A:
I FINALLY figured out what my code was doing.
B:
Oh yeah? What was the problem?
A:
Oh, there was no problem, it was working fine. I just finally figured it out conceptually I mean. It turns out it's a tree! That's the main datastructure. Duh, it's obvious now, haha.
B:
How did you not know that ahead of time?
A:
Well, I just kept trying different things till it worked properly.
B:
You know... most people probably plan that kind of thing out ahead of time.
A:
Maybe. I think by this point that I have enough instinct built up that beginning by trying to pick the right abstraction is probably a bad idea. I think about it and try things until it works and makes sense, and then you can look back and think, "Oh it's a tree!" or "Oh, it recurses!" It's subconscious baby, it's all subconscious.
B:
Are you bothered that you've internalized various data structures and algorithms to such a degree that some ancient reptilian part of your brain is able to use them?
A:
Not at all, my man, not at all.