Programming Help Guidelines

[queenofcorgis]

Need help with your projects or want to talk about programming tools, concepts, languages, and frameworks? This category is the place for you! But before you post, read on through to ensure your post meets our guidelines.

✅ What is allowed in this category:

• Questions for help regarding software development and programming concepts & languages
• Asking for feedback on a software development project or finding projects that are in need of contributors
• Conversations about open source news and opinions on tooling/packaging

❌What is not allowed in this category:

• Asking people to code for you or homework/test questions
• Posting or seeking job listings or contests
• Self-promoting your projects or advertising of any kind
• Badge Hunting

If you post something that is not allowed, your post may be removed without notice and you may receive a temporary ban 🛑.

If you’re interested in learning more about this category, we’ve put together a FAQ below.

FAQs

How can I get help with my programming/project question?

To ensure the best chance of help with your programming question, it’s essential that you follow a few guidelines.

1. Use the appropriate label on your topic 🏷️. This will signal to everyone that you need help and in which area.
2. If this pertains to specific GitHub features, add another label to your topic that indicates said feature(s) . This will allow the answerers to have a deeper understanding of the issue you’re facing.
3. Provide as much context as possible surrounding your question ✏️. Remember, the people who are here trying to help you probably haven’t heard of your project and don’t know the particular challenges that you’ve been dealing with. The more context you provide, the easier it will be for people to help you.
4. Provide a link to a Gist, a pull request, or to code in your repository 🔗. GitHub has a lot of tools for getting help and doing code reviews. It’s worth taking advantage of these tools to help yourself and the people working with you.
5. When your question has been answered, mark your topic as solved ✅. This will allow people to see at a glance which questions still need help and which ones have already been answered.
6. Give kudos to people who help you 👏. Everyone likes to be recognized for their contributions. If someone has been genuinely helpful, giving them kudos is an easy way to thank someone and also to indicate to the community who the helpers are.

Can I use ChatGPT to answer questions?

While we encourage non-AI answers to questions in community, we also love experimenting and using new technologies. We ask if you do use ChatGPT or similar programs, please disclose what software and model version number you used to generate the response you used in your reply in order to promote transparency in the community.

ChatGPT answers in a tone that sounds like a tech support professional and while we support trying out this software, it is important to verify that they are solutions before posting otherwise it may mislead users into thinking that they are receiving official responses when they are not.

Per ChatGPT's website, the program does have limitations like:

• "May occasionally generate incorrect information"
• "May occasionally produce harmful instructions"
• "Limited knowledge of world and events after 2021"

Please keep the above in mind as we support trying out new software, but recognize it is valuable to other community members that solutions are verified to be correct, in order to uphold the GitHub Community’s quality standards.

What do I gain from answering questions?

In addition to the warm, fuzzy feelings ❤️‍🔥 that come with helping others, answering questions and offering help is a great way to hone your skills and ultimately influence the next generation of programmers. Answering questions regularly is also a great way to gain a reputation among your peers for being a helpful and friendly expert in your field.

I’m just getting started with Git and programming languages - how do I start?

We created evergreen threads for resources, advice, and basic questions. Feel free to start there with our Getting Started with Git ⌨️ thread and Getting Started with Programming Languages Hub before creating your own discussion.

I feel ready to join the professional world; is there anywhere I can go for advice?

First off, that’s awesome, and congratulations on taking the step from amateur to professional coder. We have a Discussion already open with helpful links and advice - but keep the party going and ask what is on your mind 🧠.

Can you help me with a project that is hosted on GitHub?

If you're asking how to use the piece of software that you found in a repository on GitHub, the best way is to first contact the maintainers by:

• Checking the README for instructions on how to operate the software and pointers to documentation or troubleshooting info.
• Checking the SUPPORT file, if one exists, for instructions on how to best contact the maintainers for support.
• Checking the CONTRIBUTING guide, if one exists. Sometimes if there isn't a SUPPORT file, the CONTRIBUTING guide will give instructions on how to contact the maintainers for support.

All of these documents can be found, if they exist, in the repository where you found the software itself.

Happy programming!

[ghost]

[Flowery7]

Here is a list of API for all kinds of stuff. There are some good weather ones too. https://github.com/public-apis/public-apis

[Mechantchulo]

How can someone improve their programming skills without relying entirely on AI

[mrtrustee]

How can someone improve their programming skills without relying entirely on AI

It involves solving problems everyday. Especially building projects to solve a particular problem.

[DevdouglasGfs]

Here is a list of API for all kinds of stuff. There are some good weather ones too. https://github.com/public-apis/public-apis

a better repository is https://github.com/marcelscruz/public-apis as described here

[abaawe]

I am looking for a way to send a set of information to a database and receive this data again... in real time, that is, in real time.... without any delay............. I do not want to use Node js, I don't want to use RealTime Databases, I don't want to use MoongoDB, just PHP, SQL, and JavaScript.

[jmerc77]

Its been a while since i used php and sql, however, your question is a tad vague. Obviously, you can send and receive data from a database with those but, no matter how advanced technology gets, there will always be some delay. Weather its a few picoseconds or hours depends on distance and the type of communication used between devices. 0 time delays are impossible due to the laws of physics. The upper limit is the speed of light in a vacuum. So i am assuming you mean a really small latency but, there's no mention of what is small enough to be acceptable in your application based on your question.

Edit: just notice the reply of the details of how to set up the connection. Mobile version of git is a bit weird. Still, be sure to be clear about your requirements. And realistic.

[gunjan-ghangare]

Achieving true real-time communication without any delay is almost impossible with plain PHP and SQL, because PHP traditionally runs only when a request is made and then stops executing. That means it can’t maintain a continuous open connection to the client on its own. However, you can still get something very close to real-time by using techniques that work within the limits of PHP and JavaScript.

The simplest approach is short-interval polling. Your JavaScript can send a request to a PHP script every few seconds or even multiple times per second. The PHP script checks the database, returns the latest data, and the frontend updates immediately. It isn’t technically real-time, but when the interval is small enough, it feels real-time to users and doesn’t require Node.js or any special database.

Another option is long polling. Instead of sending constant requests, the browser makes one request to the server and the PHP script holds that request open until new data appears. When the data changes, PHP sends back the response, the browser processes it, and immediately opens another request. This method gets much closer to real-time behavior without WebSockets or external services, and it works entirely with PHP, SQL, and JavaScript.

If you want true two-way communication without delay, then PHP would need WebSockets support via libraries like Ratchet, but that’s already stretching beyond basic PHP. Within your requirements, long polling is the closest realistic solution. It avoids Node.js, avoids realtime-databases, avoids MongoDB, and still gives an almost instant update flow using only PHP, SQL, and JavaScript.

[brunaszarin]

🏷️API/DATABASE/PROBABLY A DUMB QUESTION
I know it may sounds a quite dumb question, but i feel a little of a hardship to grasp the functioning of an API, and how others can access it and use it. I've alredy implemented some api's in my projects, but it still feels off to me, mainly about, its functioning behind the scenes. Somone have some good advice on books, articles or any good teacher on youtube to help me to undestand that?

[rachidabdelhak]

how does archive.org use python in arabic books collections maagement

[Babicakes2981]

hello i'm new to git hub, coding , or should i say it all. i've been trying to figure out where to begin and/or where to start. i've learned how to create a whole python code and a few things in a few other languages. but they never told me how and/or what is the point of using a terminal and im trying to learn some of the security analyst. im on here and im on here and is lost. i tried to understand what im doing and try to figure out what im trying to do to learn but i need some help, advice where and how to grow my skills so far and more im interested in developing code and data analyst cyber security please help for any free good course or training i can do to get better thank you all so much. i cant wait to have some of you all skills

[Armanman33]

i know some good resources, lll send them for you dear.
this website for exercise: https://exercism.org
this website for starting from 0 for free: https://www.freecodecamp.org/
with love

[arihilman]

🏷️API/DATABASE/PROBABLY A DUMB QUESTION I know it may sounds a quite dumb question, but i feel a little of a hardship to grasp the functioning of an API, and how others can access it and use it. I've alredy implemented some api's in my projects, but it still feels off to me, mainly about, its functioning behind the scenes. Somone have some good advice on books, articles or any good teacher on youtube to help me to undestand that?

[gunjan-ghangare]

Understanding APIs can feel confusing at first, and it’s definitely not a dumb question. Even after building a few APIs myself, it took some time before the whole process actually made sense. What helped me was realizing that an API is basically just a program running on a server, waiting for someone to send it a request. When a client contacts an endpoint, the request travels through the internet, gets routed to the server where your backend code is running, and that code processes the request, talks to the database if needed, and sends back a response in JSON. That’s really the core of what’s happening behind the scenes.
Anyone else can use your API simply because it’s accessible over the internet. As long as they know the URL, follow the structure you designed, and meet any authentication requirements, their request reaches your server the same way yours does. Once you see APIs as a simple request-and-response flow instead of something mysterious, they become much easier to understand.
For learning, the most helpful resources for me were creators who explain things in a real-world way rather than just showing code. Hussein Nasser is great for understanding what happens behind the scenes, Fireship gives fast and clear overviews, and Traversy Media explains backend concepts in a very beginner-friendly style. If you prefer reading, “RESTful Web APIs” by O’Reilly is a solid option and helps build intuition rather than just teaching syntax.
In the end, what really cleared things up was experimenting with small APIs and watching how data moves using tools like Postman. Once you actually see the request go out and the response come back, the whole system becomes a lot more logical. So you’re definitely not alone many developers feel exactly the same way when starting out, and asking this question is already a big step toward understanding the whole picture.

[AdityaSrivastava185]

Hello there , i am looking for feedback on a reactjs based project and if there is anyone who can help me with react-redux pure concepts docs from basics to advance i would be happy to connect reactjs-project
Thank you

[RaniTayade]

Hi your project sounds interesting! If you’d like feedback, feel free to share the repo link so others can take a look. For React-Redux concepts, the official Redux Toolkit docs are the best starting point they cover everything from core basics to advanced patterns with clear
examples: https://redux-toolkit.js.org/. You can also pair them with the React-Redux docs: https://react-redux.js.org/
for a deeper dive. Happy to connect and discuss your project further!

[Gaurav450450]

good

[AdityaSrivastava185]

Hello , I want to start building a full stack project but i am confused between the tech stacks , should i choose mern stack or build with (mongodb , express , nodejs and ejs ) stack to build the application , and also that if i would build with ejs template engine is it still going to help me in future like mern stack or not , is choosing ejs a good option ?? Please help me to solve this issue

[MdRashid62]

Have you built the project yet?

[AdityaSrivastava185]

Yes 👍

[RaniTayade]

If your goal is to learn modern full-stack development, MERN (MongoDB, Express, React, Node.js) gives you strong front-end skills with React that are highly in demand. EJS is simpler and great for learning server-side rendering basics, but it’s not as future-proof for larger, scalable apps. If you’re just starting out, you can build a project with EJS to understand the flow, then move to MERN for better career value. Both help, but MERN opens more opportunities long-term.

[kerrich]

I have a supposed GitHub validator in chat and ready to help me. However, he's requesting my seed phrase through an "encrypted" chat box. I thought that I read that GitHub doesn't ask for seed phrases, what to do??

[stefanovaradost25-ops]

Please help me i need to password for the my account Facebook nikoni811881
kukusha81
plamen811881

[ljramac]

Thanks for clarifying the posting guidelines! I really appreciate how this category encourages meaningful technical discussions instead of just code requests. It’s great that the community promotes transparency when using tools like ChatGPT — it keeps the quality of answers high while still letting us explore new technologies.

I’m looking forward to sharing ideas about open-source projects and contributing to others’ work here.

[libos1]

Greetings to you
i'm Leo

[libos1]

I'm from Africa and you

[Om-singh-ui]

💬 My Thoughts on the Programming Help & Project Discussion Category

Hey everyone 👋

First off — I really appreciate how clearly these guidelines are written. It’s great to see such a well-structured space for developers to connect, share insights, and help each other grow. 🚀

I think this category strikes the perfect balance between collaboration and learning encouraging meaningful technical discussions while also maintaining the community’s quality standards. The emphasis on context, labeling topics correctly, and sharing reproducible examples (like Gists or repo links) is spot on. It makes helping others much smoother and more productive for everyone involved.

I also appreciate the openness to tools like ChatGPT, as long as transparency is maintained. AI can be a great starting point for brainstorming or debugging, but combining that with human verification ensures we keep reliability high ✅

Personally, I’m looking forward to both offering help on projects and learning from others’ approaches to frameworks, APIs, and real-world problem solving. It’s awesome that this community promotes not just Q&A, but collaboration and mentorship too 💡

Thanks to the moderators and contributors who keep this space so well-organized really looking forward to being part of the conversations here! 🙌

Happy coding, everyone!
Om Singh Chouhan

Would you like me to mak

[Rocky-Dewan]

To get the best answer, you must:

1.Label your topic correctly.
2.Provide maximum context and code links (Gist/PR/Repo).
3.DO NOT ask for homework/test answers, post job ads, or self-promote.
4.If using an AI (like ChatGPT) to answer, you MUST disclose the software and version for transparency, as AI responses need to be verified for correctness.

[molaskidata]

Hi, I need help in my project..
no.. thats not a sef-promotion.. i am a fresh/new Software Developer (2 Months). Don't now so much as you do and i am stuck with my localhost Site..
I am working on this peace of sh*t XD =
My Git-proj.. pls don't jugde
naah I am joking.. it's ok.. but I can't help me with YouTube videos cause, there is nothing what's that what i really searching for..
I thought I should may ask you guys and girls ^^ Maybe you can give me a feedback! ^^

[molaskidata]

why are you sending your mail adress in here? nobody needs that XD

[molaskidata]

the issue is already solved.. i forgot, that i wrote it here but never explained the issue... it was a ssh key and https issue... but i got it. thnks

[Sina247]

Hello and regards, 👋

Thank you for the detailed guidance on this category. It’s very helpful in making sure participation is purposeful and constructive, and that everyone knows what types of content and interactions are appropriate. 🌟

I’m excited to engage in this space with other developers and share my experiences regarding tools, frameworks, optimization techniques, and best programming practices.
While participating in this community, I commit to:

Asking questions with full context and real-world examples. 🔗

Sharing useful insights and practical experiences with others. 💡

Respecting others and always following the GitHub Community guidelines. 🙏

I hope this category becomes a professional, constructive, and friendly space for learning and collaboration among developers. 🚀

[silassdev]

Hello Folks

I'm looking for collaborators on GitHub api integrated applications like graphQL

Anyone interested in integrating GitHub in a project is welcomed.