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5/2/2010 4:54:31 PM

i tend to comment the hell out of the interfaces in my APIs and then just comment what I am trying to do in the implementations within the code itself. I generally figure that in the actual user interface, it is pretty fucking obvious what is going on, and just use nice and descriptive variable and method names

5/2/2010 5:02:56 PM

Quote :

"I generally figure that in the actual user interface, it is pretty fucking obvious what is going on, and just use nice and descriptive variable and method names"

QFT


I comment only when I need to. Basically I can read my own code without issue, even if it's been on the shelf for months. When I share it with others, though, I tend to over-comment.

5/2/2010 5:04:55 PM

I'm a big fan of using long variable names.

I also like to break steps out of a single line in order to make it more readable. Nothing I code up is ever going to care about efficiency, so I make it as human readable as possible at the cost of speed/memory.

5/2/2010 5:06:30 PM

Quote :

"^I'm guessing they don't do that too often. Did you have Lester?"

yea i had lester. maybe we were in the section and i didn't really know the real reason they gave everyone 100s, ha.

5/2/2010 6:38:48 PM

aha lester killed me in 316 too

first project was like 30 minutes of work, second/last project worked on for 2 weeks and never got close to finishing

now i'm thinking of taking him for an AI class

5/2/2010 7:29:57 PM

I wish I could have found an AI offering at the time

I really need to go back and get my MCS

5/2/2010 7:46:20 PM

words


wow, i have really been obsessing over a question from that article posted earlier

Quote :

"int a = 10; int b = 20; a = b; The new values of a and b are: [ ] a = 20 b = 0 [ ] a = 20 b = 20 [ ] a = 0 b = 10 [ ] a = 10 b = 10 [ ] a = 30 b = 20 [ ] a = 30 b = 0 [ ] a = 10 b = 30 [ ] a = 0 b = 30 [ ] a = 10 b = 20 [ ] a = 20 b = 10 "

it is trivial to me now but i went back and thought about how i might have approached it when i was a freshman (even with a lecture on the subject)

it is possible that i would have answered a=10, b=10 because there is no assignment and that just a and b were equal, a takes precedence on the left (this is hard to explain)

another guy posted

Quote :

"As a non programmer I would have checked off: a=10; b=20 In other words, the 'rules' of this particular program are such that 10=20. I know that 10=20 wouldn't make 'sense' in a basic math world, but I'm assuming that in programming, you can define your own rules, even if it wouldn't be 'true' outside of a programming environment. So...am I correct? Do I have the 'programmer's mind'? "

it sounds absurd now but i can see myself thinking that the first time i took 116

can some people really just not get it ever? it seems after a good explanation that anyone would understand the above question. i am far from the best programmer ever and probably failed that question the first time but came back around and answered it correctly eventually.

[Edited on May 3, 2010 at 1:24 AM. Reason : .]

5/3/2010 1:15:38 AM

Quote :

"can some people really just not get it ever? it seems after a good explanation that anyone would understand the above question."

you missed the point.

5/3/2010 1:17:49 AM

maybe but this probably sums up what you are thinking...words

Quote :

"I think a lot of you may be missing the point here. The correct answer did not matter at all. After reading through the draft, I gathered that the test measured whether or not a student could hold a consistent rule set in his/her head or not. The students who did not answer consistently were most likely to be the students that did not understand that computers are dumb and will only do exactly what you tell them...following the exact same rules every time. This is a huge disadvantage when programming, because the rules do not change. Unlike the relativism most high schools teach, where there is no right answer and each problem should be looked at in its own way, where everyone can have his or her own set of rules and values, programming is very strict. The people who comprehend this are much more likely to be good at programming. That was the point of this article, not that knowing the correct answers to these questions makes you a good programmer. I think there was even a list of what all the answers meant the student was thinking at the time, most of which, were perfectly acceptable thought processes, if self-consistent. I'm just worried that something like this may be used as a deterrent for those who really don't get it at first, but are able to adapt quickly."

even if the consistent students failed that question...they must have wrapped their minds around it eventually

[Edited on May 3, 2010 at 1:40 AM. Reason : .]

5/3/2010 1:39:39 AM

^^^It's about consistent answers, son, not a correct answer. More than one question on that test. Also they were told there was no "right" answer, but that it was all about interpretation.

They wanted to see if people could develop a consistent rule-set and apply that rule-set on all questions. The interesting part was when they discussed the aspect of meaninglessness... none of those symbols mean anything on their own, the computer will do anything it is told regardless of reason, sense, or meaning... the inconsistent students were trying to find meaning where there was none. The inconsistent ones were demonstrating reluctance/trouble with letting go of the idea that these things had inherent meaning, or trouble grasping the idea that each symbol is just a meaningless placeholder for a rule or operation (though those last couple sentences were speculation... good speculation, but still not proven).

That's not to say they can't ever be taught... a few of the Inconsistent group switched to being Consistent by the second testing, after some instruction.


What I'd REALLY like to see is some study of correlation with Meyers-Briggs Personality Types. It's entirely possible that the difference is exhibited in T vs F or N vs S types, or something similar.


^The consistent students who "failed" the question with regards to C/Java syntax likely got it consistently "correct" after being taught the correct purpose of the assignment operator. Unfortunately the study makes no mention of actual correctness with regards to C/Java, mostly because answering consistently is not at all "wrong" if the test-taker has no knowledge of programming languages.

[Edited on May 3, 2010 at 1:51 AM. Reason : .]

5/3/2010 1:48:39 AM