2025-06-01 - Day 1 - 100 Days of Code (Again)

Good morning, Friends -

Eight years ago I was unemployed (laid off). I was about 25 days into a 100 Days of Code challenge at that time. I took about a week off the challenge to wallow a bit then got back into the swing of things.

This does not come naturally to me, even after 12 years actively working as a software developer of some kind. My natural state is “lump on couch” because it’s safer than putting something “out there” that could be savaged by the public at large.

However, remembering how a coding challenge kept me going, here I go again. And it is auspicious and convenient that the first day of my 100 day challenge starts on the first day of June - the start of the downhill side of the year.

Today I’m going to start with something that’s been on my “DO THIS” list for a while: solve the n-queens problem with Java. Last time I did this was with Javascript ten years ago and it makes me cringe a little just looking at it. Here’s the plan: (1) refactor for ES6, (2) refactor for something NOT backbone, (3) branch and start editing to run as a Java terminal app.

So “Ballyhoo” and “Let’s Go” to any other 100 dayers who also chose today as “THE DAY”.