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Discussion on: What do you do when StackOverflow and the internet fails you?

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Varun Vachhar

This is usually my process:

  1. Try to isolate the problem. If possible, replicate the issue in a CodePen, jsbin, etc. The act of doing this can sometimes help you find a solution.

  2. Search Github issues. This is actually my first stop instead of stack-overflow.

  3. Read the source code, look at code comments, sometimes there are examples in the repo and maybe there is a wiki.

  4. Google for blog posts, examples, tutorials. Be specific in your search. Pick the appropriate part of the stack trace instead of searching for the whole thing.

  5. Explain the problem to a co-worker. So often I will answer my own question just by saying the problem out loud. Try pairing on it.

  6. File a github issue and attach the example replicating the problem. Consider re-evaluating your mental model. When I'm new to something I find that this is often a challenge. I'm asking the wrong question or things aren't quite what I expect them to be.