Thread by @zckzck

Coding #generativeArt can be frustrating! Computers are extremely literal, and never know what you "meant".

Here are some things you can do to get help with problems you're having with your art.

1. Pause, breathe, and read the error.

If you run into a problem and immediately ask someone for help, you won't learn as much as solving it yourself. And if you solve your own problem, you won't have to wait for someone else. So see if you fix your own issue.

If you got an error message, read it!

Maybe it says you can't divide by zero, or that a file isn't found?

You might be given a line number, told what function errored, or hinted what data is invalid. Then, you can fix the problem without even needing to ask anyone.

2. Debug!

You can debug by adding print statements to find out information about what's happening when your code runs. If you find something you didn't expect, that's probably the cause of your problem.

Some questions that can be answered with print statements:

* Did program execution hit the line of code the print statement is on?
* What is the value of a particular variable?
* If you're looping, how many times are you looping?

Sometimes, you can't figure the question out on your own. That brings you to the second half of this advice: ask someone! Maybe on an online forum, maybe in real life.

3. Ask what your actual question is.

I've seen questions like "not working!" or "art isn't doing what I want".

It's hard for someone else to answer those questions, because they don't explain what the problem is.

If you get specific, it's easier to help you out. You might have a realization when getting specific and solve your own problem!

More specific questions are things like "I only see two circles, but I think I'm graphing three". Then, there's agreement as to what the problem is.

4. Post code, but post minimal code.

It's easier to help debug code when there is code to debug!

But posting hundreds of lines of code is a lot. Remember, for you your problem is very important, but for someone else, it's just a browser tab in the way of watching cat videos.

So eliminate any code you don't need to show the problem. If a circle is graphing in the wrong color, remove everything that isn't graphing that circle.

This, too, might help you figure out a fix. And even if it doesn't, other people will be grateful to have less code to read.

These tips will help you have an easier time getting help with your art, so you can move back to making something awesome.