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What are some things you wish you knew when you started programming?

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Re: What are some things you wish you knew when you started programming?

#101
post #81
post #53

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Logic more so than mathematics. Mathematics as a means to achieve efficiency, which is an afterthought most of the time. Most working programmers don't need more than a basic understanding of algebra.

Logic is a form a mathematics, and understanding logic is essential. Indeed, for many programmers, that's the extent of the math they know and use. And that's what limits them. There is so much more.

Unless you're​ solving mathematical problems, how does math directly translate to programming (ignoring efficiency)? I agree with the sentiment that the connection is over-stated. Whenever I hear this argument, it feels like reductive FP propaganda. I'm interested in FP, but not because "it's just math". Sometimes it's nice to piggyback off of mathematics, and it's true that a program is a sort of proof, but sometimes (most of the time) it's better to not be so formal, and not be so academic.

Also, math and logic are obviously related, but logic is not "a form of mathematics". If anything, mathematics is a form of logic.

Re: What are some things you wish you knew when you started programming?

#102

I wish I knew back then that being an employee is not the only way to earn money through programming.

Can you elaborate?

I spent my first 5 years after university as an employee because "everybody has a job" and it never occurred to me that I might freelance or start my own business.

Doubly pitiful because I didn't need that much income back then, and later it became much more complicated to stop being employee due to higher cost of living in a place I moved to and due to need to support the family.

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