Introduction
It all started when I was enjoying my vacation and watching YouTube videos on my Lenovo tablet. I had already developed an interest in computer-related topics in 7th-8th grade when we were introduced to the subject in school. One day, I came across a YouTube video where the creator was showcasing an app they had built themselves. Later, they started a live Q&A session, and I asked them, "What did you use to make that app?" They mentioned an app called Sketchware – Create Your Own Apps (which has been discontinued for a long time).
Sketchware used a block-based editor where you could drag and drop blocks, fill in some details, run, compile, and your app would be ready. My goal was to create a code editor with syntax highlighting (though I didn’t know that term back then), along with features like autocomplete and auto-closing brackets. This ignited a determination within me to build that app and embark on my coding journey. I joined the Sketchware Slack community and started bombarding people with my endless questions.
Early Days
Like most developers, I relied heavily on copying and pasting code and debugging tons of errors (at one point, I had nearly 100 errors!). I carefully understood each error and solved them one at a time. I then broke down the process into small chunks, first by implementing a custom TextEditor class, then by eventually adding line numbers, syntax highlighting, autocomplete, auto-closing brackets, an inbuilt file manager, and, for .html files, running them in a WebView. I managed to implement all these features simultaneously, and one day the app was ready. Now, you might be thinking: how the heck did I implement all these features using an app that only used blocks? Well, there's a twist in the story: Sketchware included a block called "add source directly" (ASD block). With that block, adding custom code to the app was possible, provided you knew how it worked without breaking the compilation. That block was a blessing for Sketchware users, but it also played a part in Sketchware’s eventual shutdown (that’s a whole different story).
Milestones
I always wanted to explore more and start doing something interesting. So, I created a YouTube channel and started uploading tutorial videos related to Sketchware and using ASD blocks to create various projects. Back in 10th grade, I couldn't contribute much to my learning and curiosity journey due to my studies. However, I still tried my best to find time and explore more of this technology. I downloaded text/code editors like Atom, Notepad++, and Sublime Text to understand how they worked. I was then drawn to desktop app development and started diving into it. I used JavaFX along with Java Swing to understand the process of creating desktop applications. Additionally, I explored different IDEs, transitioning from NetBeans to Eclipse to understand their working mechanisms.
Growth and Evolution
Back in 2018-2019, I met a friend, Amitoj, in the Slack community of Sketchware. He had an idea to create a platform where users who built apps using Sketchware could share their applications, essentially a Play Store for Sketchware. I contributed to that project, specifically the backend, for a few months using PHP and MySQL. The platform, called Sketchub, is still up and running today.
Fast-forward to the lockdown era, I was inspired by the Sketchub project and wanted to create a tool to help the community. That’s when I developed SKTool, a tool that made editing the source code of Sketchware projects easier.
After that, I got bored and became super active on Discord, grinding bots, making friends, and just hanging out. Eventually, I wanted to learn something new, and my friend, Deltawing, suggested learning Python by making Discord bots. I worked on building Discord bots—a lot (or at least I tried). Through that, I learned Python and got introduced to PostgreSQL and SQLite.
I followed the same learning path after getting into college. I participated in a state-level hackathon, my first ever, without any prior experience (we reached the finals). After that, I delved into web development. Back then, I used to think JavaScript was the most complex language, and honestly, I wasn’t wrong, it really is.
Conclusion
Over the past few years, I’ve learned a lot, both in coding and life, and every day, I strive to stay as curious and improve as much as possible. Throughout this journey, I’ve made many friends, both online and in real life.
To anyone who is just starting or in their early days, don’t let your curiosity fade. No one can stop you from learning something new, even if it’s different from what you do daily
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