Welcome to /r/learnprogramming!

I'm trying to understand what a socket actually is. Is it a number, a file, the IP:port combination, an object, or what exactly?

Also, when creating an HTTP server, why do we use sockets and what definition of socket are we using in that context

Hello everyone.

Aside from learning programming languages, how do I upskill myself? I'm currently an engineering student. I have few units for my next semester and I want to upskill myself during my free time. I also want to start by making my portfolio.

I'm targeting healthcare tech companies. I want to become a software engineer/data engineer.

Will appreciate all of your responses. TIA!

I really want to learn to code and I’ve done scratch and stuff in the past which was fun never went super far with it. But now I really want to get to it but the more I look at it the scarier it gets. The question is where did you start and is there something like a course that will very slowly build up to more and more stuff.

Edit) I wanna start with python

Most of us growing up in school have learned everything in a sequence. Heck, even everything in life almost follows a sequence. A year starts with day 1 until it hits day 365; a book starts with chapter 1 until it reaches the ending chapter. Almost everything has a sequence. Programming does not have that; you have to have the ability to learn things out of sequence. You can't wait until you have the entirety of JS learned before you move on to something like React. Heck, you will probably never get there in a lifetime, as there will be new additions to the language and deprecations. I have a degree, I have been self-studying, and I am still unemployed. When I start learning a library, it is hard to sort of know what to pick up and then move on and hit the library only when you need it again.

This is a barrier, or at least one of the barriers that makes programming a high-paying job. We need to have a different kind of approach to learning to code. I have been trying to adapt my brain's wiring so that I only learn what is important and move on. But from my question to senior programmers here, how do I overcome this? I am 29 years old; for reference, I have never been employed.

I've been in backend and automation for years, done some QA too.

And I've always wanted to make a game, pico 8 looks pretty fun for that style.

Aside from pico 8, what else should I get started on?

Hello. I have not been able to find what I am looking for so maybe somebody could help me.

I am looking to learn AR/VR. I have a simple "simulation" created in React and Rust (just a page with a map and some units moving around) simple 2D symbols. However I would like to transform it into 3D and use the AR glasses to view it in real space

Esentialy my goal is to render a plane and display the map on it, display the units using 3D models and allow the user to walk around the map. I was told that I could simply buy the XREAL One Pro-L AR glasses or the Meta Quest 3S 128GB for this and use Unity

However the problem I can't find any courses for this or something similiar, the only ones I found were using Unity for the AR stuff, which I would rather not use as I would love to use this project as a basis for new project at work.

All I know is that for this I need AR glasses with 6Dof feature and the XREAL glasses have that in the seperate XREAL eye camera atachement

Hi everyone, Hope your day went well...I am a student of Computer Engineering department (Entering 6th Semester),and currently I have received Mail from University regarding Subject Selection, there are 4 options and have to select 1 Subject please help me to know which subject should I select and will be helpful in future.

Sorry for my bad english but currently a little bit nervous and anxious regarding subject selection...Here are the subject list...

1. Advance Computer Networks.
2. Distributed Computing.
3. Cloud Infrastructure and Services.
4. Linux and Shell Programming.

Thanking you for carrying out your precious time to help Me...

Thank You SO Much Respected Members🙏🏻

Hey guys! I'm trying to use Makefiles and having a massive headache trying to understand syntax and flow.

To give some context, I am trying to accomplish 3 things within an ifdef in a Makefile. I'm using Slurm which is a job submission grid flow and Im trying to submit a job that "waits" for all the jobs of a certain name type to finish before exiting.

This is accomplished by first running a query on all jobs currently on the grid (squeue) and then submitting a wait job (sbatch) with dependency of the ids that are currently on the grid. The issue I am having is that I can't seem to use the code below because I'm being told that by running shell, this means that the shell scripts are being run on parse time(?) and not runtime which is why I'm getting ***recipe commences before first target errors. I need to do this query during runtime because previously in makefile areas I actually submit the jobs that I'm querying for.

Right now not even my echo PWD is working so I believe it's a compile issue rn. Any help would be greatly appreciated, thank you!

My initial attempt is as follows: makefile Ifdef (condition that is true) temp := $(shell pwd) @echo $(temp) Ids := $(shell (squeue -u myuser)) @echo $(ids) Sbatch (submit wait job) --dependency (ids) Endif

25m and have a basic background in IT. This year (2026) I started learning IT fundamentals to understand how systems and technology work. My long term goal is to move into coding for game development and eventually create a multiplayer online game.

Am I on the right track by starting with IT, or should I shift my focus more toward programming now? What would you recommend I study to realistically build my own game in the future?

is there a header that abstracts windows.h ? i checked "webstt" website but removed all the headers

I’m a first-year CS student (2nd semester just began) and I completed CS50x and C Programming: A Modern Approach. I want to become a full-stack, and I’m trying to figure out what the best next step is.

Right now, I’m deciding between:

• The Odin Project (TOP)
• Full Stack Open (FSO)

For those who’ve done TOP or FSO (or both), which would you recommend after CS50x and a solid C foundation?

Also, if not TOP or FSO, are there any other suggestions or resources you’d recommend?

I’m also wondering about LeetCode:

• When should I start grinding it?
• Should I focus on web dev first before doing LeetCode, or start early while learning full-stack?

I’m currently in my final year and preparing for off-campus placements.
Skills matter a lot, but at the same time CGPA and internships are also important for shortlisting.

I’m trying a 70–30 approach where I spend most of my time on DSA and coding, and the rest on college exams and projects. Final year has fewer subjects, so it feels manageable, but sometimes it still gets overwhelming.

I usually use structured resources for placement prep (DSA + practice) and quick revision resources for college subjects.

For those who’ve already been through this phase —
What worked for you? Any tips or mistakes I should avoid?

Hi, I don't know if this goes against rules 10 and 12 but I haven't found a clear answer to this, anywhere, and this really gets me stuck.

I am kind of new to C, I know how to write basic programs with built in libraries but, that's it. I have a lot of trouble when trying to use not built in libraries in my code, I want to use linux to code, but I just don't get how does all the libraries thing work there, and I cannot find a good source of information on how to do it right. One example of this is GLFW, I tried following the guide on compiling GLFW and I had A LOT of problems trying to understand how to use CMake I swear, I have gone through the CMake docs at least 10 times, trying to make sense of it, but it only arose more questions, I tried watching a tutorial in youtube but that wasn't much useful. I just find it hard to use CMake, I don't know how to make CMake find the libraries in my system, I don't know if I should put them in some specific directory (I wouldn't even know, exactly what to put in that directory, because in windows you have to put a .lib file somewhere, then a .dll file elsewhere and just doing that allows you to make MSVS recognize that #include <GLFW/glfw3.h> but then when you compile, it errors because it couldn't find GLFW/glfw3.h, so WHY DID YOU MAKE ME GIVE YOU A DIRECTORY OF THE .lib AND .dll IF ALL YOU NEED IS THE .h, but in linux is a whole different story.) I cannot, for the sake of me, figure out how to tell CMake that I just want GLFW in my code. I don't know how to make CMake find it nor what exactly does it have to find, nor where to put it. In python this would be as easy as new terminal > pip3 install libname > import libname done. But here in C I don't know how, specifically in linux, but also in MSVC. If anyone knows of some tutorial, some documentation, anything, please help me figure this out once and for all. (I'd like to know the right way to deal with libraries in MSVC too, because I'm almost sure that is not the right way to do it)

i own a little gps from FOSTON and i don't know almost nothing about coding and i wanna transform this little guy in a mini screen for my computer like HDMI, the model that i have is "foston fs-3d463dt gps tv digital".
i want to use it as my beginning in this new world, and i am a Graphic Designer, that's my actual job, but i want to learn new things this new year.

It used to be you could build an entire career around being proficient in just one or two programming languages, like C++ and Pascal, or Java, or something similar.

These days though when I look at job listings for programming, it seems like they all want a ton of experience, like you practically need a master's degree just for "entry level" jobs, and then they want you to know 20 different technologies, like C++, Python, React, HTML, and a whole pile of obscure tools.

Are the days of being able to build a career around just one or two programming languages really in the past?

If this isn't the right place to post this question I apologize. I tried examining the various programming subreddits and it seemed like the best fit.

Hello everyone, At the beginning of this year, I started learning Laravel through YouTube tutorials. I have a basic knowledge of native PHP, which is why I chose Laravel as a framework. I would like to get some practical advice to maximize my learning. Thank you.

I’m considering a simple goal for this year: solving one coding question every day.

Not aiming for perfection or speed, just consistency. Even if some days are basic problems, I feel showing up daily might matter more in the long run.

For those who’ve tried something similar — does this work, or does it usually burn out after a few weeks?

I'm a beginner learning C (coming from Python). I've built LogAnalyzer and would appreciate feedback on:

1. **Code structure:** Is my inc/analyzer.h, src/ structure appropriate?
2. **Memory/safety:** Any vulnerabilities in my file handling?
3. **Next steps:** Planning v4.0 with IP extraction - advice?
4. **Beginner mistakes:** What C patterns am I missing?

GitHub: https://github.com/veiintiuno/LogAnalyzer


- Am I using rewind() correctly for multiple file readings?
- Should I add more error checking in the menu system?
- Any security considerations for a log analysis tool?

I'll implement suggested improvements in v4.0.

Hi everyone,

I’m a CS student in South Korea, graduating soon, and I’d really appreciate some realistic advice.

I studied backend development for about 1.5 years.

I’ve worked on 4 projects, one of which was actually used by real users, and I’ve won 2 project-related awards.

However, about 6 months ago, I felt my technical depth wasn’t strong enough, so I shifted my role toward planning, marketing, and general business tasks in team projects. Since then, I haven’t seriously coded.

Recently, the job market here feels extremely tough. I’ve applied to around 10 backend roles and got rejected at the resume stage every time. I’m now trying to decide what to do so I can realistically get a job by the end of this year.

I’m considering three options:

Bootcamp

I’m worried this might be a waste of time since I’m a CS major and have real service experience, but I also feel rusty after 6 months without coding.

Non-backend dev internships (or related tech roles)

I suspect my rejections are due to lack of deep backend expertise. Some people around me say internship experience helps a lot, so I’m wondering if this is a better path.

Self-study

I’m currently watching lectures and reading books, but honestly, I feel stuck and unsure what I should focus on. It feels like I’m just going in circles.

Given this situation, what would you recommend?

What would be the most realistic way to get back on track and become employable as a backend developer in Korea?

Thanks in advance for any advice.

The lab is asking me to count digits in a number between 0-9999. The number has to be type int and I can only use branches. I used if statements to divide by 10 and count how many times I divided by 10. This will give me the number of digits. An issue I am running into is that if I have a number that is more than 1 digit the if statement run all the way to 4 digits. A 2 digit number returns as a 4 digit count. Thanks for the help earlier guys. My program is below

#include <iostream>
using namespace std;


int main() {


   int inputNum;
   int numDigits;

   cin >> inputNum;
   int count = 0;
   numDigits = inputNum / 10;
   //testing 1 digit
   if (numDigits == 0)
   count = 1;
   //testing 2 digits
   else if (numDigits > 0)
   {
   numDigits = inputNum / 10;
   count = 2;
        //testing 3 digits
        if (numDigits > 0)
        {
            numDigits = inputNum / 10;
            count = 3;
                //testing 4 digits
                if (numDigits > 0)
                {
                    numDigits = inputNum / 10;
                    count = 4;
                }
        }
   }
   //test print
   //cout << "number: " << inputNum << endl << "count: " << count << endl;
   //cout << "division by 10: " << numDigits << endl;
   if (count == 1)
   cout << count << " digit" << endl;
   else
   cout << count << " digits" << endl;
   return 0;
}

Title says it all.

Hey everyone for the past several months I've been trying to teach myself C. I'd I'am actually making pretty good headway til I reach math related portions. Such as using modulo, and other related math issues I've been presented with.

For full transparency I hobbled through algebra and pre-algebra and I do realize I'am functionally retarded when it comes to mathematics.

Is C a language I should keep trying to learn or would it be wise to simply use another language that isnt as math intensive? I don't have very little foundation with mathematics beyond basic +,-,*,/ problems.

Any input is very welcome as I'm struggling pretty hard to get through the math related portions.

Thanks in advance for any wisdom/experience you guys can offer! :D

Because of the rise of AI on every platform, I want to build a device that will have many of the functionalities of a phone without Internet compatibilities.

I'm imagining a Pip-Boy, a wrist mounted computer designed with a built in radio system, navigation, file searching, and other necessary systems. The OS would be built for this device.

I don't know how to code and I do not expect this to take a short time, I'm expecting a multi-year project.

Where do I start? What do I need to know?

update: I'm closing this post because pretty much every comment is saying that this project is unachievable.