programming languages
The last post about programmers and chefs reminded me of a point raised in the classic Pragmatic Progammers' presentation Herding Racehorses, Racing Sheep: vs Instructions that are appropriate for a novice may be totally inappropriate for an expert. This is something I touched on a while back in Level
refactoring
I'm often asked why the book Refactoring [http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0201485672/codihorr-20] isn't included in my recommended developer reading list [https://blog.codinghorror.com/recommended-reading-for-developers/]. Although I own the book, and I've read it twice, I felt it was too
software development concepts
James Bach responded to my recent post, Are You Following the Instructions on the Paint Can?, with Studying Jeff Atwood's Paint Can. Being under Bach's intensive analytical microscope feels a lot like an interview with Hannibal Lecter. It's flattering, but it's also
programming languages
Do you ever feel like you're buried under umpteen zillion backlogged emails, feeds, books, articles, journals, magazines, and printouts? Do you ever feel that you're hopelessly behind, with so much new stuff created every day that you can never possibly hope to keep up? Well, you&
software development
Very few software engineers use UML symbols to design software, but electrical engineers regularly use circuit symbols to design electronics: Circuit symbols are constructed into circuit diagrams-- the the visual language of electricity: If circuit diagrams are a standard, universally understood way to talk about electronics, why doesn't
programming languages
I was struck by this quote from a New Yorker article on Muzak [http://www.newyorker.com/fact/content/articles/060410fa_fact]: > "Our biggest competitor," a member of Muzak's marketing department told me, "is silence." The problem with comparing something to nothing is
programming languages
I see that Scott Mitchell has a new book out, Teach Yourself ASP.NET 2.0 in 24 Hours [http://www.amazon.com/dp/0672327384/?tag=codihorr-20]. Let me preface this post with a disclaimer: Scott Mitchell is a great writer. I've been a fan of his work
programming languages
Tom's criticism of Mikael Grey's article, How to Become a Rock Star Programmer, starts off promisingly enough: Let's start with the title. There is no such thing as a "Rock Star Programmer," so if you want to become one, you already have
software development
One of the peculiarities of software development is how rapidly knowledge becomes obsolete. Dan Appleman cited a parable from Lewis Carroll's Through the Looking Glass which illustrates this wonderfully: 'Now! Now!' cried the Queen. 'Faster! Faster!' And they went so fast that at last
.net
Richard Grimes recently posted an Analysis of .NET Use in Longhorn and Vista, wherein he draws two conclusions: 1. Between PDC 2003 and the release of Vista Beta 1, Microsoft has decided that it is better to use native code for the operating system 2. Microsoft has shown no intention
programming languages
I'll be attending SDWest 2006 all next week (March 13 - 17) in Santa Clara, California. If you're attending, let's meet up somewhere! I've met a handful of people in person at past conferences: * Sara Ford * Steve Maine * Walt Rischler The highlight
retro computing
My second true computer, after the TI-99/4a, was the Coleco Adam [http://oldcomputers.net/adam.html]: I remember waiting in line in the snow with my Dad to get our hands on one of the first ADAM computers. Oh, the awful SmartBASIC programs I would write! I spent hours