Re: [Off Topic] Re: Programming question-Please help

From: Karl \"CFF\" Frank <kfrank@cosy.sbg.ac.at.DELETEME>

Date: Mon, 07 Jun 1999 00:00:00 +0000

[Tariz] The Dungeon Master wrote:
> > Most people can learn the fundamentals of programming in a couple
> > of weeks and it takes nowhere near 10 years to become a good programmer.
> IMO Programming requires an understanding of computer architecture, logic,
> set theory and algorithms amongst other skills.  To program efficiently and
> proficiently in a manner that is both logical and maintainable are skills
> that take time to develop.  There is also a lot of reading to be done which
> takes time unless you have a photographic memory.
> If you go into programming thinking that you can take shortcuts across the
> learning experience then I think you will find yourself disappointed.  The t
> ime period is neither here nor there but ten years seems a reasonable period
> if you include about 4-6 years academic study plus around 3 years commercial
> experience for the majority.  I learnt to program in BASIC after a day with
> a Spectrum and a manual when I was twelve but did that make me a

Programming is only the motorical translation of an idea into a computer
readable form IMO. The problem here is how to do it in a way that is
maintenable at a later time.
The design of programs however is a different task that in my opinion
and in my experience needs much practice and is only very hard to learn
from books.
For example I needed about 1 week to learn how to program in C++, and
maybe 1/2 week for LISP out of books. That is however just the
'vocables' and the grammatic.
I needed about 10 years OTOH to get from 'spagetti-code' to object
oriented programming.
So what some of you mix up IMO is that there is a difference between
being able to write in a language and being an 'Author' (to stay with
natural languages)

--
The following is a new Windows message that is under consideration for
the planned Windows 2000:
* Backup not found: (A)bort, (R)etry, (P)anic?

References

Re: Programming question-Please help
"[Tariz] The Dungeon Master" <adnd@mailandnews.com>
Sat, 05 Jun 1999 00:00:00 +0000
Re: Programming question-Please help
"Tim Lomas" <tim@antsnest.demon.co.uk>
Sun, 06 Jun 1999 00:00:00 +0000
[Off Topic] Re: Programming question-Please help
"[Tariz] The Dungeon Master" <adnd@mailandnews.com>
Sun, 06 Jun 1999 00:00:00 +0000
Programming question-Please help
Sam Palmer <Sam@Bitton.homeway.demon.co.uk>
Fri, 04 Jun 1999 00:00:00 +0000