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  3. Gruff! Gruff! Back in *my* day, programming was hard!

Gruff! Gruff! Back in *my* day, programming was hard!

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  • P Pete OHanlon

    Hate to break it to you, but it is still relatively easy to leak memory in. NET. Just leave some event handlers referenced to find out how easy it is.

    Forgive your enemies - it messes with their heads

    "Mind bleach! Send me mind bleach!" - Nagy Vilmos

    My blog | My articles | MoXAML PowerToys | Mole 2010 - debugging made easier - my favourite utility

    Sander RosselS Offline
    Sander RosselS Offline
    Sander Rossel
    wrote on last edited by
    #28

    You're right, we have it REALLY hard nowadays :laugh: Personally I've never experienced this problem. I can see why it could be though. But still, my guess is that memory management is a lot easier in .NET than in C or C++ :)

    It's an OO world.

    public class Naerling : Lazy<Person>{
    public void DoWork(){ throw new NotImplementedException(); }
    }

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    • M Marc Clifton

      Brian C Hart wrote:

      Seriously though, today's programmers have it SO easy.

      True. On the other hand, it frees my brain to work on solving more interesting problems than memory management, memory leaks, architecture issues that I shouldn't have to deal with in my code, etc. Though Anders Molin (occasional denizen of CP) would agree with you! Marc

      My Blog

      J Offline
      J Offline
      James Lonero
      wrote on last edited by
      #29

      I agree. Back when we first moved from programming in MS-DOS to Windows, we spent 80% of our time writing our code for the windows user interface and 20% for the application. Prior to that (back in the MS-DOS days) 90% of our time was writing code for the application and 10% was for the user interface. Programming .NET Forms was much easier than MFC, and even easier than WPF. WPF, as nice as it is for a user interface is still painful, unless you want to (enthusiastically) pursue xaml. Some 3rd party libraries make .NET Forms look as good as WPF. Yes, we do have it easier. At least we're not programming in assembly, punch cards, or toggle switches. Now we can do bigger applications and spend more time on our design than worrying about the minute details like forgotten pointers or popped registers. Just wait for when computers can program themselves to do what we want. Then, we may be out of a job (probably long after I retire).

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      • E Earl Truss

        You and your fancy-shmancy compilers and debuggers. Try maintaining a few million lines of real-mode assembler code for 15 years.

        J Offline
        J Offline
        jsc42
        wrote on last edited by
        #30

        I conur with the sentiments of Prof Maurice Wilkes who, allegedly, said: Compilers? They only do what you do in your head. (I cannot find any reference for this quote; but what I did find was that he died 29 Nov last year aged 97 - another of the 'greats' of computing has gone).

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        • J James Lonero

          I agree. Back when we first moved from programming in MS-DOS to Windows, we spent 80% of our time writing our code for the windows user interface and 20% for the application. Prior to that (back in the MS-DOS days) 90% of our time was writing code for the application and 10% was for the user interface. Programming .NET Forms was much easier than MFC, and even easier than WPF. WPF, as nice as it is for a user interface is still painful, unless you want to (enthusiastically) pursue xaml. Some 3rd party libraries make .NET Forms look as good as WPF. Yes, we do have it easier. At least we're not programming in assembly, punch cards, or toggle switches. Now we can do bigger applications and spend more time on our design than worrying about the minute details like forgotten pointers or popped registers. Just wait for when computers can program themselves to do what we want. Then, we may be out of a job (probably long after I retire).

          M Offline
          M Offline
          Marc Clifton
          wrote on last edited by
          #31

          James Lonero wrote:

          Just wait for when computers can program themselves to do what we want. Then, we may be out of a job.

          I keep working on that idea. I figure, fixing all the horrific bugs would be lifelong job security. :) Marc

          My Blog

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          • D Dan Mos

            In a way, Yes. But with all this "child play" as you call them, also come lots of frameworks and stuff. Back then while harder you could basically say that if you know the language(C) you're a programmer. Now you have to know tens of frameworks and stuff. And I hate that pretty much. Not to mention the rate/speed at wich they are changing. Todays "big thing" is tomorrows old news. :)

            All the best, Dan

            F Offline
            F Offline
            Florin Jurcovici 0
            wrote on last edited by
            #32

            MDL=>Moshu wrote:

            Back then while harder you could basically say that if you know the language(C) you're a programmer.

            Wrong. You still had to know the library - and know it well. I got to learn about Intellisense/autocompletion only in the late 90s. Nowadays, Eclipse's CDT (I don't know about VS) even turns a . into -> when you place it after a raw pointer. OTOH, I don't think the rate of change is much higher nowadays, not regarding the important stuff. You still have to know your algorithms, O(n) analysis and so on. OYAH (on yet another hand), I don't think my brain has grown since the 80s (when I had my first contacts to programming). So even if I have supposedly better tools and libraries today, I'm supposed to do more and faster. So the effort is similar.

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            • Sander RosselS Sander Rossel

              You're right, we have it REALLY hard nowadays :laugh: Personally I've never experienced this problem. I can see why it could be though. But still, my guess is that memory management is a lot easier in .NET than in C or C++ :)

              It's an OO world.

              public class Naerling : Lazy<Person>{
              public void DoWork(){ throw new NotImplementedException(); }
              }

              P Offline
              P Offline
              Pete OHanlon
              wrote on last edited by
              #33

              Don't know who lowballed the vote, but I've 5ed to compensate.

              Forgive your enemies - it messes with their heads

              "Mind bleach! Send me mind bleach!" - Nagy Vilmos

              My blog | My articles | MoXAML PowerToys | Mole 2010 - debugging made easier - my favourite utility

              Sander RosselS 1 Reply Last reply
              0
              • P Pete OHanlon

                Don't know who lowballed the vote, but I've 5ed to compensate.

                Forgive your enemies - it messes with their heads

                "Mind bleach! Send me mind bleach!" - Nagy Vilmos

                My blog | My articles | MoXAML PowerToys | Mole 2010 - debugging made easier - my favourite utility

                Sander RosselS Offline
                Sander RosselS Offline
                Sander Rossel
                wrote on last edited by
                #34

                Someone downvoted me!? :confused: I wondered where the sudden drop in rep came from :laugh: Thanks mate :)

                It's an OO world.

                public class Naerling : Lazy<Person>{
                public void DoWork(){ throw new NotImplementedException(); }
                }

                1 Reply Last reply
                0
                • D Dr Walt Fair PE

                  Brian C Hart wrote:

                  (and "real women programmers") with "chest hair"

                  So, you're looking for someone to determine which women those are?

                  CQ de W5ALT

                  Walt Fair, Jr., P. E. Comport Computing Specializing in Technical Engineering Software

                  B Offline
                  B Offline
                  BrainiacV
                  wrote on last edited by
                  #35

                  This is reminding me too much of the old joke about the woman who was prescribed an overdose of testosterone. I shan't sully this discussion with it.

                  Psychosis at 10 Film at 11 Those who do not remember the past, are doomed to repeat it. Those who do not remember the past, cannot build upon it.

                  1 Reply Last reply
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                  • J James Lonero

                    I agree. Back when we first moved from programming in MS-DOS to Windows, we spent 80% of our time writing our code for the windows user interface and 20% for the application. Prior to that (back in the MS-DOS days) 90% of our time was writing code for the application and 10% was for the user interface. Programming .NET Forms was much easier than MFC, and even easier than WPF. WPF, as nice as it is for a user interface is still painful, unless you want to (enthusiastically) pursue xaml. Some 3rd party libraries make .NET Forms look as good as WPF. Yes, we do have it easier. At least we're not programming in assembly, punch cards, or toggle switches. Now we can do bigger applications and spend more time on our design than worrying about the minute details like forgotten pointers or popped registers. Just wait for when computers can program themselves to do what we want. Then, we may be out of a job (probably long after I retire).

                    B Offline
                    B Offline
                    BrainiacV
                    wrote on last edited by
                    #36

                    And just how will these self programming computers cope with the user that responds, "That's just what I asked for, but not what I wanted"? Would the user then have to purchase the DWIM (Do What I Mean) module?

                    Psychosis at 10 Film at 11 Those who do not remember the past, are doomed to repeat it. Those who do not remember the past, cannot build upon it.

                    1 Reply Last reply
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                    • P Pete OHanlon

                      Amusingly enough, every generation of coder thinks that younger generations have it easier. Every generation is wrong, it's just elitist, revisionist crap. Modern frameworks may make some things easier, but other things are a lot harder.

                      Forgive your enemies - it messes with their heads

                      "Mind bleach! Send me mind bleach!" - Nagy Vilmos

                      My blog | My articles | MoXAML PowerToys | Mole 2010 - debugging made easier - my favourite utility

                      B Offline
                      B Offline
                      BrainiacV
                      wrote on last edited by
                      #37

                      Wait, wait, back in the early 80's I was told programming was going to go away, now that there were spreadsheets...and CASE...and voice recognition just around the corner, but Bill Gates had not yet asked why anybody needs more than 640K and windows were something you opened for a breeze... Certainly where I work they think spreadsheets are better than or equal to databases (except when they need a particular query run and then it gets magically done by me). Hell, I even attended a West Coast Computer Faire where a panel of "experts" declared that COBOL programmers would be extinct fairly soon since kids were learning to program BASIC in school. However one old fart (not me, I was a wee sprout) got up and said they were wrong. He said, "Look around you. Everyone in this room knows how to read and write, however how many of you are going to write novels? Programmers are to be nourished and cherished." The panel sat there with sour looks on their faces and were no doubt hoping security would be along soon to escort this old fool out.

                      Psychosis at 10 Film at 11 Those who do not remember the past, are doomed to repeat it. Those who do not remember the past, cannot build upon it.

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