Alright, let’s talk about “shovels and pickaxes.” Sounds kinda old-timey, right? Well, it’s about building something…not literally with dirt, but with code.
So, I started with this idea, see? I wanted to make this little tool, a helper thing for a bigger project I’m messing with. I figured, “Hey, how hard can it be?” Famous last words, I know.
First thing’s first: Planning. I grabbed a notebook – yeah, the real paper kind – and started scribbling. What did I want this tool to do? I wrote down all the must-haves, the nice-to-haves, and the “if I’m feeling crazy” features.
Then came the digging. I mean, coding. I chose Python ’cause it’s my go-to for quick stuff. I set up a basic project structure – you know, folders for the core logic, the tests (I’m trying to be good about testing!), and any config files.
- Step 1: Set up the virtual environment. Gotta keep those dependencies clean!
- Step 2: Wrote the basic skeleton of the main script. Nothing fancy, just the entry point and some placeholders.
- Step 3: Started tackling the core logic. This was where the “shoveling” really began. Lots of trial and error, lots of Googling (don’t lie, you do it too!), and a whole lotta cursing when things didn’t work.
The pickaxe part came when I hit roadblocks. Like, “Why is this function returning that?” Or, “Why is this library acting like a toddler who didn’t get their nap?” That’s when I had to really dig into the code, step through with the debugger, and figure out what the heck was going on.
I spent a good chunk of time refactoring. My initial code was…let’s just say “enthusiastic.” It worked, but it was messy. So, I cleaned it up, broke it into smaller functions, added comments (for future me, mostly), and made it more readable.
Testing, testing, 1, 2, 3. I actually wrote tests this time! Not a ton, but enough to cover the main functions and make sure things didn’t completely fall apart when I changed something.
Finally, after a few days of hacking, cursing, and coffee, I had something that actually worked. It wasn’t perfect, but it did what I needed it to do. I deployed it locally, ran some tests, and…it worked! Kinda anticlimactic, actually.
The big takeaway? Building stuff is hard work. Even “simple” tools take time and effort. But it’s also rewarding. Seeing something you built from scratch actually do something useful is a pretty good feeling.
What’s Next?
Well, the tool’s not done yet. I’ve got a list of improvements and new features I want to add. Plus, I need to package it up so it’s easy to share with others. But for now, I’m happy with where it’s at. Time to move on to the next challenge!
And that’s the story of my “shovels and pickaxes.” Hope it was somewhat interesting! Now, back to coding…
