Any Coders/Developers Step Inside

[mister]

Hello World. Any coders out here in UM? I'm just looking to meet some fellow coders to chat with about stuff. If we can exchange emails that'd be cool.

[Orcseeker]

I'm currently completing my Computer Science degree so I guess I'm doing a bit of code here and there. Currently pursuing some projects in collaboration with a friend and those of myself for iOS devices. I haven't been as engaged with a programming language or IDE like objective-c and XCode before. On that note, what is your favourite language and IDE?

[mister]

Hey there Orcseeker. I like web apps, so my favorite would be javascript/PHP, python, and ruby. Although I'm still learning python and I've only taken a glimpse at ruby. For Javascript I like notepad++ and eclipse.

[questionmark]

Guess I can't help you then as my 'expertise' is in rather older but very efficient methods...such as assembler.

[mister]

What's up questionmark. If you know about oop design patterns we may have a thing or two to chat about.

[Orcseeker]

Hey there Orcseeker. I like web apps, so my favorite would be javascript/PHP, python, and ruby. Although I'm still learning python and I've only taken a glimpse at ruby. For Javascript I like notepad++ and eclipse.

Ah yes I do a bit of that myself as well as java. I also use the same combo you're using there too.

Guess I can't help you then as my 'expertise' is in rather older but very efficient methods...such as assembler.

Do you use the easy68k assembler or?

[Tiggs]

++coder;

Guess I can't help you then as my 'expertise' is in rather older but very efficient methods...such as assembler.

inc coder ;

Once you can code, everything else is pretty much syntax.

On that note, what is your favourite language and IDE?

Language-wise: HTML5 + Javascript client-side / C# server-side.

IDE-wise: Visual Studio.

The answer to both used to be Borland Delphi, but I sold my soul to Microsoft pretty much after they bought Anders Hejlsberg.

I'm just looking to meet some fellow coders to chat with about stuff. If we can exchange emails that'd be cool.

Far too time-crushed for emails. Currently working 18+ hour days and starting work for a new startup, next month.

Feel free to throw some questions around in-thread, however, and I'll pitch in, occasionally.

[questionmark]

++coder;

inc coder ;

Once you can code, everything else is pretty much syntax.

I am pretty aware of that, the point is every time I use a compiler I start to get angry about wasted space, inefficient recursions, slow execution that I go back to assembler (yes, you can even program Windows under assembler), most tools are free (hardly anybody would buy an assembler anyway nowadays). Only if I need a complicated GUI I use C or C++ because it is very painless to inline a large assembler program into the frame (of some compilers, I must add)

Other programming tools I use occasionally is LISP and PROLOG but generally end up getting very frustrated if the data amount starts to get large... it ends up being real Spaghetti that needs forever to execute.

[AbyssWalker]

I'm currently doing a master's degree in computer science, but the thought of coding for a living really worries me, I wonder what level of expertise and skill is required to do this every day.

I'm not bad, but I'm not 'confident', always happens to me, back in high school, I thought my bachelor's degree is impossible, when I completed my bachelors', I thought masters would be too hard, and now I'm a year away from completing my masters and it seems like software development jobs must be really hard.

One key factor is that I don't really have a passion for coding, per se, I never enjoyed it, I've always felt like it was work.

[Orcseeker]

I'm currently doing a master's degree in computer science, but the thought of coding for a living really worries me, I wonder what level of expertise and skill is required to do this every day.

I'm not bad, but I'm not 'confident', always happens to me, back in high school, I thought my bachelor's degree is impossible, when I completed my bachelors', I thought masters would be too hard, and now I'm a year away from completing my masters and it seems like software development jobs must be really hard.

One key factor is that I don't really have a passion for coding, per se, I never enjoyed it, I've always felt like it was work.

I understand what you mean completely. I was really leaning towards getting a job doing project management for software development. But then I tried out an iPhone course at my university. The assignments just needed to fit some constraints but otherwise you were left to your own creativity.

Ever since then if I've been making programs myself. I have started to really enjoy coding. A step out of the uninspired day to day course outline makes a hell of a difference. I am currently waiting to hear back about a government job. Passed all the lengthy application process but our government is undergoing a huge budget reform. So this agency can't hire until they hear back. Fingers crossed I'm one of the numbers but what they're doing on the software development side is trying to make processes more efficient and easier for the public. Something id really enjoy doing.

I probably wouldn't have a single problem coding for that based on the same feeling I'm getting about my own programs.

I honestly couldn't see myself doing this over a year ago. You think that could work for you?

P.S I can't bear university. Working on my own or clients projects I've got so much more learning out of than that place. How do you find it? Considering you're on your masters at the moment. Congratulations on that note, must be tricky at that level.

Edited August 19, 2014 by Orcseeker

[Tiggs]

I am pretty aware of that, the point is every time I use a compiler I start to get angry about wasted space, inefficient recursions, slow execution that I go back to assembler (yes, you can even program Windows under assembler), most tools are free (hardly anybody would buy an assembler anyway nowadays). Only if I need a complicated GUI I use C or C++ because it is very painless to inline a large assembler program into the frame (of some compilers, I must add)

Other programming tools I use occasionally is LISP and PROLOG but generally end up getting very frustrated if the data amount starts to get large... it ends up being real Spaghetti that needs forever to execute.

I haven't been that close to the metal in years. Optimization is becoming a lost art.

Most of the time, companies are fine with just throwing processing power at it. Computers are cheaper than coders.

[questionmark]

I haven't been that close to the metal in years. Optimization is becoming a lost art.

Most of the time, companies are fine with just throwing processing power at it. Computers are cheaper than coders.

The difference is: I don't live from coding, so I can afford making it an art.

[AbyssWalker]

I understand what you mean completely. I was really leaning towards getting a job doing project management for software development. But then I tried out an iPhone course at my university. The assignments just needed to fit some constraints but otherwise you were left to your own creativity.

Ever since then if I've been making programs myself. I have started to really enjoy coding. A step out of the uninspired day to day course outline makes a hell of a difference. I am currently waiting to hear back about a government job. Passed all the lengthy application process but our government is undergoing a huge budget reform. So this agency can't hire until they hear back. Fingers crossed I'm one of the numbers but what they're doing on the software development side is trying to make processes more efficient and easier for the public. Something id really enjoy doing.

I probably wouldn't have a single problem coding for that based on the same feeling I'm getting about my own programs.

I honestly couldn't see myself doing this over a year ago. You think that could work for you?

P.S I can't bear university. Working on my own or clients projects I've got so much more learning out of than that place. How do you find it? Considering you're on your masters at the moment. Congratulations on that note, must be tricky at that level.

It's not really that hard, I just get by, somehow. In addition to programming languages, I also have DBMS subjects, I do feel like Database management would be the better choice for me, and not coding

When it comes to programming, it just seems like the sky is the limit, I don't really know what it takes to be considered 'good'.

[questionmark]

When it comes to programming, it just seems like the sky is the limit, I don't really know what it takes to be considered 'good'.

Releasing a program with very few bugs (i.e. the contrary of Microsoft) and fully functional (i.e. to the contrary of some game developers) makes you good.

[Orcseeker]

It's not really that hard, I just get by, somehow. In addition to programming languages, I also have DBMS subjects, I do feel like Database management would be the better choice for me, and not coding

When it comes to programming, it just seems like the sky is the limit, I don't really know what it takes to be considered 'good'.

I thought there was a bit of coding for DBMS systems. Or are you talking from a accessibility standpoint with SQL or the like?

[Orcseeker]

Releasing a program with very few bugs (i.e. the contrary of Microsoft) and fully functional (i.e. to the contrary of some game developers) makes you good.

+1 this. When programming becomes a full time job. I imagine remembering all the patterns and stuff will come by quite quickly. As I'm finding doing coding in my spare time is really improving my knowledge in the areas and remembering patterns.

Good programming isn't just knowing how to code it. Testing, bug checking, code readability, etc are all factors of making a good program.

Edited August 20, 2014 by Orcseeker

[Orcseeker]

Here's an anecdote about a perfect example of good vs bad programming.

The largest telecommunications company in my country, Telstra, outsourced the development one of their phone applications to a company in Russian. Sure it was cheaper, but the application functioning and efficiency was horrible. A very unstable and broken application came from it.

A friend of mine who was doing a year of work experience with the Australian development company that was then selected to develop the app after the mess in Russia had looked over their source code. It was basically a bunch of examples from stack overflow pieced together that somehow worked. You could even see the comments that explained the code in there from the sack overflow posts.

Although more expensive. The development in a trusted proven development company produces a much better result. Overcomes the problems instead of copy pasting from stack overflow and comments the code themselves explaining for if they or anyone else that goes back to modify the code knows what's happening. Adhering to all the coding conventions and the like.

[questionmark]

Do you use the easy68k assembler or?

Oops, missed that... well no, I use a version of MASM (that luckily in original form was not written by them and is capable of working with 8 byte long blocks)

[Orcseeker]

Oops, missed that... well no, I use a version of MASM (that luckily in original form was not written by them and is capable of working with 8 byte long blocks)

Interesting. It looks like a higher level language than that used by easy68k.

[questionmark]

Interesting. It looks like a higher level language than that used by easy68k.

Well, it kind of is, though with assemblers before MASM we did the same thing by pasting code of previously written routines into the source. with MASM all you do is load the macros you have previously written... which generally causes less errors. Many things I write nowadays just consists of a large collection of macros with a "pret a porter" main routine.

[Rlyeh]

Hey there Orcseeker. I like web apps, so my favorite would be javascript/PHP, python, and ruby. Although I'm still learning python and I've only taken a glimpse at ruby. For Javascript I like notepad++ and eclipse.

I've played around with Python, but more familiar with C/C++ and some variants of BASIC.

Interesting. It looks like a higher level language than that used by easy68k.

Easy68k looks like it is a simulator for 68k assembly rather than a native x86 assembler. Edited August 21, 2014 by Rlyeh

[Orcseeker]

I've played around with Python, but more familiar with C/C++ and some variants of BASIC.

Easy68k looks like it is a simulator for 68k assembly rather than a native x86 assembler.

I did an online test out of curiosity to see what my favourite programming language should be based on how I value certain aspects and it said C. I really don't enjoy it or grasp it as easily as other at all.

I have tried basic and vb.net in the past. What do you think of python? I've done very little of it.

Yes that's true. It's a simulator of the motorola 68000 CPU.

[Wickian]

I'm terrible at server-side interaction, but I can code HTML, CSS and AS3 fairly well. Javascript and PHP are similar enough to AS3 to where I just need some syntax/method cheat sheets to use them as well.

[Rlyeh]

I did an online test out of curiosity to see what my favourite programming language should be based on how I value certain aspects and it said C. I really don't enjoy it or grasp it as easily as other at all.

I have tried basic and vb.net in the past. What do you think of python? I've done very little of it.

python is similar to some of the object oriented basics but with blocks being defined by whitespace indentation.

Yes that's true. It's a simulator of the motorola 68000 CPU.

Use to play around with 68k assembly on the Amiga.

[questionmark]

I did an online test out of curiosity to see what my favourite programming language should be based on how I value certain aspects and it said C. I really don't enjoy it or grasp it as easily as other at all.

I have tried basic and vb.net in the past. What do you think of python? I've done very little of it.

Yes that's true. It's a simulator of the motorola 68000 CPU.

Well, I have an heresy for you: XBasic, freeware, capable of writing GUIs (a little more complicated than C, but workable), portable and easy to learn. Partially compiles in native X86 assembler (I should know that 'cause it uses some of my old routines that I released as PD many years back).