As a beginner, is looking too "in-depth" a bad idea? [closed]

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I've recently attempted to start learning the C programming language, this question isn't specific to that one language though, or any language for that matter. I've found that I regret asking for information/best practices as early in the learning process as I have, simply because I'm receiving too much information.

As an example, I asked a question related to arrays in C:

Is defining the length of an array with a macro "excellent practice"?

What I found was, I received the answer I was looking for; but, I also received a slew of other information, that, as a beginner was absolutely over my head. I then regretted asking in the first place because I found myself worrying about things that I probably shouldn't know/care about at this stage in the learning process.

I guess what I'm asking is: do you think worrying about best practices and language caveats when I'm a beginner will be harmful to me, or is it encouraged? I find myself getting lost reading questions under the 'c' tag, of which I was trying to use to improve my knowledge, but now I'm bogged down and not making any real progress because of all the little details in comments/answers etc.

Answer 1

It's certainly not a bad thing, per se, as learning of advanced matters ahead of time can really help you along the road. This isn't even confined to computer science; I, for example, find myself in this position all the time when cooking a new dish or studying relatively advanced mathematics. Of course, if all the little details and super-technical stuff are stressing you out, by all means, take a step back and breathe, try and focus on the task at hand. You can always return to the more advanced topics later!

On the specific question of learning the standard practices and caveats of a given language, I personally recommend it. First of all, doing so can keep you from developing bad habits. Knowing the strengths and weaknesses of a given language are rather important, and can influence you later on. If you have one or two things you really hate about C, you can try another language in the future that addresses those issues. The sooner you acquaint yourself with such matters the sooner you can make a decision.