Hackathon Github link
My friends and I attended a hackathon, which proved to be a wonderful experience. We went in with very little idea of what to expect, as none of us had ever participated in a hackathon before or had a specific project in mind. My two friends, Brad and Joe, were both relatively new to programming. Brad was proficient in HTML/CSS, while Joe was learning Python. As the most experienced programmer in the group, I took on the role of leading the project and assigning tasks based on our individual skills.
Despite a rough start and some initial brainstorming, we came up with a word search and we began programming about an hour or two into the event. Joe and I worked together on integrating the Python back-end with the front-end, and were able to successfully complete the project within our limmited time frame. However, unfortunately, we were unable to have it judged as one of our group members had a work obligation and needed to leave early, and all members were required to be present for judging. Despite this, we were all proud of what we had accomplished.
Brad, who was skilled in HTML, took on the task of building the front-end. Joe and I focused on the back-end, with Joe working on the algorithm for generating and placing the words in our word search project, and I worked on getting the back-end logic working utilzing Flask and filling in the remaining spaces with random characters. We chose to use Flask for the back-end, as I had previous experience with it, and Joe would be able to do his part in Python.
The hackathon also included events to teach us more about GitHub, test-driven development, and what a "average day" would look like. I found these to be very informative and helpful, and it gave me a glimpse into the development cycle used by industry professionals. Additionally, I was able to network with other developers, getting very helpful insite for a Jr dev.
