Board index » delphi » Fatherly Advice to New (and old) Programmers

2007-01-13 09:20:25 PM
delphi116
Chuck Jazdzewski wrote a good article in his blog a few months ago:
"Fatherly Advice to New Programmers (Sep 19 2006)"
www.removingalldoubt.com/
If you're an old programmer don't feel left out - it is worth reading if only
to remind yourself of what you once knew but have since forgotten about.
BTW, for those who have not heard of Chuck - he, Anders Hejlsberg: and Gary
Whizin were the three original Delphi designers.
 

"Chris Burrows" <XXXX@XXXXX.COM>writes:
 

Chris Burrows writes:
didn't really do design work on the product.
However, Gary was a great team member, and instrumental in getting it
all done back in the day.
--
Nick Hodges
Delphi Product Manager - CodeGear
blogs.codegear.com/nickhodges
 

Chris Burrows writes:
Chris Burrows writes:
Delphi 5 version about box and tipw ALT+C+H+U+C+K. :)
--
Donald.
 

to detect what you do wrong but how to do it correctly.
For example "Learn To Communicate" is a nice advice, although you often are
aware yourself that you could improve your communication skills, it is good to
be told/remembered that it is important. Really improving though takes time and
is all about gaining experience.
Advices are IMO things somebody can tell you, trying to prevent you to do the
same mistake(s), but in the end you *have* to make your own mistakes, else all
this is meaningless, stays abstract. An advice lacks what is most important, the
expert-knowledge that is composed of many many rules/experiences and also
contains things that may not apply to you or don't fit you.
A similar effect is when reading the same (demanding/manifold) book every 5-10
years. Reading it after having made more/different experiences you will see and
understand things you didn't before.
All I want to say is advices are nice, but they aren't really usefull except in
some very precise cases, like "better put the stone this way instead of that
way, it will make the wall more solid". And all those given advices (in the
article) are more or less common sense, that one doesn't follow them usually
isn't because he/she doesn't know they are good, but because e.g. he/she doesn't
feel well in public (communicating), is lazy or beeing so discipline is really
tiring.
If you would really follow the following three advices religiously:
Be Predictable, Never Let Bad Code Off Your Desk,Programming is Fun But Shipping
is Your Job
I can predict that you will soon be burnt out, because of the permanent
discipline this requires and that you realistically will never have the time to
do anything else. (Note, I don't say that quality work isn't important)
Many advices are given after you aren't really concerned by them anymore, so you
can look back with a warm fuzzy feeling on what you achived (and those trying to
do so), knowing you will never have to jump off the cliff again
(and then seeing that this wasn't the worst part ;-).
The last sentence sounds stronger than it is meant, I am just trying to choose
some comprehensible methapor.
 

Makl Hvrz writes:
I think though that his advice about estimating work and dividing work
in manageable chunks like 1-days pieces is a valuable advice that one
can follow without having previous experience.
--
Ingvar Nilsen
Brand New Web Site! Free Delphi Tool:
www.ingvarius.com
 

Nick Hodges (CodeGear) writes:
Zack developed the messaging/marketing around the product and built the
e{*word*277}ment leading up to it is release.
--
-Steve
Delphi/Delphi.NET/C#Builder R&D
CodeGear
www.stevetrefethen.com/blog
 

Steve Trefethen (Delphi R&D) writes:
the misunderstanding.
--
Nick Hodges
Delphi Product Manager - CodeGear
blogs.codegear.com/nickhodges
 

John Herbster writes:
--
Dave Nottage [TeamB]
 

Dave Nottage [TeamB] writes:
--
Ingvar Nilsen
Brand New Web Site! Free Delphi Tool:
www.ingvarius.com
 

The most important one IMHO is missing. Always wear sunscreen!
 

Maël Hörz schreef:
assure you that I am not burned out (although I will be the first to admit
that I couldn't even begin to count the times that I sinned against one
or even several of them together, but at least I always try and do my best).
Danny
---
 

Chris Burrows writes:
--
Robin.
 

Dave Nottage [TeamB] writes:
--
Robin.
 

"Maël Hörz" <XXXX@XXXXX.COM>writes
long way from burning out. In the long term you will find that you have less
work to do as you are not spending your time putting out fires.
Working hard doesn't mean working longer hours - the opposite is usually
true. The trick is to work as efficiently as possible in the time spent on
work and then have adequate rest time in between. If it is getting late and
you're stuck on a problem it is a waste of time to continue hitting your head
against the wall. Stop work, go out and enjoy yourself, have a good night's
sleep and 99 times out of 100 the solution will pop into your head when you
restart the next day. An added benefit is that it is always much easier to
get fired up to start work the next day if you have an existing task to
finish off, rather than having to start a new one.