Favorite programming brainstorming activity? [closed]

Question

As an artist and musician, I often want to sit down and just let the code roll like a piece of free-form poetry, but I've found that doesn't work as well as when I have a set goal in mind. I've been experimenting lately with setting up tiny, fun goals for myself, not unlike how an artist would sketch a quick still-life, but I wonder...

What do others do when they want to code for fun, without the bondage of an already-committed project?

Alla

Subjective poll question = should be community wiki – Wriggler

@Justicle: using a "community-wiki" tag does not make sense to me. Comments can be used to suggest conversion to cw (with a rationale as gnovice did), and can be up-voted by others. Your tag only shows that one person thought it should be cw. – Easterling

Answer 1

Design work, I find, flows much easier than just coding. I find that coding is often more of just implementation of a good design; I really like to just sit down with a pad of paper and a pen (and likely a bottle of wine) and work out an interesting design.

Backfire

+1 so true. I almost wrote something like this, but hoped that design would be done before it came time to code. Maybe the problem, which you address, is that coding is a chore because the design isn't done. – Easterling

Next time try a bottle of Vodka - it's a lot more fun! – Jacobine

Answer 2

Project Euler is where I'm having fun at now. I can go at my own pace and work on the problems that interest me. Also, work in any language I choose.

Conde

Answer 3

Write documentation when coding doesn't come easy - coding will quickly seem much more appealing!

Easterling

Answer 4

Going for a walk outside.

Pragmatics

Answer 5

I tend to map my idea or build a structure in a MindMapping tool like MindMeister. And it's great for a team because it can be edited in real time by multiple persons!

Particular

also take a look at freemind.com - opensource mindmapping – Assam

Answer 6

I like to pick up a new language and learn how to express ideas in it. This usually has the benefit of showing me what I like and don't like about the languages I currently use. I usually pick some little tool project I've been wanting to do. Using the new language angle get's me motivated

My most recent 'new language' is Scala, in this case it will likely become a langue I use.

Favrot

Answer 7

I like writing on whiteboards. Great for db diagrams, task lists, feature lists, (other lists,) random ideas, notes, etc. (db diagrams being the biggie for me)

Susannesusceptibility

Answer 8

Python is great for just getting things going on an idea and having the language (usually) behave like you would expect.

While it may have its drawbacks, it sounds like a great fit for what you are describing.

So to answer your question, the Python Challenge is entertaining and often gets me thinking about little things that would be fun to code, probably because it exposes you to different types of problems.

Leninakan

Answer 9

Monies

Answer 10

I like to code.

I like to find something interesting, code it and then see it works.

It does not have to be a project per see, it's good enough if it does something, like use Google api to get picasa albums, change song in iTunes or get details of current iTunes song, automate downloading of document from web site that is behind login and requires cookies and all that stuff, data parser in python, simple app on Mac, core data application, google codejam problems, topcoder.com problems ...

Surbeck

Answer 11

I like to learn new features of some language or some new language/technology/patterns/tool :-)

Dicot

Answer 12

Usually I will work in Photoshop for a while. Get creative and try to come up with a new design that's not constrained by any code. Maybe even find something inspiring on the web for some new design ideas... then try to implement the design in code. That's the fun and challenging bit.

Ceratoid

Answer 13

Use the REPL.

You figure out broadly the sort of thing you need to do - what APIs you need to use, what data structures you need to handle - and then prod them interactively until they start making sense. A ton of languages I use now have REPLs: Ruby, Python, Scala, Java (BeanShell, or JRuby/Jython etc.), C# ('csharp'), PHP (Facebook have made a REPL for it), Smalltalk (GNU gst) and, obviously, LISP/Scheme.

Sidwel