The post mortem after challenge number 1 on the arduino! UNO

 I'm familiar with coding in the sense that I have experience with making things work in a series. I have used code, scratch, linux and other junk! Yes I said it Junk! Why because I really like this junk. I refer to it as junk because outside the people who are interested it just looks like a lot of junk to the untrained eyes. (I'm sounding very junkish right now and I know it). 

This post-mortem is giving me a lot of insight at the different ways people learn here. A lot of us don't follow instructions the first time around. As a matter of fact I'm currently digging in the trash can to see the time needed for the mac and cheese. After looking at others version of their code I realize that I bought a different version of the Arduino. Not the different board or any of the other stuff but you all got a book and I just got the box.  This is because I went and looked up an old syllabus from the class and bought what was in there. It does the work but I kept hearing about this book and seeing the plastic base you all got and now I want it. Therefore I must print one. 

As for the code analysis. The A-ha! moment, take on me! was seeing this symbol { being used to open an close a command. Also the use of the word integer to define the new variable. The thing I can tell you, if you are new to this coding is that everything piles onto the previous thing you learned. The blinking command can be used as an intermittent traffic light or Christmas light, (btw this is november and please respect the TURKEY! so chill on the Christmas let it chill at least until the football game is over!) 

When I was looking at my now friends (yes, you all now my friends) blogs, I noticed the setup was different and I could see how it worked but also how I could be a bit confusing on the long run. The negative and positive lines are just like electric bars at home. Once you plug them in you can use the plugs within as you please with other devices and in this class with other pins or codes. 

I can see how the years of opening up things I got as gifts when kid are finally paying off! One of my friends layout made sense but the wires where all close to each other and now after watching the videos I saw that the red wire was useless all the time. When I was building it and read that you tell the pin to be an output of electricity I couldn't understand why you had to have another power source? Once I unplugged it, and the thing kept blinking it made sense that thing was just an extra to make you think! YEAH PEOPLE, they want us to THINK! HOW ABOUT THAT! 

KUDOS TO GARCIA! she organized her blog in a very smart way with the pics and videos up on top and included the diagram of the wiring and all! The red wire then the resistor coming from it confused me a little but then it made sense. On contraire to my version with my kid screaming in the background hers was very well done! 

Peytons organization on the boards was straight up clean! I think that setup explains more to the eye since it has those symbols and colors attached to it. Again that red wire was the extra, the sus! Very sus! 

Reina, I got that error code like cheerios in the morning! After a while I just kept running the code then I began to read the messages in RED! and had to learn to make connections with this horrible guy ====> ; the semi colon! After a couple of "googleadas" I found the mistake and the funny part was everyone just telling me to read the message! I always tell my kid that God does not give straight forward answers but delivers the messengers... you know teach a man to fish... yet I did the opposite and for a while there I went off on that little board! Note: will add googly eyes to make it my friend. 

Now as for me, I learned to add more integers to my code and assign another pin to create another function and added another light. That is how I got a sequence going with two rows of lights. What I'm working on is to get them to light up and off at the same time instead of sequence have two light bulbs light up at the same time with different pins.  

Note to self and maybe a tip to y'all. Erase all the messages and see the code for what it is. Try to see the (  ) parenthesis and what is in between then see the smaller circles in them then you will start seeing the machine and the gears work together to make things happen. Eventually you will find that it is not about going bigger but to make things lean because repetition is just a sequence. 

Thanks for reading, Luis Vargas

Have a great day and thanks for all the fish!