First off do you know the basics? HTML/CSS and Ruby or PHP are you creating web apps in an existing framework or just getting started. If you're just getting s

First off do you know the basics? HTML/CSS and Ruby or PHP are you creating web apps in an existing framework or just getting started. If you're just getting started it helps a lot to have a handle on html/css, javascript, jQuery and ruby/PHP before diving in to a framework for web app related stuff. So if you need to take some time and learn HTML/CSS and some javascript/jQuery. I would learn languages in this order HTML/CSS, javascript, jQuery, PHP/MySQL, then Rails or Laravel, then Vue,React, etc. if you're interested in web apps. My first go at learning Rails was too early and I had a difficult time and gave up. After creating a web app from scratch, writing a basic login, CRUD and learning the inner workings of a basic web application I gave rails another go and it clicked and went smoothly. The first time I didn't understand the basics of a web application and had a difficult time knowing what rails was doing or what to do next. So I think it depends on what level you are at. As far as cutting and pasting, when you're learning cutting and pasting is fine, even as an advanced programmer you're always going to be learning and looking at what others have done as a starting point. When you cut and paste you'll usually be modifying it to make it do what you want. So take a little extra time and research what it's doing till you understand it so you can use it again and understand what it does/can/can not do. Choose something you'll use not a straight copy paste tutorial. Choose something with the basics of a web application, you can follow tutorials for that but add in something unique that you'll have to create from scratch. This is where the learning takes place. So maybe an app you can login to and track your lego star wars collection, or an app you and your friends can log in to and have your own private twitter or social network. Maybe something that connects to an api of a service you use. Sign up for Stripe and create something with a billing/subscription component. Just build one part of it at a time. Set a goal, this evening or this weekend I'm going to build this part and have it up and running. Good luck, enjoy learning something new, Happy Holidays.