[edw519]

...the number of sloppy mistakes I make is still way too high...

Compared to what?

You may not have a problem.

Sometimes "code, mistake, fix, code, mistake, fix, code, mistake, fix,..." is faster than "code it perfectly once".

For me it usually is. I'd rather crank stuff out quickly and fix it than drive myself nuts thinking it through.

Stupid syntax and typing errors will go away with repetition. Otherwise I wouldn't worry too much as long as you keep cranking forward.

[For what it's worth: I do not use an IDE, I do not use color or syntax highlighting, and I use debug as a last resort. Many here disagree with me, but I believe my brain internalizes those things that help me avoid stupid mistakes by coding without training wheels.]

[ramchip]

Why would syntax highlighting, etc. be "training wheels"? I understand that training wheels restrain what you can do with your bike, but what's the downside to coding in an IDE?

[edw519]

My experience is that when I code in a simple monochrome text editor, I have instinctually learned and internalized syntax, reserved words, etc. much more quickly. Kinda like shooting a basketball into a smaller hoop or driving a stick shift. Everything just flows better and I rarely have OP's problems.

[Jem]

I started coding back in the day with plain old Windows Notepad. I think not having line numbers, not having syntax highlighting and all that fancy stuff definitely helped me.