How to get help with homework / how to ask questions.

This message was edited 6 times. Last update was at 01/01/2006 20:14:45

Those of us who have been using Java for a while recognize that it can be pretty frustrating to learn both programming in general along with Java (or for that matter any lanuguage) syntax. You can look at a place in your code where the compiler is telling you there is an error for hours and not see what the problem is.

For those times if you post the code along with what you've tried people will be more than willing to help. You are unlikely to get a direct answer like "this is the code you want". Instead you will most likely get some gentle nudging in the right direction, possibly in the form of another question.

The least likely way to get an answer is to ask things like "please fix this code" or "my homework is due in an hour and I haven't started". Realize that these forums are staffed with volunteers - we are not being paid to help you. Generally people are turned off when a poster has not shown that they have at least tried. I can't stress this part enough. If your goal is to get to the answer as quickly as possible then show us that we're not doing your homework for you.

We're trying to create quality forums that contain good information for the beginner through the expert level. Often it helps to see the thought process that other people have gone through so you too can learn from it. A good writeup from Eric S. Raymond details some smart ways to ask questions.

Other things.

Be very descriptive
The more information you can provide about the issue you're having the better. Don't just say "it doesn't work". Tell us what you've tried, what errors you're getting and, if applicable, a stack trace. As much as we'd like we're not mind readers. A big area for this is the Java version and operating system you're using. While there are strong similarities between Java versions there are important differences that will help other people to solve the problem quicker if they know the version. Often the operating system you're using isn't important but it can be at times. It is easy enough to post that information - include it if you think it would help.

Please use the code tag when posting code
This forum and other ones like it allow you to wrap your code in a tag that formats the code differently than the rest of the post. It also maintains spacing of your code so that it is easier to read. Please use it. On the GUI when you create a message you will see a "Code" button - select this to open and close your code tags.

Here's another good article I found on how to post questions:
Microsoft.com: How to Post a Question