How black and white is coding?

When I started coding, what I expected was that it would be a world of rights and wrongs, do’s and don’ts. I thought there was a right way of doing things and unless you do that way the code wouldn’t work. There is a slight truth to it as there is syntax for whatever you do and you can’t just write whatever you want. However, I have realized that there is still a lot of room for creativity.

Creativity in the sense of different methods in JavaScript, how readable and effective code you write, how reusable your code is and how it can be applied in other situations and so on. There are also different preferences when it comes to conventions, which lead to a lot of discussion and debates on what’s the best way to write code. It could be about how you should name your functions, how to structure your code and your files, use of semicolons vs. not using semicolons in JavaScript, what type of variables should be used in JavaScript etc. For instance, in Technigo, the bootcamp that I am attending I see how there are differences in coding between my code coaches and also between my colleagues. They have very different ways and sometimes you just feel confused and uncertain on how you should write your code. In the end, you have to decide for yourself which path or solution fits you and what you prefer because the truth is coding is not black and white. Often there is no one solution to a problem.

As I am writing I have studied HTML, CSS, Javascript, React and Redux and at the moment I am learning backend with Node.js. The more time passes the more I feel like I have my own perceptions, preferences, and personality when it comes to coding. And I come to think of the following quote:

“Dark and difficult times lie ahead. Soon we must all face the choice between what is right and what is easy”- Albus Dumbledore, Harry Potter ;)

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