To force myself “to figure out the code,” I typically do the tutorial in a different language. I wanted to get familiar with Java last year, but all the books/tutorials were boring to me. What I ended up doing was going through a book that showed how to write a backend in Go (which was also unfamiliar to me at the time) while simultaneously porting it to Java (using Vert.x). Probably sounds inefficient tackling two languages at once, but it was the only way I was able to stay engaged with the material. Of course I ended up with something unidiomatic in terms of Java, but the project works and I now have motivation for a proper refactor to keep the momentum going.
I have done the same thing! Read Crafting Interpreters but wrote the first half in Clojure instead of Java.
I think it's a good method for experienced programmers, who are self-taught (like me) or just want to brush up some skills and knowledge.
Yes, you stay engaged, but there is also something to be said about porting code between different languages. The differences, strengths, weaknesses etc. stand out more, similarities become more clear and things that seem different, but are analogous emerge.
