Programmer-Oriented Programming

[MichaelxxOA]

This is me ranting about wanting to make my job less stressful.

I want to focus on making good decisions from the beginning. As a human I can only retain so much information and keeping up with everything is overwhelming. As a professional it is my responsibility to make good decisions using what I have at hand. Being on the cutting edge of technology and technique is a result of me growing as a programmer. I should be comfortable with the decisions I make now even though I don't know all of the options I have available to me. As I learn I am able to apply. Knowing everything isn't what being a professional is about.

It seems that, more often than not, my decisions are made arbitrarily. If I need a variable I create it. If I need a method I write it. If I determine a class is necessary it comes to fruition, but even here I'm not completely sure how I make the determination ... I just do and I feel that it's a problem. We don't have anything concrete to base our decisions off of. Instead we are given ideas of how to go about things. Ideas like generalizing, hiding your data, programming to interfaces, and so on. Are there decisions that can be made based on context?

It has been suggested to me that Design Patterns are the "right way" to program in an object-oriented manner, but this is false and misleading. It's a deceptively good way to think, but design patterns generally only describe the relationships and interactions between classes and objects. Programming in an object-oriented manner is, in fact, a much richer topic. Most of what is available on learning how to suffers from the same issue: the way object-oriented programming (OOP) is taught and the way it is practiced are not the same.

So why say anything? I have been making very dramatic changes in the way I approach programming. Some of the ideas are my own, but a lot of it comes from people with more experience and wisdom. What I don't have are peoples opinions on things they find stressful about programming and whether or not people will find writing about these things useful. That is what this thread is for. I would love to talk about the things going on in my brain, but I definitely don't want to bore anyone.

[hangalot]

some questions from me to see what kind of conversation we should be happening.

do u use flash or flex,
do you unit test,
do you have a CI machine,
what framework(s) do you use

[Cota]

I believe its conversations like these that push our industry forward. Some one with the courage to stand up and question the "rules of engagement".

For years I was seen as a trouble maker simply because I question the "standards" of development. Lets remember, these standards originated from a single person, who simply sought to have his/her opinions accepted by all developers in a particular technology.

Before any of you go off telling me what an idiot I am, step back and let the man air his thoughts, we may all actually learn something about development, or even ourselves.

[Flash Gordon]

Hey Michael, I got an A on my paper buddy! Thanks pal!

And rant on, friend. I always learn from you guy's rants.

[peptobismol]

however you want to want to do it, you have to keep in mind the modularity of your work.... Will it be a pain to update, modify, correct? (by you and others)... And also the fact that many people might work on a project as well.

That's why OOP is the preferred method. This is about efficiency and productivity more than anything.

[Cota]

I think you're missing the point of what he's getting at.

[peptobismol]

what is the point?

[MichaelxxOA]

I'm still writing the second reply.

Focus on how we make object-oriented decisions. What principles affect your structural decisions?

Consider these three simple examples:

• Variables store
• Functions compute
• Classes define relationships between variables and functions

Do you consider the following when determining good program structure:

• The lifetime of variables
• How often the state of a variable changes
• The scope of classes

@FG awesome!

[Cota]

Whats the point? Please do not be offended by my response, but thats a pretty closed minded response. The whole point of this thread was for Michael wade through his thoughts on OOP and the techniques "the powers that be" have proclaimed stadards.

You cant expect to have a clear, cut and dry, response right away. Give it time to develop and please keep an open mind. I'm not 100% where its going either, but lets enjoy the ride and see what we learn.

[peptobismol]

there's no emotional or 'closed mindedness' to my response... I was just asking what you think MichaelxxOA's point was...

You didn't understand my point....
My point is it doesn't matter the decision is to when or why to create a variable as long it is a clear, efficient, productive decision.

And the 'mantra' for computing is usually right because it works in a precise, efficient way. And it's a proven standard...
You can have your methodology.. That's fine if it works for you.