ok i was reading the swimming 100/50 thread. and it got me thinking, i’m like on the same boat as him. but i’m still in the process of learning to swim or getting used to it. now few months ago i could barley do a 50 meter or yard. whatever the distance is there and back at a 24hour pool out of breathe, now i can do 20 laps. i guess 500 m? or yards? now is there any workout i should concentrate on? like i’ve just been doing laps, should i do like 100s? or 200s? and i’m trying to train for a triathlon in september. what drills should i do? which i wouldn’t know what drills there are. or should i keep logging long laps? like non stop?
No, never non-stop. It’s pointless. Lots of slow mediocre leisure swimmers do it - wonder why they’re slow? 
Try and find a masters swim group or swimming classes near you. Since you are new to swimming, I think lessons from a good instructor would be very important if you want to improve: swimming on your own, you will improve, but much more slowly. Maybe go to swimming classes and try to get some 1:1 tuition as well.
Try to repeat what you do in these classes on your own, focusing on the same parts of your stroke (a bit like homework in many ways!).
Do short repeats only, max 100, and mainly 25-50s. This allows you to focus on your technique, you don’t need to worry about speed yet. If you do things carefully and correctly (even if slowly), you will progress quickly.
A sample session for you would be;
Warm-up: mixture of free and back (breast if you can’t do it) - nice’n’easy, little effort but good technique
Sculls: several 50s as 25m scull into 25m swim - good technique only
Drills: as per you classes - technique technique technique
End of main set: (of you’re motivated only) a few 50s and then a few 25s quickly, with 10-20s rest. All smooth, steady and good technique
Warm-down: easy mix of free etc (good tech … you get the picture).
Ask the swimmers in your tri club what they do too.