I'm trying to learn programming and something I struggle with the most is trying to separate code mentally into chunks where I can think through the problem. I'm not really sure how to describe it other than when I read a function to determine what it does then go to the next part of the code I've already forgotten how the function transforms the data and I get stuck trying to figure out the solution. So instead I'll often cludge something together just to make it work but I don't feel like I made any progress. Has anybody else run into this issue where they struggle with abstracting code from text to mental instructions?
Edit: Thank you all for the suggestions and advise. I wish I could reply to everyone but there's been a lot of good information given and I have some ways now to try and train my brain to think about how to break down the code. It's also a little reassuring knowing I'm not the first to have these same struggles.
The name of the function, what goes in and what goes out in most cases should be enough to get a good idea on what the function does.
It also helps to make a diagram of how everything ties together. Just boxes and arrows is enough.
When writing your own code, it takes a bit of experience to know when to put something in its own function. It's very obvious when you're replicating code. It's also very common to cut things up when a function gets too big. Look for bits of functionality that you can give a good name.