Why do you code?

I like to create things or improve existing things. Coding promises the ability to achieve this with very little effort, just by typing a few lines. There are almost no material restrictions as in other areas, just available memory and calculation speed.

In practice however, most of the time it seems that this promise is not kept. But this is mostly because of things that are outside the actual coding, like

• unclear or conflicting requirements,
• poorly documented or buggy systems your code has to interact with.

So after more than 20 years of coding professionally, it is still the favourite part of my work.

Coding for me is a means to express myself. Much like an artist and their canvas. I enjoy creating things, learning things, and solving problems.

It is as much a passion as it is a hobby and a career to me.

It is my escape.

I've tried quite a few things in my life. Coding is the one thing where I actually felt something positive, I felt I could grow in this domain. I don't think I would call it a passion. I just happened to fall into it in my mid-20's when I was looking for a career where I could be happy. I guess it was there at the right time and the right place.

Besides the obvious of needing an income xD I find the problem solving enjoyable. Making software that has a final result on the end user is very rewarding. I remember a long time ago I used to make reactive character sheets in Excel for D&D. In a way making a character sheet like that is like programming in a framework. There were if statements everywhere, defining cells by name (variables), looking up values in a table with vlookup (sql anyone?). The end result is you could dropdown an item and it would change your damage, stats, everything automatically. All of my friends loved it at the time and it was nice to have all the work done for you. I think it is moments like those that are the reason I really got into coding and continue to enjoy it.

In Short, It's Joy.

I started very young as well, 13 in fact. It's a curiosity that led to a hobby that led to a career.

Personally I really enjoy how coding can be both creative and analytical. I can architect and write clean code while also caring about how pleasant the interface is to use.

Most importantly though, it lets me build stuff for people that solve real problems.

Because it's fun for me to type code/instructions into a machine and see it working, and I somehow got lucky to work in that field.

• I like to make things (from wood, metal, paper, whatever) - but with code I actually get paid for what I make.

• Each day at work, I make or fix something. I almost never have day when I just have meetings, and it feels like nothing changed at all (a lot of non developers have days like that)

• Coding feels like solving a fun puzzle, or meditation to me, if I don't code I actually miss it - which is pretty cool for something I get paid for.

Us developers are all part of a club of people who can do something that other people find impossible to do (sure they can join the club if they like, and I'd totally support it, but most give up before they've even started). Other people want this thing we do so badly, that they don't care what we look like, where we're from, what we wear or even what time we turn up. And they'll pay us a lot of money for it. And I think that's pretty cool :)

I'm a very creative kind-of guy (or at least that's what I think about myself). Having my first encounter with programming language at the age of 9 I didn't really understand it. But I saw potential in it. Because I love creating new things, I thought of programming and various other virtual and creative goods as an endless playground with limitless possibilities. That's what made me learn how to code in my free time and that's why I code everyday.👍

Well, i'll just say no matter its a big o little problem, I like to think.

I started when I was 7 with Basic. I started because I wanted to make the screen diplay something, and now I do it because I want computer to do something for me.

Sometimes is fun. The fun is gone when you get paid and get deadlines

Just like to build.

I learned to program in my late teens, at the time a hobby. I can build systems from the ground up, and extend across multiple platforms. I’ve also worked in construction, do woodworking and build robots.

Always come back to programming. Programmming for almost 40 years now.

I code because it helps to keep my mind occupied. I also love the feeling of accomplishment that comes over me after I conquer code that had me stumped for hours or sometimes days. The feeling of accomplishment can last for days at a time. So for me, its a way of getting lit.

Long story short: Because I have bills to pay.

I almost gave up codding and the entire IT field, but this is what I know to do and I am good - not superb, not mediocre, a little above the average.

Programming is just that for me, nothing else, nothing less.

PS.: I felt old when you said "when I was 16" and mentioned Udemy. "Was Udemy already a thing in the 00s??? ..... OOOOOOOHHHHH."