Running into Style: No Choice but to Push Forward
Here I am, 8 weeks into the Flatiron Software Engineering and the task at hand is to build a functioning application for the browser. For me this felt like a giant leap from the command line app I did for my first project. I decided to create a place where runners could login to see and compare all of their race results: RaceTracker.
I felt confident in my ability to create the app I wanted, but transforming it into a working website terrified me. I had basically no experience using HTML or CSS. So I decided I would take some extra time learning the basics of styling a website with CSS.
I should have spent more time mapping out my project before I started coding, though, because once I was in the middle of it, I couldn’t focus on any one task. I didn’t have a clear outline of what routes I needed each controller to have and kept getting sidetracked without finishing one. I felt overwhelmed. So I took a step back from the project and outlined the pages/routes I wanted each controller to have and how they would need to access the database through my models. Once I had this written out, it was much easier to see what had to be completed. I can’t emphasize enough how important it is to have a written out map of your project before beginning.
Once my routes were set up and pulling from the database, I was able to view the site using the shotgun gem. Everything was there and functioning, but it had no excitement. Here’s where CSS kicked in, but little did I know how difficult this would be.
Something as simple as modifying this basic table I had created in HTML took me hours to complete. I quickly began to realize how important it was to write clear HTML in order to style it. I hadn’t thought about adding classes or ids to any of the elements in my HTML as I wrote it for the program to function. Without them, styling was nearly impossible. I had to go back through each of my views and organize the HTML code, clearly labeling and classing things.
At times it felt like I would never see the light at the end of the tunnel. But I honestly think it was the best way for me to learn. Not only was I learning CSS/HTML, but I was applying it directly to a project of mine. Being able to implement styling I read about and then modify it to fit my specific needs taught a lot. Sometimes when you have a giant task ahead of you with no clue what you’re doing, the best solution is to dive in and force yourself to find your way back to the top.
My application is not the best looking website out there, but I am extremely pleased with the outcome. Especially knowing what it looked like at the very beginning when it was just a functioning application with no style.
