Use of low tech tools when it comes to programming [modified]

[BillWoodruff]

Hi Sri Rama-ji, I really appreciate your posts, like this one, on the Lounge that invite open-ended, interesting, technical discussions. From this one I've made a mental note to go see whatever happened to Visio (which I haven't looked at for years). Personally, I switch between "modes" as I work : when I feel "stuck" conceptually in the "big picture," I switch to prototyping some small piece, or utility application, of the "problem-space," focusing my mind on the code, and often that re-direction of focus seems to allow my "unconscious mind" to come up with some idea that then ... takes me back to the big picture ... Or I leave the room where I normally program (at home), go lie on the bed with a notepad and pencil and diagram. I used to enjoy using a big whiteboard when I worked for companies. For me knowing when to "bear down" and keep up concentration, and when to "let up" and shift modes, seems like an "art." That said, I do think programmers often have certain types of "professional temperaments" : some are, by nature, strongly top-down analytic types most comfortable with formalizing the "big picture" first using design patterns, etc., or focusing on working out the "key algorithms" and data structures (or data access layers and mechanisms) first ... others (I think I'm one) are, by nature, more "bottom up," needing to get busy coding, and then cycle back and forth between prototyping and design. But, at this point, I'm just an old dilettante, doing this for "fun" :) best, Bill

"Many : not conversant with mathematical studies, imagine that because it [the Analytical Engine] is to give results in numerical notation, its processes must consequently be arithmetical, numerical, rather than algebraical and analytical. This is an error. The engine can arrange and combine numerical quantities as if they were letters or any other general symbols; and it fact it might bring out its results in algebraical notation, were provisions made accordingly." Ada, Countess Lovelace, 1844

[Vikram A Punathambekar]

I have my own drawer, and I can find my stuff with no problem.

Cheers, Vikram. (Proud to have finally cracked a CCC!)

[Lost User]

I always have a stack of medium-sized note pads on my desk. And lots of really good roller ball pens. Everything starts with those. Cheers, Drew.

[Brady Kelly]

For me, pen and paper is a waste of time and trees. I achieve exactly the same result 'sketching' out a high-level design in VS, with the benefit of visible results. When my design works, I fill in the details. I have, however, been doing this on and off for 20 years, and full time for 10, but my latest endeavour, web design[^], would be in the gutter if I had to use anything except VS first. PS, that page is barely functional, not an example of best effort, which will only be available this afternoon.

[Shog9 0]

For code reviews, nothing beats a printout and a big, red pen.

[peterchen]

Whiteboard: A whiteboard helps me thinking and explaining. It's a bit quirky maybe, but works well. Post-its: When I leave the office PC's running overnight, I have to stick a post it "keep running" to it. otherwise, the one closing might shut it down. pen-and-paper: To-Do list on crazy days. I have a thin A5 ringbook that I use to put things into order of execution when I get ten issues with "top priority". I also use it to jot dowen notes, and do some minor design. I don't use it daily, though.

Personally, I love the idea that Raymond spends his nights posting bad regexs to mailing lists under the pseudonym of Jane Smith. He'd be like a super hero, only more nerdy and less useful. [Trevel]
| FoldWithUs! | sighist

[Tom Deketelaere]

Christian Graus wrote:

digging the garden

Your garden is full of holes then right? :)

[moon_stick]

I always make notes, designs and task lists on paper before I start touching any electronic development (much to the chagrin of the office manager where I work as he's bought into the whole 'paperless office' concept). I used to start working in code and then refine the idea until it worked but I find that a bit of upfront thinking away from my computer elicits better designs and lowers overall production time.

It definitely isn't definatley

[dazfuller]

It depends, most of the time I'll use a combination of both pen & paper and the computer. I'll sketch out a general system diagram on paper, make notes about some of the finer details and if I need to check that a theory works by hacking a quick-and-dirty app together on the computer. Whiteboards are another great tool I find and a really nice method when working in a group is to get everyone at a whiteboard with post-its and pens as it's easy to move things around, scrub things out and debate some of the issues. It also depends on the size of the problem, if I'm writing a simple app then I'll tend to just get on and do it, for really complicated things I wont even think of starting until I've got it down on paper and then in the middle I'll use something like I described above.

[urbane tiger]

ditto but often preceded with some sort of sketch/mind map/mud map etc using any or all of the following: pens on beer mats, serviettes, napkins or tablecloth fat felt tip pen's on butchers paper, lines drawn in sand with stick, finger on misted train windows, crayon on the inside of windscreens CD Marker pens on old CD's (great for problems involving looping) at each stage take a good look around to see if its already been done, if so then context switch to negotiation/acquisition mode and dust off the wordprocessor on which to compose contract.

"I beseech you, in the bowels of Christ, think it possible you may be mistaken." -- Oliver Cromwell

[Jorgen Sigvardsson]

I have a white board (my very own, and I will kill people who even think they can take it from my office) that I use primarily when I discuss design issues with other folks. Otherwise, I just use pen, paper and ToDoList[^]

-- Kein Mitleid Für Die Mehrheit

[Dave Parker]

If it's complex I might plan it out using a simple text editor or in some cases visio (esp if I'm trying to get the object model right in my head) - I don't really use paper for anything though other than quick notes in meetings as it often gets lost or a drink spilled on it plus my own handwriting is *bad* lol. Generally though if I'm in the middle of coding and something is getting quite complex I'm more likely to just break it down into smaller parts and maybe unit test those smaller parts individually - depends on the situation really.

[Lost User]

And bugs.

Visit http://www.notreadytogiveup.com/[^] and do something special today.

[MrZaggy]

Nothing beats the White-Board for nutting out the initial stuff - sometimes I go to the effort of pencil and paper when I don't have a white-board close at hand, but either way, the pen comes first! Then if the project is anything more complex than a hand full of classes (ie, my 3rd Year CompSci projects are all 4-6 classes), the sketches and class attributes lists will find their way into something like Rational Rose, so you can map the relationships and begin to develop (or verify) the class/method specifications you have come up with (personally, I find this is best done with a few Sequence Diagrams; I just despise Collaboration Diagrams). Then you can just dump out a code framework, with comments, and go from there.. But seriously, going from IDEA to IDE is madness... There needs to be time AWAY from from a keyboard before you get stuck in - its a MAJOR problem I see here at Uni (I had a number of years of 'real-world' experience before coming back to uni); the kids are just not taught how to effectively plan and design; they're taught the syntax and how to use O-O concepts. The White-Board (for me anyway) is the only real place to start...

[ormonds]

Same process every time, start in VS, get it wrong, go back to paper, get it right, start again. Explaining to someone else helps me understand it better - verbalising.

[Stefan_Lang]

Normally, anything new involving more than a single new data structure or class goes to my UML tool first, so I can sort out what the interrelations exactly are before I think about what methods and what data I need, and where. If I'm unsure what the actual objects are, then it's pen and (any kind of) paper first. The big advantage of P&P is that I can pin down concepts, methods, and data that I need without having to identify what type of UML object they would be, or where in my code to put them. Once I have an overview of the elements of the problem, I am ready to move on to the UML tool, or if it's clear enough, even directly to coding. I also often dig through a problem in my head while walking around, even going to the loo occasionally gives my great ideas. There even was an occasion or two where I literally dreamt up a solution to a problem I had (and no, I was not dreaming at the office ;P ). Another way of finding a solution is discussing it with someone else. In 4 out of 5 cases I suddenly see a solution just by going through the effort of trying to explain the heart of the problem to another person. I think just imagining to explain it to someone else would do the same, but in that 1 out of 5 case it is advantageous to have a real person to talk to ;)

[Gary Wheeler]

The most profoundly useful tools are the following: - Two Uniball Micro[^] pens, one in blue, one in green. I've used these pens for 25 years. - Old sample cards. We use 5.5"x8.5" card stock for printing samples (we make commercial ink jet printers). I have a box full of these that have been printed only one one side. The cards are a nice size for outlining ideas, making bullet lists, and so on. I use them to keep track of all of my "number one top priorities". They're small enough to shuffle as needed.

Software Zen: delete this;

[Gary Wheeler]

peterchen wrote:

When I leave the office PC's running overnight, I have to stick a post it "keep running" to it. otherwise, the one closing might shut it down.

If someone touched my PC when I wasn't here, the next thing you would see would be their head on a pike outside my cubicle walls. I have scheduled tasks that run at night to do backups and other sorts of maintenance. I occasionally start builds when I leave.

Software Zen: delete this;

[Rama Krishna Vavilala]

Vikram A Punathambekar wrote:

use the reverse of old single-side printouts.

That's what I also mostly do :). I can throw them away once I have transferred my work to the computer. One thing I want to try is to see scan my writing and scribbling and preserve them.

[Fabio Franco]

I often use pen and paper to solve complex logic problems. I draw, write and make calculations no paper. It's far more efficient than the trial/error solution. Some things aren't as practical as using pen and paper. So, yes, this tool is more than welcome. Works fine with me.