How do non tutorial coders use the documentation and API?

CastleTheDeveloper

TLDR:
(How did you Pros get out of tutorial hell and connect the dots that let you code with just having the API + Documentation at your side?
The coding mindset and coding structures are clicking for me piece by piece when I reverse engineer Godot game tutorials. I see the value of what the API provides but it rarely if ever feels like it bridges the gap for me in terms of feeling like I'd know how to make something from just that information. I'm also constantly learning about the fundamentals of GDScript so it helps ofc but I'm always left wondering how do people know how to code from scratch when a lot of how the elements of the API and Documentations do not specify orders and or indicate clear / practical "How, When, Why, What" teachings that leave readers confident on use cases?
)

What goes on in your brains workflow/ methodology-wise?

I've been learning GDScript by doing various tutorials and reverse engineering them. As a result, I've grown to be much more comfortable reading and analyzing GDScript scripts and keeping track of things all over the tutorials. I feel much more literate in GDScript when it comes to seeing finished scripts / projects.

I've taken the time to also learn the fundamentals as well and continue to do so. I view tutorials as exposure more than coding law.
Time and time again I see experienced coders say that to get better, beginners should frequently use the API / documentation.
I understand the value of the API and Documentation: We see inheritance, properties, methods , signals etc and what parameters they require to work and or return...

However, how do you Pros make due with that when coding something personal from scratch when there are no tutorials around?
Most of the API feels very exposition-y but not educational enough that you understand the practical "How , When , Why and What" use cases. To me, it's like a dictionary with vague examples and a template if you're lucky.

But it constantly leaves me wondering, if that's all people have access to from API and documentation how do the pros come up with these tutorials? How do they know to chain these functions / methods , properties and variable etc with each other in order to make things work the way they want?

when I go to the API and scroll through NavigationAgent2D , how would I have known to go find all the other working parts of the _move function seen below to make it work?

ex:

CastleTheDeveloper

this post feels like a great start of an answer to this thread, if this helps any other newbies:

https://godotforums.org/d/43749-where-to-start-making-your-game-tips-from-a-pro-game-designer

Zini

The API documentation is important. But it is not the starting point.

You begin by getting familiar with the general structure and the core elements that make up the framework/engine you are working with. In the case of Godot nodes, scenes, resources, autoloads, signals, initialization order (_init, _ready), the main loop, important callbacks, collision handling, viewports and so on. Also get a general understanding of any other important concept involved. In the case of game development for example some vector math.

Once you have this foundation, for any given tasks you use divide and conquer. That is your most important strategy. Split up the task into individual steps. In case of your example: get the next position, get a direction from the player to that position, move in that direction at a given speed. Only once you have done that you start looking at the API documentation. With a good API (which Godot mostly has) everything translates naturally. If you have a bad API this part of the job usually involves some amount of yelling at the screen.

Beyond that it is really just practice. For the first couple of years you will struggle; at lot at first, much less later. There is really not more to it.

CastleTheDeveloper

Zini I appreciate this answer a lot thank you.

fire7side

I doubt there are very many that didn't start with some tutorials. Even the docs have tutorials. The further you get, the more you can just look at the functions and properties to do what you want. If I can find a tutorial that's close to what I need, great. If I know what I'm doing and only need to read functions and properties even better. I don't know about any tutorial hell except people that don't keep learning.

kuligs2

im more like fire7side .. you learn how to use functions and stuff then just look up either closest tutorial to what you want to do or just look up functions that would do what you want to do.

Watching tutorials on a binge is not good. this is similar to what watching gaming videos do to you - you feel like you are the playing and it gives you that satisfaction but in learning space that is not enough to develop intuition and logical thinking on what to do to achieve thing. Watching tutorials will satisfy the "learning" crave and you will feel good that you know how to do it because its simple but then when youre at the wheel you get overwhelmed because you forgot most of what to do..

Best way is to practice.. like watch tutorial on what they want to achieve and pause it and then try to do it yourself and compare the results.. sometimes you will find new ways to do the same thing..

Im not professional, just talking from personal expereince

CastleTheDeveloper

For any other beginners I highly recommend this video.
REALLY great resource for anyone trying to figure out how to think when using API and how to make sense of it.
Rewatch it a few times, it wont make sense right away but refer back to it once in a while as you get more Godot confident and it'll click relatively quickly. It took me about 3 rewatches across the span of a few months to properly absorb the value of the video.
The end of the video even shows the logic and approach to get the ball started.
And take notes to make yourself a cheat sheet to glance at whenever you need a quick reminder!!!!

These documentation pages are also going to be very helpful.
Take your time, I had already started reading through it for a while now but bits and pieces started making sense as I read.
Gradually it forms a bigger picture. Also when doing tutorials try using the logic from that video to see if you can decode even a smidge of the logic required. It wont always be evident but it'll train your mind to sketch out coding systems of your own.

https://docs.godotengine.org/en/stable/tutorials/scripting/how_to_read_the_godot_api.html
https://docs.godotengine.org/en/4.5/getting_started/introduction/index.html
https://docs.godotengine.org/en/4.5/getting_started/step_by_step/index.html
https://docs.godotengine.org/en/4.5/tutorials/best_practices/index.html

Basically the Getting Started Section of the documentation.