Groups | Search | Server Info | Keyboard shortcuts | Login | Register [http] [https] [nntp] [nntps]

Groups > comp.programming > #1752

Re: If "rigid rules" are the wrong way...

Show all headers | View raw

On Jun 7, 10:38 am, Daniel Pitts
<newsgroup.nos...@virtualinfinity.net> wrote:
> On 6/6/12 11:32 PM, mike3 wrote:
>
>
>
> > Hi.
>
> > I've been chided on the threads I've started for somehow thinking that
> > programming can be "reduced to rigid, mechanical rules" and I think
> > the chidings are right -- and I suspect that if one wants to do "good"
> > programming, one is DEFINITELY going about it the WRONG way trying to
> > make it a matter of memorizing tons of rules and procedures. I also
> > saw this comment on this forum:
>
> >http://stackoverflow.com/questions/10583321/when-are-denormals-actual...
>
> > "A "code smell" is an overly-coarse guideline for people who don't
> > actually know what they're doing (or can't be bothered to carefully
> > read the sources in question)."
>
> > suggesting such rules are probably not the way to go. So where does
> > one get that knowledge, so that one can then actually do it right, and
> > after doing it right, not worry so much about "smells" and the like,
> > since then one will be able to know when to apply the rule and when
> > not to. Which books would one need? But I suspect also a lot of it is
> > practice work. But first you need to know the right thing to
> > practice... otherwise you can end up developing bad habits.
>
> I read about this subject in Pragmatic Thinking and Learning (from the
> publishers of The Pragmatic Programmer).  They cited a study that showed
> that "experts" in fields typically use intuition and feeling over rigid
> rules, and that this works very well. When asked to explain why a
> certain choice was made, it is often difficult for experts to explain
> why.  On the other hand, novices in fields don't have the experience to
> make those gut decisions, or make them very poorly.  Experts in those
> fields tend to come up with "rules of thumb" to aid the novices make
> more good decisions than bad.
>
> The side effect is that novices who remain novice will stick to "I'm
> only going to do it this way because I was told by an expert this is the
> way to do it."  These rules of thumb become laws of nature to those who
> don't understand how/why the rules came into being.
>

So what is the difference between the one that remains novice and the
one
that starts advancing? What does the latter do that the former does
not?
And what does it take to "understand how/why the rules came into
being"?

<snip, no questions about remaining stuff>

Back to comp.programming | Previous | Next — Previous in thread | Next in thread | Find similar

Thread

If "rigid rules" are the wrong way... mike3 <mike4ty4@yahoo.com> - 2012-06-06 23:32 -0700
  Re: If "rigid rules" are the wrong way... "Chris Uppal" <chris.uppal@metagnostic.REMOVE-THIS.org> - 2012-06-07 08:50 +0100
    Re: If "rigid rules" are the wrong way... "Dmitry A. Kazakov" <mailbox@dmitry-kazakov.de> - 2012-06-07 09:55 +0200
      Re: If "rigid rules" are the wrong way... "Chris Uppal" <chris.uppal@metagnostic.REMOVE-THIS.org> - 2012-06-09 11:25 +0100
    Re: If "rigid rules" are the wrong way... mike3 <mike4ty4@yahoo.com> - 2012-06-07 01:39 -0700
      Re: If "rigid rules" are the wrong way... Patricia Shanahan <pats@acm.org> - 2012-06-07 06:43 -0700
      Re: If "rigid rules" are the wrong way... "Chris Uppal" <chris.uppal@metagnostic.REMOVE-THIS.org> - 2012-06-09 11:05 +0100
        Re: If "rigid rules" are the wrong way... "Chris Uppal" <chris.uppal@metagnostic.REMOVE-THIS.org> - 2012-06-09 11:24 +0100
      Re: If "rigid rules" are the wrong way... "Chris Uppal" <chris.uppal@metagnostic.REMOVE-THIS.org> - 2012-06-09 11:15 +0100
    Re: If "rigid rules" are the wrong way... "BartC" <bc@freeuk.com> - 2012-06-07 10:55 +0100
      Re: If "rigid rules" are the wrong way... "Chris Uppal" <chris.uppal@metagnostic.REMOVE-THIS.org> - 2012-06-09 10:44 +0100
        Re: If "rigid rules" are the wrong way... "BartC" <bc@freeuk.com> - 2012-06-09 12:35 +0100
  Re: If "rigid rules" are the wrong way... Daniel Pitts <newsgroup.nospam@virtualinfinity.net> - 2012-06-07 09:38 -0700
    Re: If "rigid rules" are the wrong way... mike3 <mike4ty4@yahoo.com> - 2012-06-07 14:26 -0700
      Re: If "rigid rules" are the wrong way... Daniel Pitts <newsgroup.nospam@virtualinfinity.net> - 2012-06-07 16:52 -0700

csiph-web