• Home
  • About
    • About The Coder
    • Language List
  • Code Rules
    • #1: Clarity Trumps Everything
    • #2: Source Code is for Humans
    • #3: Don’t Ignore Warnings
    • #4: Comment As You Go
    • #5: Always Use Parentheses
    • #6: Always Define Literals
    • #7: Never Repeat Yourself
  • CS-101
  • Python-101
  • Simple Tricks
  • Guestbook

The Hard-Core Coder

~ I can't stop writing code!

The Hard-Core Coder

Monthly Archives: June 2014

I Have a Spelling Checker

27 Friday Jun 2014

Posted by Wyrd Smythe in Fun

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Friday, funny poetry, humor, poetry, spell check

These days it seems like spell checkers exist in almost everything. Word processing software has had them a long time, although in the early days you had to invoke the spell check function. These days software  handily underlines misspelled words in real-time (with sometimes an advanced function we can invoke).

It always struck me as pretty lame how people (well, let’s be honest: managers) would present PowerPoint documents in important meetings with the red jagged “you misspelled this” underline sprinkled throughout their document.  What exactly did they think that meant?

But enough about managers. It’s Friday and time for some fun, so here’s an old, old poem about spelling checkers…

Continue reading →

Getting to the Next Hill

23 Monday Jun 2014

Posted by Wyrd Smythe in CS101

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

computer programmers, computer programming, project estimation, project management, software design, software development

Last week I took my car in for scheduled service, and when I asked how long it might take, the guy said it was specified as one-and-a-half hours of labor. He could do that because there are thousands upon thousands of data points where a competent mechanic has performed that exact service, so there is a very clear idea how long it takes.

But ask a researcher how long it will take to find what they’re looking for, and the answer is usually, “I have no idea. I’ll know after I find it.” The path a researcher follows is usually new and unexplored, so it’s impossible to predict how long the path actually is.

Creating new software is much more like research than auto service, because it involves traveling unknown ground. Despite this, software development managers often act as if new development is predictable.

It often isn’t!

Continue reading →

Musical Interlude

20 Friday Jun 2014

Posted by Wyrd Smythe in Fun

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

50 Ways to Hose Your Code, 50 Ways to Leave Your Lover, backups, computer programming, Friday, funny, funny songs, humor, parody, Paul McCartney, Paul Simon, song parody, Yesterday

It’s Friday again, so it’s time to get casual and have some fun. Today I have a pair of songs for computer programmers. These files have been occupying bits on my hard drive for many, many years. I’m releasing them to the Wild World Web so they can live free!

You know the tunes, so sing along to the new words…

Continue reading →

Computer programming is hard!

16 Monday Jun 2014

Posted by Wyrd Smythe in CS101, Opinion

≈ 6 Comments

Tags

computer programmer, computer programming, computer science, software, software design, software development

Computer Programming is hard! It’s at least as hard as what commercial architects do, and I will argue that it’s as intellectually difficult as what doctors and lawyers do.

Many people think it’s easy, because they know some nine-year-old who “programs,” but there’s a difference between fooling around with the computer and building good software applications.

Continue reading →

The Tale of the Pea Sea

13 Friday Jun 2014

Posted by Wyrd Smythe in Fun

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Bill Gates, computer humor, humor, MS-DOS, PC, pea sea, Sean Sengenberger, Windows

It’s Finally Friday again, so it’s time for a little fun. This is a piece I’ve had living in my files since 1995. That makes it pretty out-of-date, but it’s such a classic that it’s worth preserving and giving another airing. It does require remembering the lore of the computer middle ages (the 1980s).

The copy I have is from a USENET post © by Sean Sengenberger. It’s not entirely clear whether he (or possibly, she) just posted a piece found online or if Sean actually wrote it. (Some folks back then explicitly copyrighted their posts.) In any event, credit given where credit is due.

Without further ado, I give you…

Continue reading →

Write a Formal Letter

10 Tuesday Jun 2014

Posted by Wyrd Smythe in CS101

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

code clarity, computer programmers, computer programming, readable code

Think of writing code as you think of writing a formal letter.

When you write a formal letter, you have two goals: you have a message to communicate, and you must follow the protocol of a formal letter. Your message comes through when your writing is clear and good. Following the protocol is a matter of knowing and following some syntax rules.

A message + formal syntax. The result is a document with a context.

Continue reading →

Follow The Hard-Core Coder on WordPress.com

The Posts

  • Python Tk Calculator App
  • Tk Windows in Python
  • Dual Numbers in Python
  • Python Decorators, more
  • Python Decorators, redux
  • Byte Multiplication Trick
  • Parsing Multipart Form Data
  • Simple Python Tricks #18
  • Simple Python Tricks #17
  • Simple Python Tricks #16

The Topics

  • Blog (4)
  • CS101 (37)
  • Fun (36)
  • Interesting (5)
  • Opinion (12)
  • Python (59)
  • Stories (15)

The Month

June 2014
M T W T F S S
 1
2345678
9101112131415
16171819202122
23242526272829
30  
« May   Dec »

The Past

Posts

RSS Feed

Comments

RSS Feed

The Main Blog

Visit Logos con carne

Lots of wyrds... with meat!

The Author

Wyrd Smythe

Wyrd Smythe

The canonical fool on the hill watching the sunset and the rotation of the planet and thinking what he imagines are large thoughts.

View Full Profile →

Create a website or blog at WordPress.com

  • Subscribe Subscribed
    • The Hard-Core Coder
    • Already have a WordPress.com account? Log in now.
    • The Hard-Core Coder
    • Subscribe Subscribed
    • Sign up
    • Log in
    • Report this content
    • View site in Reader
    • Manage subscriptions
    • Collapse this bar