Real Programmers
07 Friday Mar 2014
Posted in Fun
Author Archives: Wyrd Smythe
Too much specialization!
06 Thursday Mar 2014
To make this blog (I hope) useful, I have tips and advice and bits of advice. But the initial motivation was wanting to write about programming or software in general — topics too technical for my regular blog. In particular, I wanted a place to document past projects, ideas and personal (but sharable) thoughts about coding. I wanted a place to tell stories.
Today I have a story to tell about a programming project I’m working on.
Always Use Less-Than
05 Wednesday Mar 2014
Here’s a simple tip! I can’t begin to count how many potential code bugs this has eliminated. It takes some getting used to but once you make it automatic it’s a real help in keeping code and your thinking correct.
The tip is this: when you write relational expressions, always use less-than, never use greater-than. (Less-than-or-equal is okay, too.)
Naming Things
04 Tuesday Mar 2014
One of the things that programmers do a bazillion times during their career is come up with a name for something. Every variable, every sub-routine, every class, every method, every instance, even the program itself and all its supporting files: they all need names. In some cases the naming is obvious and easy, but in others it’s complicated. You can end up creating a big ball of mud if go about it casually.
So one thing you want to start doing is being intentional about naming things.
Rule #2: Source Code is for Humans
03 Monday Mar 2014
Posted in CS101
When you write code, always remember Rule #2: Source code is for humans. This rule ties to Rule #1 about clarity. You’re writing for humans, so write clearly! The compiler can understand any syntactically correct ball of mud you make, but humans need all the help you can give them. Write for your human readers, not the compiler.
Software Engineer
01 Saturday Mar 2014
Posted in Opinion
Tags
bit wrangler, byte wrangler, computer programmers, engineers, magnetic domains, silicon life forms, software design, software designer, software engineer, software maker
I don’t like the term Software Engineer. Real engineers have licenses and certifications and prescribed educations. No such exists (currently) for software makers. It is still a new craft in our society (it goes back only to the 1950s or so), and we haven’t caught up to how complex and demanding it really is. Anyone can use the term Software Engineer, so it doesn’t have the meaning it could.
Software Development
28 Friday Feb 2014
Posted in Opinion
Tags
abstraction, computer programmers, computer programming, software, software design, software development
Software development can be hard to describe or compare because it depends so much on the use of abstraction. One can visualize a continuum of professions based on how much abstraction they tend to require from their workers. Software tends to be on the far end of that spectrum. Not only do programmers deal almost entirely with abstraction, but often with multiple layers of abstraction!
Four Primary Principles for Programmers
27 Thursday Feb 2014
Posted in CS101
Tags
computer programmers, computer programming, four principles, learn to learn, software development
Over the years I’ve come to believe in four basic principles computer programmers should adhere to. They reflect four paths of continuing education programmers walk throughout their career. The bottom line, really, is that you’re going to be doing these things a lot; it will serve you well to learn to do them well and with intention.
Rule #1: Clarity Trumps Everything
26 Wednesday Feb 2014
Posted in CS101
Clarity is the #1 priority when writing code. Clarity trumps everything else; it’s even more important than the code being correct! One of the biggest wins a serious programmer can offer is writing clear, readable code.
New Blog!
26 Wednesday Feb 2014
Posted in Blog
Tags
computer humor, computer languages, computer programming, Python code, software, software design, software development
I have a lot of computer programming stuff I’d like to write about, but it’s way too specific for my regular blog (which has a hard enough time attracting readers), and it’s too general to be appropriate for my Book of BOOL blog.
So here I go with blog number three. (Technically, blog number four; my very first blog was my now-long-abandoned baseball blog.) This blog is exclusively for writing about computer programming topics. Expect a mix of “stuff I’ve done that was fun” plus “stuff I’ve thought about and want to document” plus “good advice for coders.”
I’ve written some of those last kind on my regular blog. To get things going, and to put them in a more sensible place, I’ll re-post them here.
Soon. But for now, “Hello, World!” It’s a whole new blog!
The Hard-Core Coder 