blue","green","yellow","orange"] # this is a list

# this is for actual FOR loop
for colour in colours:
    print(colour)

Lists

We’ve used a list in the previous example for loops

A list is a data type that can be used to store any type and number of variables and information. You can manipulate lists, adding, removing, sorting, deleting contents.

# FOR loop example 2 - manipulating the original list

colours = ["red","blue","green","yellow","orange"] # this is a list

# add to end of list
colours.append("pink")

# replace an item on list
colours[0] = "pink"

# insert into list
colours.insert(1, "pink")

# delete from list
del colours[0]
colours.remove("pink")

# sort list
colours.sort()

# reverse list
colours.reverse()

# this is the actual FOR loop
for colour in colours: 
    print(colour)

Tuples

Tuples are fixed size in nature whereas lists are dynamic. In other words, a Tuple is immutable whereas a list is mutable. You can’t add elements to a tuple. Tuples have no append or extend method.

A Tuple is created by placing all the items (elements) inside a parentheses (), separated by comma. The parentheses are optional but is a good practice to write it.

A Tuple can have any number of items and they may be of different types (integer, float, list, string etc.).

tup1 = ('physics', 'chemistry', 1997, 2000)
tup2 = (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 )
print(tup1)
print(tup2)

Directory

A directory is like a list but instead of looking up an index to access values, you’ll be using a unique key, which can be a number, string, or tuple. Directory values can be anything but the keys must be an immutable data type. A colon separates a key from its value and all are enclosed in curly braces. Here is the directory structure:

 d={key_1:a, key_2:2, key_3:ab}

menu = {"spam":12.50,"carbonara":20, "salad":15}
print(menu)
print(len(menu)) # 3

Classes and object-orientated programming

Python is an object-oriented programming language, as it manipulates and works with data structures called objects. Objects can be anything that could be named in Python, such as  integers, functions, floats, strings, classes, methods etc. All these objects have equal status in Python. They can be used anywhere an object is required.

You can assign them to variables, lists or directories. They can also be passed as arguments. Every Python object is a class. A class is simply a way of organising, managing and creating objects with the same attributes and methods.

class Employees(object):
   def __init__(self,name,rate,hours):
   self.name = name
   self.rate = rate
   self.hours = hours

staff = Employees("Wayne",20,8)
supervisor = Employees("Dwight",35,8)
manager = Employees("Melinda",100,8)

print(staff.name, staff.rate, staff.hours)
print(supervisor.name, supervisor.rate, supervisor.hours)
print(manager.name, manager.rate, manager.hours)

Opening, Reading and Closing text files

One thing you’re likely to need to do with Python, is manipulate external files, below is some code for  opening, reading and closing text files.

There are many libraries you can call upon to add functionality to your Pyhton code, such as NLTK, which help you deal with other file types, such as HTML (webpages), word documents, PDF files, electronic books etc.

# open and read from text file
f = open("test.txt")
#print(f.read())

# create and save text file
with open("list_created.txt", "w") as output:
 output.write(f.read())

# reading file
f = open("start_days.txt")
print(f.read())

# writing file
title = "Days of the Week\n"
days_file = open("start_days.txt", "r")
weekDays = days_file.read()
new_days = open("new_file.txt", "w")

new_days.write(title)
print(title)

new_days.write(weekDays)
print(weekDays)

# closing file
days_file.close()
new_days.close()

#changing external variables (string/interger combination) from a text file into a
#directory by defining key and value
mydict = dict((k, int(v))
for k, v in (e.split(' = ')
for e in days.split(',')))

Below is a fun little program, I’ve made, putting some of the code learned above, into practice. It interacts with a user, and asks them to input a number guess into IDLE. It’s only basic stuff, but it’s a start, and practice makes perfect.

The inspiration for making this little game came from reading an article about a coder who was asked to do a program that asked a user to guess a predefined number between 1 and 100, and printed out onto the screen after each guess, whether the guess was under  or over the target number.

magicNumber = 20
number = ""

while number != magicNumber:
    answer = input("Pick a number between 1 and 100 ")
    number = int(answer) 

if number > magicNumber:
    print("Too high")
elif number < magicNumber:
    print("Too low")
else:
    print("Well done, you've got it right!")

Doing this little program tweaked my interest in the concept of interacting with a user, so I’ve spent some time learning Javascript as a results, because I am able to interact with website visitors more readily using Javascript. I’ll be posting something in the future to detail my experience with this web based language.

Here is a rather more complex program, which I’ve since rewritten in Javascript.

print("first get a piece of paper, right down two choices for a particular decision you have to make. Under each right down 3 attributes that are important in the decision. Think about the most important to least important. Now lets begin")
define1 = input("Define your first option as suscinctly as possible ")
feature1 = input("define an attribute that is important in this choice ")
weight1 = input("weight it's importance 1-5 , five being more important ")
weightone = int(weight1)
listing1 = input("how important is this attribute compared to other attributes. If it's the most important score it 5, if it's the second most important 4 and so on (least 1-5 most) ")
listingone = int(listing1)
result1 = weightone * listingone
print(define1)
print(feature1)
print(result1)

feature2 = input("define an attribute that is important in the choice ")
weight2 = input("weight it's importance 1-5 , five being more important ")
weighttwo = int(weight2)
listing2 = input("how important is this attribute compared to other attributes. If it's the most important score it 5, if it's the second most important 4 and so on (least 1-5 most) ")
listingtwo = int(listing2)
result2 = weighttwo * listingtwo
print(define1)
print(feature2)
print(result2)

feature3 = input("define an attribute that is important in the choice ")
weight3 = input("weight it's importance 1-5 , five being more important ")
weightthree = int(weight3)
listing3 = input("how important is this attribute compared to other attributes. If it's the most important score it 5, if it's the second most important 4 and so on (least 1-5 most) ")
listingthree = int(listing3)
result3 = weightthree * listingthree
print(define1)
print(feature3)
print(result3)

if result1 > result2 and result1 > result3:
    print("The most imporant attibute is " + feature1)

elif result2 > result1 and result2 > result3:
    print("The most imporant attibute is " + feature1)

elif result3 > result1 and result3 > result2:
    print("The most imporant attibute is " + feature3)

else:
    print("No winner")


define2 = input("Define your second option as suscinctly as possible ")
print("The attribute has already been defined as " + feature1)
weight4 = input("weight it's importance 1-5 , five being more important ")
weightfour = int(weight4)
listing4 = input("how important is this attribute compared to other attributes. If it's the most important score it 5, if it's the second most important 4 and so on (least 1-5 most) ")
listingfour = int(listing4)
result4 = weightfour * listingfour
print(define2)
print(feature1)
print(result4)

print("The attribute has already been defined as " + feature2)
weight5 = input("weight it's importance 1-5 , five being more important ")
weightfive = int(weight5)
listing5 = input("how important is this attribute compared to other attributes. If it's the most important score it 5, if it's the second most important 4 and so on (least 1-5 most) ")
listingfive = int(listing5)
result5 = weightfive * listingfive
print(define2)
print(feature2)
print(result5)

print("The attribute has already been defined as " + feature3)
weight6 = input("weight it's importance 1-5 , five being more important ")
weightsix = int(weight6)
listing6 = input("how important is this attribute compared to other attributes. If it's the most important score it 5, if it's the second most important 4 and so on (least 1-5 most)")
listingsix = int(listing6)
result6 = weightsix * listingsix
print(define2)
print(feature3)
print(result6)

if result4 > result5 and result4 > result6:
    print("The most imporant attibute is " + feature1)

elif result5 > result4 and result5 > result6:
    print("The most imporant attibute is " + feature2)

elif result6 > result4 and result6 > result5:
    print("The most imporant attibute is " + feature3)

else:
    print("No winner")

calculation1 = result1 + result2 + result3
calculation2 = result3 + result4 + result6

if calculation1 > calculation2:
    print("Of the two choices, the one that got the best score, based on your answers was " + define1)

elif calculation1 < calculation2:
    print("Of the two choices, the one that got the best score, based on your answers was " + define2)
else:
    print("There was no overall winner")