Programmers block

Does anyone suffer from programmers block? What do you do to get out of it?

Im suffering.

Do you mean you've lost interest/motivation in programming, or can't you work out how to solve a problem?

Might help to step away from the project for a time, go for a walk, get quiet, relax, try to step outside of the way that you've been thinking about it and see it from a higher perspective.

No, I only suffer from idiot syndrome. E.g., I'm doing stupid things, know I'm doing stupid things, and I still can't help it.

I get that....

not really, I only sometimes don't get started on things because:
- they're so big, it's hard to figure out where to start
- blitz(max) is working against me

The biggest problem ever is when you are the user of your own app. If it's a creative app, then your goal is not so much the coding of it, but the use of it, e.g. it has to be done today. The trap is obvious: you're going to rush it.. and in the end you're stuck with a monster drowning in weird quick hacks.

I get bored of programming - coz playing games and watching telly is better.

To much logic, so little time! :)

A lot of my back burner is directed at DirectX and C++... Though, I still code in Blitz+, lately, a lot of my apps are dependent on DLL's, which means I pump a lot of my time in Visual Studio!

I'm trying (Again) to master Blitz3D, but it's the time... I mean, I'm okay at coding 3D stuff, but modelling is, to me, a no-no, because I havent the skills to do it! :/ Sad, but true! :(

I love programming, but the media side is my downfall, but I imagine that many people here are the same!

That's why I love making DLL's so much... all code, no graphics!

Well, until I've GOT to make them ;)

Dabz

I've been spending most of my time working on my engine and schoolwork. Development is going smoothly, might even need some private testers soon. But, in the mean time, got work to do.

More stupid work. More stupid errors. More wierd bugs (either BMax's [debugger can't handle $z -_-] or mine [forgetting to poll for events]).

God damn it, I've got to buy BlitzMax to find out what all this 'polling' is about!

:)

Dabz

P.S. GUI... EVENTS... POSH WORD FOR 'WAITEVENT'???

No. WaitEvent waits for an event, whereas PollEvent polls the event queue for an event and returns one if there's one on the queue. Think of it as the realtime alternative to WaitEvent.

I have had coders block for about 9 months now... it is called 'paid work' aka 'the day job'. I can't even remember what projects I was working on :-(

I just sometimes can't code anything for a month, or two. To get around that I usually just try a new game and wala! Im programming in a few days. I often get stuck though, that just ruin my morale.

I don't usually get stuck / coders block while programming something - instead I usually get no ideas for a while or a fixation on just 1 idea which I know will never work..right now is one of those moments - don't know what I'd like to make next, whether I redo an old project or make something really simple because apart from something else I am already working on I don't have the stamina to get through another 6 month project yet..

Byside some hemp products that are usually giving me an immediate creativity kick (something I may not suggest to others since it may be illegal due to the Aspirin Lobbies Power) I would suggest to lock up your computer and try not to use it for as long as you can. You'll soon become "weak", believe me.
Also, try to do something else for some time, an other creative thing. I was working on a short movie project for some time, and after its completion I had a very creative Programming phase.

It's not that I lost interest in programming, it was just that I couldn't focus or order my priorities and structure my logic. It happens sometimes - I suppose it's kind of like writers block. Good to hear it's not just me; next time I'll go and do something else like write a user manual, or some website design. Thanks for the advice folks!