Do You Struggle For Programming Ideas?

[:::]

I did ... a while ago. Now, it's more like: every day I have at least two new Ideas but haven't got the time/patience to actually work on any of them.

So, if you want to program something, how about one of the following:

• A Note Taking / Diagram Creation Application: think of a mixture of Jarnal, Inkscape and Dia. The User should be able to quickly scribble down ideas and turn them into fully worked out nice looking diagrams later on.
• An application that creates file based Slideshows: The User selects Images, their Order and some Title effects. The output is a folder containing images named like this: 0001.jpg, 0002.jpg, ... (as opposed to the usual way of creating a DVD-Movie-Slideshow)
• An interactive graphical python shell for use as a powerful Calculator Replacement. User enters function definition in one window and can instantly use them in another window (but can come back to the first window and edit definiton afterwards). Also includes a simple spreadsheet, function plotting and such ...
• A window-manager that works like eclipse (but instead of eclipse widgets it manages windows): something that supports tabbing but is also easily usable with the mouse.
• ...

I think the easiest way to get ideas is this:
Do something (other than just waiting for an idea to strike you). When you encounter a problem or some boring repetitive work, think of how a program could solve it. There's your next task.

[Lau_of_DK]

Kopete, works fine.

int main() {
pinvoke(system.crash)
}

If thats kopete, then sure, it works. Kopete crashes constantly on my system, along with alot of other KDE stuff. (and this has survived 3+ reinstallations, so Im guessing that KDE just sucks it down)

/Lau

[slavik]

my biggest problem is not the stuff I want to write (for educational value), but mostly getting into the zone. For some reason, I seem to be able to come to work and just start coding some script that needed to be done, but at home ... I just can't.

I think that it's because at work, my keyboard sits on top of the desk whereas at home, I have on a drawer under the desk (home desk is not very deep )

[Ann.A]

A lot of things I've written were because I was frustrated with other options, or to eliminate extra work. I've started writing budget software because my husband and I budget differently then most apps function. Its frustrating to try and fit our working system to look like something else and the best one that could have been extended was heavy on the ajax side and too slow. So out came a small requirements doc for hubby to say thats what he was thinking too and onto the fun stuff.

At work we re-wrote a major section of our code for requirements changes and elminiated tons of files. I wrote a quick script to read our xml's for the scripts that are used and compared that to a query as to whats in prod to show what can be removed from prod and our repository.

These are some examples that came about from "wouldn't it be nice if..." statements. Hope this helps inspire

[slavik]

A lot of things I've written were because I was frustrated with other options, or to eliminate extra work. I've started writing budget software because my husband and I budget differently then most apps function. Its frustrating to try and fit our working system to look like something else and the best one that could have been extended was heavy on the ajax side and too slow. So out came a small requirements doc for hubby to say thats what he was thinking too and onto the fun stuff.

At work we re-wrote a major section of our code for requirements changes and elminiated tons of files. I wrote a quick script to read our xml's for the scripts that are used and compared that to a query as to whats in prod to show what can be removed from prod and our repository.

These are some examples that came about from "wouldn't it be nice if..." statements. Hope this helps inspire

a perfect example of when recasting a problem into something else is more work than making a tool to solve the original problem.

[JupiterV2]

For my first major project, something I wanted to actually release for the general public to use, I wanted to come up with a project that would help me solve an issue in regular life and improve my programming skills. I couldn't find any foreign language vocabulary building applications that were free to use. My Japanese has gotten VERY rusty over the years and my vocab has taken a real dive. So, I killed two birds with one stone.

Vocab Builder: Japanese. =)

I'm 29 and have only really taken programming seriously for about 4-5 months.

[jeffus_il]

I'm sitting here trying to think of something to do, so I thought "I know I'll program something" but then I thought "Well what can I program?!?!"

So I was just wondering if anybody else struggles with ideas of things to program (GUI or otherwise).

Feel free to post idea's of things to program as well if you think of any

Write a program to search the web for good programming ideas...

[Joeb454]

Write a program to search the web for good programming ideas...

Interesting, I don't know how I could parse the idea's though

[RIchard James13]

This thread has drifted way OT oh wells. Anyway I answered No to your poll because I have at least the next couple of years booked out programming project wise.

I choose two types of projects. 1 is the project I want to do (normally some sort of computer game or programming tool). Then I work out what skills I need to be able to write that program. Then I choose some smaller projects that will help me gain the skills I need to complete the primary goal. But since you don't seem to even have an area of interest unlike me you might need some other approach. All I can think of is that you look at things that seem interesting and start there. If you are doing something boring then you lose interest quickly. Better to have a goal you want to achieve than one you don't.

Another aspect you could look at is what sort of person are you? Are you logical, mathematical, visual, auditory, language, social, etc? Looking at programs that fit in with those areas might help.

[Joeb454]

Just a quick thanks to LaRoza for moving all the off-topic threads to a separate thread