Why debugging is easier when you can see it
Bugs hide in the gap between what you meant and what the computer does. Litu closes that gap on the board: it puts your code up, rings the line that matters and traces what each variable holds as the program runs.
It explains the idea behind the fix, not just the fix, so the same mistake doesn't catch you next time.
Questions you can ask
- Where is the bug in my loop?
- What does this function actually return?
- Why do arrays start at zero?
- What's the difference between a list and a dictionary?
- How does recursion know when to stop?
What Litu covers
- Basics: variables, types, conditions, loops and functions.
- Data: arrays and lists, dictionaries, strings.
- Thinking like a programmer: tracing code, debugging, simple algorithms like searching and sorting.
- Languages: Python, JavaScript and other common beginner languages.
How a coding lesson goes
- Paste your code and say what you expected to happen.
- Litu puts it on the board, points at the line and walks through what really happens.
- Ask "why?" as many times as you need.