Explanation

Learn Chinese is the intersection of my two fascinations: programming and Chinese. The opportunity to combine these two passions into one project was a blast. Learn Chinese is an app where users can enjoy a gameified introduction into learning Chinese characters.

Challenge

Debugging was the challenge du jour. This project started as a fun personal side project on CodePen.io. Before long, it became a static Rack app. The transition from simple side project to legitimate project revealed the importance of keeping directories neat and organized. If I could go back and build this app again, I’d place more focus on structuring my directories so that they’re more conducive for Rack’s configuration.

Solution

A big thank you to my two Wisonsin-native Bloc mentors, Kevin and Cyle. Kevin was instrumental in getting the app off the ground, and Cyle was an enormous help in debugging. Without Cyle’s familiarity with Rack, I wouldn’t have the finished product that I have today.

Conclusion

The ingredients in a good programming cocktail seem to be 1 part coding to 3 parts debugging. The time I spent debugging this project dwarfed the time I spent building it. Unusual? No, this is the nature of the beast. I learned a ton building this app, and I’d certainly do things differently a 2nd time. But I learned even more in debugging it. Keep your directories organized, kids, or you’ll wish you had!

Code on, my friends!