In this episode of Syntax, Scott and Wes talk about how to get better at problem solving — one of the most important skills to build as a developer.

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Show Notes

2:43 - Gather info

• What is this thing trying to do?
• Use tools
• DevTools are your best friend during this phase

8:01 - Know where to look (and use tools)

• Dev tools for client side
• Error logs
• Sentry
• LogRocket
• The most experienced people in any field know how to ask the right questions.
• Some of this will come with experience and nothing else. If you’ve seen a problem before, it’s easier to solve.

10:00 - Look at the end game

• What are you really trying to do here? Don’t focus so much on the tech that you miss the bigger picture.

13:17 - Read Again

• Error logs provide the best clues. Read them closely.
• Actually read your code — don’t skim it.
• Write comments while reading it, or follow existing comments — good for documenting, but also for structuring your thoughts.

18:08 - Make it simple (break it into smaller parts)

• Limit the number of inputs and outputs
• Get it working in a limited capacity (e.g. safe mode, Codepen, etc.)
• Comment out major sections of code until you have a working example
• Does this problem exist outside of the framework?
• Does this work in a clean environment?

25:35 - Take yourself out of your environment

• You should be able to take a look at the problem at all zoom levels
• Does it work locally but not on the server?
• Does it work in other browsers?

27:32 - Stay calm

• It’s easy to get nervous or worked up when the stakes are high
• It won’t serve you to panic. If you are panicking, take a 10 min walk to deep breath
• Take a shower, lift weights (seriously)

30:14 - Talk it over

• Getting the perspective of another developer can be invaluable

32:28 - Make things obvious

• Use debugger or label logs — don’t let it be ambiguous
• For CSS bugs, use primary colors to make things stand out
• Use the right tool to make the problem stand out
  • Layers for CSS issues
  • Network for network issues
  • Performance tab (etc.)

35:12 - Use Git correctly to free up your techniques

• If you’re code commits are up to date, you can heavily modify code without fear of deleting things — just revert to a previous commit once you find the issue and fix.

36:10 - Don’t jump at solutions

• Take the time to fully dissect the problem
• Question you assumptions
• It can’t possibly be a problem with ____. Well maybe it is.
  • Wes once spent hours trying to diagnose a check engine light when the gas cap was lose.

43:51 - Get good at pattern matching

• This comes with experience
• When did this problem start?
• Did we deploy any code? Did we change any logic?

44:54 - Get good at googling

• Being able to describe your problem is key.
• Search the error from Firefox

Links

• DevTools
• Sentry
• LogRocket
• CodePen
• Syntax 154: SVGs with Sara Soueidan
• @walpolea
• Syntax 152: Debugging Tools + Tips
• @bowlendev
• @dan_abramov
• Ryan Dahl on creating Node.js
• @LaurieonTech
• Firefox
• DuckDuckGo

××× SIIIIICK ××× PIIIICKS ×××

• Scott: Jeremy Ethier Youtube Channel
• Wes: Marpac Rohm Sound Machine

Shameless Plugs

• Scott: Typescript in React Course - Sign up for the year and save 25%!
• Wes: Beginner Javascript Course

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