Re: grassroots level SPARK Initiation

[Mehdi Saada <00120260a@gmail.com>]

The problem is, I have untold difficulties with algorithms. Even-though I may understand easily how they operate in natural language (say, binary search through a sorted container), I have great troubles actually coding it. I cannot have in mind the whole thing once I wrote 25+ lines, which is, hum, unfortunate. Then I'm "forced" to tweak things here and there, until it works.
I know I shouldn't debug like this, and I hate it too. I especially hate not knowing what I do.

I'm self-taught.
You see, I have way much more perseverance than talentedness. Probaly a tad less naturally talented than your average student. Hence I would like to have the logical structure of I write/would like to write buried in my mind before touching the keyboard. To think the least possible.
That's why finding good, step-by-step materials is vital to me...

I saw there was a thing called "propositional" calculus: is it covered by Gries book ? Were you a patented programmer before reading it ? I read the prerequisite is "one year of experience", but I'm not sure what it entails. One year of being able to actually code for living ? If so I may not be at here yet. Otherwise, of course I know the basics and purpose of programming and computer architecture, but I doubt it's enough..
To start I'll go train logical/formal reasoning in math books. Or find old books on this on the web.
If you have suggestions, feel free...