Andrew VanderLeest

Ex-teacher now teaching himself to code. Here you'll find regular updates on my learning progression as I target a new career path.

[Andrew VanderLeest @vandy_dev]

Still, lots of room to grow. I see my developer journey as raising a child, and now that child is just a 1-year-old baby. These are the tips that stuck with me and helped the baby survive so far. Thanks for reading - now back to coding 😁.

[Andrew VanderLeest @vandy_dev]

Another thing I've been meaning to tweet/journal - it's coming up on 1 year since I left my previous career to full-time teach myself to code (woah). There are a few concepts I've learned to lean on when things get tough, and that I regularly use as mental helpers:

[Andrew VanderLeest @vandy_dev]

(3 cont.) it feels like quite a bit has been achieved. Now I can do and build things I never used to be able to.

[Andrew VanderLeest @vandy_dev]

🧵(3/3) Spotify playlist and re-live that setlist? 🤔

[Andrew VanderLeest @vandy_dev]

🧵(1/3) Some more about the ShowLogger tweet below - this is a front end I did for a recent project that I hope to someday extend with back-end and Oauth login. It allows the user to look up concerts they've attended and add concert cards to their collection. It utilizes the

[Andrew VanderLeest @vandy_dev]

🧵(2/3) https://t.co/zNua1htFB1 API and loads the setlist on the back of each card. I had a great idea while running this morning: A previous project I made created a Spotify playlist of the top 100 songs for any date... what if you could insta-load each concert's setlist into a

[Andrew VanderLeest @vandy_dev]

Preview of what I was assembling the last week or two of June - a site I've always wanted to exist. Unfortunately I still have yet to find someone who gets the music reference/joke in the subtitle right away... think #thebreakfastclub / 80s music...
#reactjs #tailwindcss

[Andrew VanderLeest @vandy_dev]

Github link: https://t.co/NtP2eIcKPO

[Andrew VanderLeest @vandy_dev]

After taking a couple of weeks to focus on a front-end side project in JS and React (more to come on this later- will likely build it out further with backend and login capability), I've returned to ol' Python and completed another portfolio project - day 87 of #100DaysOfCode

[Andrew VanderLeest @vandy_dev]

which is a WPM typing speed test (GUI via #Tkinter). A more polished online test measured mine at 74 WPM with 96% accuracy, and my app measured at 67 WPM and 99% accuracy. First time using threading (for timer) and difflib (for accuracy computation) libraries.

[Andrew VanderLeest @vandy_dev]

I will say I feel like the Compiler Police in Swift will make me a better programmer, having to think about all cases before running the code. Anyway - excited to jump into SwiftUI next and start learning how to piece apps together.

[Andrew VanderLeest @vandy_dev]

Over the past week I've completed a 7-hour beginner tutorial in Swift, taking notes along the way on the aspects that are different from Python. I'll agree with the sentiment that the 2nd language is easier to learn than the first!

[Andrew VanderLeest @vandy_dev]

Of course with learning Swift comes learning Xcode- quite a bit more stripped down than VScode in terms of add-on/plugin support, but I found myself enjoying its intuitiveness and flow, particularly being able to tab through function arguments/data properties while typing.

[Andrew VanderLeest @vandy_dev]

For the back half of the week I started jumping into Swift. The compiled nature is quite different - Swift requires lots of specificity and error-proofing compared to Python, making for good programming habits! Unwrap those optionals!

[Andrew VanderLeest @vandy_dev]

Week 45: Began building out a typing speed test GUI app in Tkinter -- this time taking an OOP approach which both simplifies/organizes the code and increases security -- need to go back and do so with the watermarking app as well.