Zeu Park

A curious developer documenting my journey through code, from Python basics to machine learning and beyond

1 minute read

Introduction

Today, I tried building a user registration system using Python and object-oriented programming. It started with excitement — a clear vision in my head — and ended with confusion and messy code. The most surprising part? ChatGPT helped me, but also messed me up.

What I Tried to Build

I wanted a basic member system:

  • Users could sign up with ID, password, name, phone number, and email
  • Data could be saved and loaded via pickle
  • Admins could view and manage accounts

I used three main classes:

  • AccountManager: for managing the list
  • NewAccount: for registering new users
  • main(): for menu and control flow

What Went Wrong

At first, I asked ChatGPT for help with simple things — like how to use self, or how to structure a __init__ function. That worked great.

But when I started asking for whole feature implementations, the answers got unpredictable. Sometimes it:

  • Added inconsistent logic
  • Suggested totally new structures unrelated to mine
  • Returned code that broke existing methods

I realized something important: ChatGPT is amazing at teaching me syntax, patterns, and debugging. But not great at continuing my design vision.

A Concrete Example

I asked ChatGPT how to build a full login and edit system. It gave me code that:

  • Didn’t match my class names
  • Introduced new logic I didn’t plan for
  • Overwrote variables or ignored existing ones

I ended up with duplicated logic, abandoned functions like EditUser, and inconsistent flow in main().

What I Learned

  • Start small. Use ChatGPT to explain concepts or fix bugs, not to write whole programs.
  • Always have a design doc or sketch before coding — otherwise the help you get won’t match your intentions.
  • It’s okay to get lost. I still learned about class communication, data persistence, and menu flow.
  • Refactoring is inevitable. My current code is messy, but now I understand what needs to be cleaned.

What I want to do next

  • Refactor the codebase: simplify functions and connect classes clearly.
  • Make each class have a clear responsibility.
  • Use ChatGPT only when I know exactly what I want help with — not for vague “make this for me” requests.
  • Add login, edit, and delete features step-by-step.

This project didn’t go smoothly — and that’s exactly what made it valuable. I got frustrated, but I also got better.

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