You Gotta Care about the Code - Revision history

Kevlin: You gotta care about the code moved to You Gotta Care about the Code

Kevlin — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 14:57:13 GMT

You gotta care about the code moved to You Gotta Care about the Code

←Older revision

Revision as of 14:57, 7 July 2009

Kevlin at 14:56, 7 July 2009

Kevlin — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 14:56:57 GMT

←Older revision		Revision as of 14:56, 7 July 2009
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	Based on my years of experience in the software factory, I've concluded that the real difference between adequate programmers and great programmers is this: their ''attitude''. Good programming lies in taking a professional approach, and ''wanting'' to write the best software you can, within the Real World constraints and pressures of the software factory.		Based on my years of experience in the software factory, I've concluded that the real difference between adequate programmers and great programmers is this: their ''attitude''. Good programming lies in taking a professional approach, and ''wanting'' to write the best software you can, within the Real World constraints and pressures of the software factory.

-	''The code to hell is paved with good intentions''. To be an excellent programmer you have to rise above good intentions, and actually ''care'' about the code ~~- to~~ foster positive perspectives and develop healthy attitudes. Great code is carefully crafted by master artisans, not thoughtlessly hacked out by sloppy programmers, or erected mysteriously by self-professed coding gurus.	+	''The code to hell is paved with good intentions''. To be an excellent programmer you have to rise above good intentions, and actually ''care'' about the code — foster positive perspectives and develop healthy attitudes. Great code is carefully crafted by master artisans, not thoughtlessly hacked out by sloppy programmers or erected mysteriously by self-professed coding gurus.

	You want to write good code. You want to be a good programmer. So, you care about the code:		You want to write good code. You want to be a good programmer. So, you care about the code:

-	* In any coding situation, you refuse to hack something that ''seems'' to work. You strive to craft elegant code that is clearly correct (and has good tests to show that it is correct).	+	* In any coding situation, you refuse to hack something that only ''seems'' to work. You strive to craft elegant code that is clearly correct (and has good tests to show that it is correct).
	* You write code that is ''discoverable'' (that other programmers can easily pick up and understand), that is ''maintainable'' (that you, or other programmers, will be easily able to modify in the future), and that is ''correct'' (you take all steps possible to determine that you ''have'' solved the problem, not just made it look like the program works).		* You write code that is ''discoverable'' (that other programmers can easily pick up and understand), that is ''maintainable'' (that you, or other programmers, will be easily able to modify in the future), and that is ''correct'' (you take all steps possible to determine that you ''have'' solved the problem, not just made it look like the program works).
-	* You work well alongside other programmers. No programmer is an island. Few programmers work alone; most work in a team of programmers, either in a company environment, or in open source project. You consider programmers, and construct code that ~~other people~~ can read. You want the team to write the best software possible, rather than to make yourself look clever.	+	* You work well alongside other programmers. No programmer is an island. Few programmers work alone; most work in a team of programmers, either in a company environment or on an open source project. You consider other programmers, and construct code that others can read. You want the team to write the best software possible, rather than to make yourself look clever.
	* Any time you touch a piece of code you strive to leave it better than you found it (either better structured, better tested, more understandable...).		* Any time you touch a piece of code you strive to leave it better than you found it (either better structured, better tested, more understandable...).
	* You care about code and about programming, so you are constantly learning new languages, idioms, and techniques. But you only apply them when appropriate.		* You care about code and about programming, so you are constantly learning new languages, idioms, and techniques. But you only apply them when appropriate.

Kevlin at 14:20, 4 February 2009

Kevlin — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 14:20:18 GMT

←Older revision		Revision as of 14:20, 4 February 2009
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	Fortunately, you're reading this collection of advice because you do care about code. It interests you. It's your passion. Have fun programming. Enjoy cutting code to solve tricky problems. Produce software that makes you proud.		Fortunately, you're reading this collection of advice because you do care about code. It interests you. It's your passion. Have fun programming. Enjoy cutting code to solve tricky problems. Produce software that makes you proud.
-
-

	By [[Pete Goodliffe]]		By [[Pete Goodliffe]]
		+

	This work is licensed under a		This work is licensed under a
	[http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/us/ Creative Commons Attribution 3]		[http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/us/ Creative Commons Attribution 3]
		+
		+	Back to [[97 Things Every Programmer Should Know]] home page

Kevlin at 07:37, 22 November 2008

Kevlin — Sat, 22 Nov 2008 07:37:00 GMT

←Older revision		Revision as of 07:37, 22 November 2008
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	Good programming is not borne from mere technical competence. I've seen highly intellectual programmers who can produce intense and impressive algorithms, who know their language standard by heart, but who write the most awful code. It's painful to read, painful to use, and painful to modify. I've seen more humble programmers who stick to very simple code, but who write elegant and expressive programs that are a joy to work with.		Good programming is not borne from mere technical competence. I've seen highly intellectual programmers who can produce intense and impressive algorithms, who know their language standard by heart, but who write the most awful code. It's painful to read, painful to use, and painful to modify. I've seen more humble programmers who stick to very simple code, but who write elegant and expressive programs that are a joy to work with.

-	Based on my years of experience in the software factory, I've concluded that the real difference between adequate programmers and great programmers is this: their ''attitude''. Good programming lies in taking a professional approach, and ''wanting'' to write the best software you can, within the Real World ~~constrains~~ and pressures of the software factory.	+	Based on my years of experience in the software factory, I've concluded that the real difference between adequate programmers and great programmers is this: their ''attitude''. Good programming lies in taking a professional approach, and ''wanting'' to write the best software you can, within the Real World constraints and pressures of the software factory.

	''The code to hell is paved with good intentions''. To be an excellent programmer you have to rise above good intentions, and actually ''care'' about the code - to foster positive perspectives and develop healthy attitudes. Great code is carefully crafted by master artisans, not thoughtlessly hacked out by sloppy programmers, or erected mysteriously by self-professed coding gurus.		''The code to hell is paved with good intentions''. To be an excellent programmer you have to rise above good intentions, and actually ''care'' about the code - to foster positive perspectives and develop healthy attitudes. Great code is carefully crafted by master artisans, not thoughtlessly hacked out by sloppy programmers, or erected mysteriously by self-professed coding gurus.
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	* You care about code and about programming, so you are constantly learning new languages, idioms, and techniques. But you only apply them when appropriate.		* You care about code and about programming, so you are constantly learning new languages, idioms, and techniques. But you only apply them when appropriate.

-	Fortunately, you're reading this ~~book~~ because you do care about code. It interests you. It's your passion. Have fun programming. Enjoy cutting code to solve tricky problems. Produce software that makes you proud.	+	Fortunately, you're reading this collection of advice because you do care about code. It interests you. It's your passion. Have fun programming. Enjoy cutting code to solve tricky problems. Produce software that makes you proud.

Petegoodliffe: First draft.

Petegoodliffe — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 15:59:33 GMT

First draft.

←Older revision		Revision as of 15:59, 18 November 2008
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-	~~Placeholder~~. (I'll ~~copy~~ the ~~article~~ in ~~here shortly~~)	+	It doesn't take Sherlock Holmes to work out that good programmers write good code. Bad programmers... don't. They produce monstrosities that the rest of us have to clean up. You want to write the good stuff, right? You want to be a good programmer.
		+
		+	Good code doesn't pop out of thin air. It isn't something that happens by luck when the planets align. To get good code, you have to work at it. Hard. And you'll only get good code if you actually ''care'' about good code.
		+
		+	Good programming is not borne from mere technical competence. I've seen highly intellectual programmers who can produce intense and impressive algorithms, who know their language standard by heart, but who write the most awful code. It's painful to read, painful to use, and painful to modify. I've seen more humble programmers who stick to very simple code, but who write elegant and expressive programs that are a joy to work with.
		+
		+	Based on my years of experience in the software factory, I've concluded that the real difference between adequate programmers and great programmers is this: their ''attitude''. Good programming lies in taking a professional approach, and ''wanting'' to write the best software you can, within the Real World constrains and pressures of the software factory.
		+
		+	''The code to hell is paved with good intentions''. To be an excellent programmer you have to rise above good intentions, and actually ''care'' about the code - to foster positive perspectives and develop healthy attitudes. Great code is carefully crafted by master artisans, not thoughtlessly hacked out by sloppy programmers, or erected mysteriously by self-professed coding gurus.
		+
		+	You want to write good code. You want to be a good programmer. So, you care about the code:
		+
		+	* In any coding situation, you refuse to hack something that ''seems'' to work. You strive to craft elegant code that is clearly correct (and has good tests to show that it is correct).
		+	* You write code that is ''discoverable'' (that other programmers can easily pick up and understand), that is ''maintainable'' (that you, or other programmers, will be easily able to modify in the future), and that is ''correct'' (you take all steps possible to determine that you ''have'' solved the problem, not just made it look like the program works).
		+	* You work well alongside other programmers. No programmer is an island. Few programmers work alone; most work in a team of programmers, either in a company environment, or in open source project. You consider programmers, and construct code that other people can read. You want the team to write the best software possible, rather than to make yourself look clever.
		+	* Any time you touch a piece of code you strive to leave it better than you found it (either better structured, better tested, more understandable...).
		+	* You care about code and about programming, so you are constantly learning new languages, idioms, and techniques. But you only apply them when appropriate.
		+
		+	Fortunately, you're reading this book because you do care about code. It interests you. It's your passion. Have fun programming. Enjoy cutting code to solve tricky problems. Produce software that makes you proud.
		+

Petegoodliffe: New page: Placeholder. (I'll copy the article in here shortly) By Pete Goodliffe This work is licensed under a [http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/us/ Creative Commons Attribution 3]

Petegoodliffe — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 12:19:45 GMT

New page: Placeholder. (I'll copy the article in here shortly) By Pete Goodliffe This work is licensed under a [http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/us/ Creative Commons Attribution 3]

New page

Placeholder. (I'll copy the article in here shortly)

By [[Pete Goodliffe]]

This work is licensed under a
[http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/us/ Creative Commons Attribution 3]