Read -> Code -> Learn -> Repeat.

Practice Practice Practice

Some tips I would like to give you.

1. Start from solving some easy problems it will build up your confidence. You can try codewars .

2. Explore new algorithms. Checkout geeksforgeeks it has ample of resources .

Problem solving skills depends upon how much experience do you have , like how much problems you have solved in the past. Many times experienced coders catch the logic fast as they have somehow dealt with the similar types of problem before.

Problem solving is like sports, the more you practice the better you become :)

Mine is a different background - I studied as an aerospace engineer so I've had the advantage of being forced to solve problems quickly, efficiently and correctly. In my degree we did matlab to solve complex math problems. Then after this I became a software engineer (self-taught). So a mix.

In order to solve problems you need to be able to identify exactly what the problem is. This sounds easy, but can elude people for a long time, even those who are versed in problem solving. However, the idea is to break the problem down into it's fundamental components and then through careful observation, analysis and deduction the solution can be found. Problem solving is a process.

The more knowledge gained in a certain language can make this easier but that doesn't mean it can't be done for those who are brand new to a language, or anything really. The experience you already have in life and in other programming fields can be used to understand how it could be done in a different environment and from this derive an appropriate approach to the problem being faced.

An example, if its a bug:

• identify the issue and replicate.
• determine what the desired outcome is/intended function.
• are there any logs to help determine the bugs origin/identify where it could most likely have come from.
• having identified the origin begin to examine the code, line by line or even variable by variable if required, in order to identify the true origin.
• implement a fix (might be as simple as variable name case or could require a different language method to replace another, etc).
• Test to ensure the bug has been fixed.

As for complex problems its important to follow a similar process where you identify what you want to achieve (observe), then understand all the tools at your disposal in order solve the problem (analyse) and then break down the problem into smaller and smaller parts with corresponding methods/tools to solve (deduce) so you can start crossing them off your list, on the way to completely resolving the issue.

Observe, Analyse & Deduce.

Practise is the most important part.

You can just build cool stuff, if that gives you the right amount challenge.

If you find that building 'real' stuff has too many simple parts, or if you want to learn specific things, you can also solve small puzzles.

I've used Hackerrank before and it's quite entertaining. (As a bonus, some companies use it as tests during interviews).

EDIT It also helps to reflect on your approach after solving a problem or being stuck for a while. What did you do? Did it work? Which theories do you have about the cause? How can you test them? What's the most useful information to obtain? How can your IDE help?

Hello Usama. I'm a self-taught developer too. I started with Java and directly tried to start learning Android development. Actually, I failed because I didn't PRACTICE enough before starting Android development ( Now I'm a web developer :) ).

Try to practice with "coding" in parallel with the technology you are trying to learn ( Such as mobile or web development ).

Try to practice a bit in problem-solving. This sheet may help you to start with easy problems:

Link to the sheet

And you should start learning some CS principles such as data structure and algorithms. You will be a better developer when you learn these things. Because you will learn about some problems and how they analyzed and solved.