How Good Programming Practices Help In Real Life

Aug 21

So as you very well know, there is software. Now for many, this is a nebulous term that doesn’t really mean much to them until it results in a program that allows them to accomplish something. And that’s just fine. But what is interesting is that there is a methodology to software development that is actually pretty useful in everyday living.

You don’t have to be a software developer to appreciate ideas that will make your life easier or better now, do you? So don’t be scared if you’ve never heard the terms, just think about the ideas.

Anyways, these are just a few of the ideas that I’ve thought were useful:

1. **Leave lots of notes (well-commented code) **- Just as in coding, you (should) know what you’re doing at the exact moment that you’re doing it. However, how many times do we do something and then either leave it undone or pick it up again at another time. A prime example of this are those leftovers in the fridge. You threw them into the refrigerator last night after dinner just to get things cleaned up. Then you go get some groceries, put them in, and happen to push those leftovers to the back of the shelf. You find a tupperware in a few days and you are not really sure what it is or how old it is. A good comment from yourself when you had put it into the fridge would help you quite a bit right now wouldn’t it?

2. Let objects perform functions that they were intended for (object-oriented programming) - How big are the toasters with lcd screens? How much do you want a pot that has a handle with the temperature as well as a clock, an alarm, and a remote control? Sure you could scoff at such ideas, but in reality it’s much more efficient to use objects for their intended purpose. When objects have specific functions, you will immediately know what object to use when it comes time to perform a particular task. Don’t try to open a bottle with a screw driver, you can get diseases from the rusty nail that you were screwing in the garage the other day. Don’t use the same sponge to clean the counter as the dishes that you eat off of for the same reason. Using objects for purposes other than their intended one can not only make you look cheap, it can introduce errors that you would not have thought of. Also they’re better than huge, all-encompassing programs/objects because when some part of it breaks it is easier to fix and there is less loss of function. The television with speakers, a subwoofer, a built-in dvd player, a vcr, audio receiver-like capabilities and numerous other parts is more likely to be completely useless if one of those parts breaks than individual components, is it not?

3. **Fix when needed, upgrade when necessary (don’t get left behind the ages with nasty-to-maintain code) **- When something breaks, you have choices. You can get it repaired to the state that it was before or you can upgrade and buy something. So I guess you have a few choices in what to buy as well. You can buy used or new. In software development, there are many tools that you can use. There are code editors, programming languages, and many other tools. There is an unfortunate tendency for some, just as in life probably, to hold on to the old tools and languages simply because that’s how it’s always been. Sometimes we need to take a step back and re-evaluate the state that we are in and whether it is worth it to move on to something bigger and better. It’s not worth it to keep that old junker of a car if the repair costs cost more than a brand new automobile.

4. Understand how something works rather than specific tasks (similar to concept programming) - Do not limit your knowledge to specifics. Understand the driving force behind the specifics and then the specifics will become clear. This is a rather basic idea that translates to all types of fields. However, in my opinion, it seems to hold a lot of weight in the programming world because there are very many different ways to express the same idea. Notably, programming language choice can very easily decide how a particular goal will be achieved. In the real world, if you want to program a VCR, it is much more useful to understand what you’re doing (setting a timer and settings on the VCR in order to turn on and start recording) rather than simply memorizing the sequence of buttons to press in order to set the timer. It’s going to be pretty tough if you suddenly purchase a DVR and you don’t really understand what you’re trying to do with it.