How to do some creative development to come out of a programming slump?

Question

I am currently facing a programming slump. Getting bored to the limits.

How I fell into this situation?

Some months back I started using Java and got into the habit of using libraries to plug in algorithms in my code. That kept me away from coding many algorithms on my own (to some extent a good software engineering practice) but I have now got bored of this api gluing business.

How to Solve

I have read this question and I feel like trying to recover by doing some kind of work that can help me regain that lost zeal.

Now I am having mood swings about how to get out of this situation. At times I want to switch back from windows to linux. At other times I feel that will really not help in this situation.

I have primarily coded in C++ and Java. never coded any webapps (just some casual html + javascript). So I also feel like trying to do something on that front. Don't know where to start and what tools to use.

I also feel like learning some hacking and network security. Again don't know where to start.

I have about a week more of vacations. But can't stand any more of this boredom.

Can anyone help me out!

Answer 1

Pick a nice open-source project (that isn't done in Java) and volunteer to write some of their more interesting features.

Answer 2

For me, it would be getting out of Java/C++ (there is a whole world of other languages and learning a language can be fun just for learning a new language/paradigm/approach!) ... and doing "web-work" has never pulled me out of a slump :-)

Anyway, some things that pull-me-out:

1. Find someone who shares your excitement in whatever project you are doing. They don't need to be coders, if they can empathize, but I find that finding a fellow coder is best, because they (may) know what you're talking about and provide more directed feedback. In person over coffee and napkins can generate some fun and exciting results.

2. Creating something that someone may use (because it's enjoyable or it makes their life easier in some way) -- even if nobody else ever does :-) The idea is that there should be some purpose, even if the purpose may never be realized.

3. Finishing milestones -- it doesn't have to be complete or perfect, but I get motivated when I can check off accomplishments! Humans love collecting (why else would MMORPG's or SO be so popular?) -- so give yourself something to collect!

4. And Happy Coding! (Coding should be Happy! At least at times; if it's not, why bother ... the paycheck, right ;-) Insert as many steps above as required to make this true!

Answer 3

Perhaps learning something new will help you get motivation back. Try your hand at Prolog (logic programming), or OCaml (functional programming)... there are so many things out there to explore, something is bound to get you excited again! And learning something new is productive, too. While you're gaining your enthusiasm back, and even if you don't become a guru in a new language, exposure to different ways of thinking will help you appreciate programming and carry over in to your day-to-day programming to make you a better coder.

Answer 4

Sometimes you just have to let it run its course. Get out of the house every day and do something mindless, like shooting baskets. This will let your subconcious chew on everything while you're killing time and all of a sudden, out of the blue, you'll just have that urge to open the laptop and start coding something "for the heck of it." My latest "for the heck of it" was to display a checkerboard with C#. Of course when that was done I wanted to draw the pieces and move them around and now, 2 months later, I'm almost finished with my own Checkers game. Those of us who love to code are never really in a slump, we just don't know what to do next. Stop thinking about it and it will come to you.