Monday 10 December 2012

Global Day of Code Retreat 2012

This post has moved to http://coding-is-like-cooking.info/2012/12/global-day-of-code-retreat-2012/

3 comments:

Jon Jagger said...

Hi Emily,
I've tracked down (and fixed) the fault where the output was not updated.
Cheers
Jon

Andrew Dalke said...

I agree that it does 'throw me out of my comfort zone.' Could you elaborate on how it helps get us to 'really concentrate on the way [we] code'? Would it apply equally well to using, say, 'ed' as the editor?

BTW, I recently read an autobiographical account of the development of Algol for Burroughs: Stories about the B5000 and People Who Were There, Richard Waychoff, April 9, 1979. I thought you might be interested in this remark due its rejection of prototyping in favor of a code-last approach:

...our benchmarks seem to encourage minimal thought given to the design of our software. We see benchmarks such as:

A. Successful Clear/Start.

B. BOJ for an object program.

C. Simple program compiled.

This kind of benchmarking almost demands that coding starts as early as possible. I would much rather see benchmarks such as:

A. Design of the language complete.

B. Design of the Scanner complete.

C. Design of the Statement Parsers complete.

D. Start of programming.

E. Project successfully completed.


Somehow I have the impression that Detroit does not feel that we have time to produce products that are superior in innovation and quality. So I can understand Lonergan's opinion that no company, including Burroughs, is likely to duplicate the feat in today's environment.

Emily Bache said...

Andrew,

The point of the basic editor is partially as a leveller - you can pair more equally since neither person is in their comfort zone. I could say more, but I think it's a blog post of its own...

I don't think it would be the same with ed (I havn't used ed, but I'm assuming it's a bit like vim) since the usability for a complete beginner is poor, and most people will be beginners.

I'm not sure what point you're making with your account about Algol. Perhaps you could ellaborate in a blog post?