A crucial part of programming is debugging. As a beginner, this will test your patience. Imagine running a piece of code, and instead of the code returning what you had hoped for, Python returns error messages- a couple of red syntaxes asking you to go back and crosscheck your code.
This can be overwhelming for a beginner.
There was a time when my code broke—and I had no idea what to do next.
No direction.
No system.
Just confusion.
It makes you feel unsure of steps to take, afraid that you might break a thing, intermittent confusion, lack of confidence and more are part of my initial encounters with debugging.
The Old Way
When something didn’t work, I would:
- change random lines
- delete things
- try again
Sometimes it worked.
But I didn’t know why. I would mark what I did with a view to replicating it next time. Since I didn’t know why it broke, it ended up not working in another problem, while the problems may look similar, minor difference may account for the failure in a new situation even if the code generally looks similar.That dot or underscore might be the reason this time.
The Turning Point
I realized debugging is not guessing. Debugging should not feel intimidating. It is how problems are resolved in Python. Both professionals and beginners, alike encounter it. Experienced programmers are accustomed to it. But for a beginner, it usually appears intimidating at first.
It is a process- one that requires extra care and attention.
My Beginner Debugging Approach
Now, I follow simple steps:
- Read the error message
- Locate the line
- Check what I expected vs what happened
- Test small changes
Using Print as a Tool
One of the most powerful things I learned: is using.
print() is not just for output
It helps you:
- track values
- see flow
- understand behavior
- check object type
This function became a very strategic debugging tool for me. The print() lets you know the object you have at hand. Because each object has its methods and attributes knowing this enables you to determine which attribute or action that you would like it to perform. Many code breaks because of this mix up.
Breaking the Problem Down
Instead of fixing everything at once:
I focus on one small part and gradually move to the rest until I can identify the problem.
What I Learned From This Stage
- Debugging is a skill
- Small steps beat random fixes
- Understanding grows through fixing
- That ” Patience is a conquering virtue” will be tested more often here. You need it to read carefully in between the lines
Where This Leads Next
Once you can debug…
You begin to feel something new:
Control
Confidence
And that is part of what you need. That Control, that confidence engenders small wins that compound with time.
Tech Journey — Season 1, Episode 13
Stage: Logic, Errors & the Terminal
Obi'sDeck 