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What it feels like to be in the zone as a programmer

dopeboy.github.io

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Re: What it feels like to be in the zone as a programmer

#31

Post by rhizome31 »

I don't think I've ever experienced anything like this. As I practice TDD, my usual workflow is think -> test -> code, code usually being the easiest part. Things like "problems break down instantly", "everything becomes effortless" sound strange and exciting. I wonder how that relates to the concepts of maintainability, cowboy programming and 10x engineer.

I've met a few programmers in my career who were able to write a huge amount of code doing wonderful things without testing at all. One guy I think of would spend days coding without even trying to compile his code and apparently, except for minor typos he could quickly fix, his code was working when he decided to compile and test it. He impressed bosses and colleagues with amazing features developed in a very short time but, on the other hand, nobody on the team was able to maintain his code. This was explicitly stated and accepted by team members, we knew we couldn't maintain his code but we were ready to accept it given the productivity of the guy. It was a trade-off.

This way of working is completely alien to me. I can't think things in my head out of nothing and write working code. I need to start building something and get feedback from the computer to go to the next step. That's why when I was introduced to TDD it immediately made a lot of sense to me. It matched the way I was already operating. If I didn't have this workflow I think I would be unable to write even mildly complex code.

It's interesting how people can operate differently. In a way I'm a bit jealous of those "zone" programmers who can produce amazing things very quickly. But, on the other hand, I can see that I'm also useful because companies hire me and want to keep me. I've seen many times people taking over my code, maintain it and develop it further. I've even been explicitly told a few times that my code was very easy to understand and maintain. Seeing people taking over my code and develop it further is one of the most satisfying things in my work.

Re: What it feels like to be in the zone as a programmer

#32

Post by dghughes »

I'm trying my hand at programming and I'm surprised at my progress so far.

But as a person who is very unfocused and poor at math programming has got to be the worst thing on earth for me. But I like it, and math.

As with anything learning to focus takes effort it's different for each person. But a clean desk, calm environment, goals, lots of sleep, eat well and I find post exercise all helps. Not just learning to program but any task.

Re: What it feels like to be in the zone as a programmer

#34

Post by 5_minutes »

synthmeat wrote: post #7
sktrdie wrote: post #4

I get this too, but it's very draining - similar to doing an intensive workout, or given a talk at a conference. The negatives are obvious; less sociable, more easily irritated, wanting to be by yourself. After you've spent a day in the zone, you're not really "party material". The positive (apart from being very productive) is that I use it to get my negative feelings out of the way - anything that is bothering in m…

> It comes and goes, with very little control on your behalf. As anecdata makes the data, here's mine - you have a lot of control of it. If you can control your environment (audio, light, temperature, food, exercise, communication, interaction, ...), you can get in the zone too just by virtue of almost exclusively focusing on some type of work you get in the zone for in the first place. Live by code, die by code.

Right. I only drink coffee anymore for these occasions, put in repetitive music and certain short phased annoying urgent Non coding chores must be done and out of the way, so they don't pollute my mental horizon. It works. Most of the time.

Re: What it feels like to be in the zone as a programmer

#35

Post by rnabel »

rhizome31 wrote: post #31

I don't think I've ever experienced anything like this. As I practice TDD, my usual workflow is think -> test -> code, code usually being the easiest part. Things like "problems break down instantly", "everything becomes effortless" sound strange and exciting. I wonder how that relates to the concepts of maintainability, cowboy programming and 10x engineer. I've met a few programmers in my career who were able to wri…

Interesting point re the zone-programming and being a cowboy programmer.

I don't think that 'in the zone'-programming has to produce bad code, though (if that's what you are saying). I'd argue that it depends on what gives you a reward. If you take pride in your code then you will find it rewarding to write tests and decent comments etc., and more importantly make a habit of doing so. A lot of people who write bad code think that they can get away with it because they are 'smart'. These same people then spend a ton of time trying to find bugs.

It sounds like your colleague is 'finishing' features by accumulating tech debt. While this may impress non-technical management, from my experience, it wouldn't make it into a high-quality production code base.

From people I've worked with, it seems like most people go through phases of extreme productivity ('being in the zone'). The code quality may suffer somewhat during those times, but they don't throw all good practice out of the window (not compiling for days, no tests?!?).

Re: What it feels like to be in the zone as a programmer

#36

Post by calafrax »

rhizome31 wrote: post #31

I don't think I've ever experienced anything like this. As I practice TDD, my usual workflow is think -> test -> code, code usually being the easiest part. Things like "problems break down instantly", "everything becomes effortless" sound strange and exciting. I wonder how that relates to the concepts of maintainability, cowboy programming and 10x engineer. I've met a few programmers in my career who were able to wri…

this is a typical argument for why lower productivity is actually better.

i don't think that being high productivity prevents you from writing unit tests or doing tdd. you just do tdd with higher productivity.

Re: What it feels like to be in the zone as a programmer

#37

Post by calafrax »

cpayne624 wrote: post #23

I'm a Fed engineer and spent a 4 mo. assignment on an integrated team with Pivotal pairing exclusively. It was a long 4 months for me. There was no "zone." I'm not built for pairing.

pair programming is an anti-process. its only purpose is to control employees, limit individual productivity, and drive down wages.

Re: What it feels like to be in the zone as a programmer

#38

Post by Uptrenda »

Good luck ever getting in the zone if you do anything with modern blockchains (especially Ethereum.) All of the documentation is terrible and you waste hours trying to find a bug only to realise it was a problem with the library all along... Assuming of course: that you don't give up after seeing the "developer tools." What little tools you have for solving problems feels like you're trying to carve a delicate ice statue with a giant hammer while wearing clown gloves.

How do you deal with the related stress of having to struggle against needlessly difficult tools, libraries, documentation, and bugs caused by other people?

Re: What it feels like to be in the zone as a programmer

#40

Post by falcolas »

synthmeat wrote: post #7
sktrdie wrote: post #4

I get this too, but it's very draining - similar to doing an intensive workout, or given a talk at a conference. The negatives are obvious; less sociable, more easily irritated, wanting to be by yourself. After you've spent a day in the zone, you're not really "party material". The positive (apart from being very productive) is that I use it to get my negative feelings out of the way - anything that is bothering in m…

> It comes and goes, with very little control on your behalf. As anecdata makes the data, here's mine - you have a lot of control of it. If you can control your environment (audio, light, temperature, food, exercise, communication, interaction, ...), you can get in the zone too just by virtue of almost exclusively focusing on some type of work you get in the zone for in the first place. Live by code, die by code.

No amount of control of my environment will put me in the zone when I'm working on boring code. Crud framework? I'll be reading HN while going through the motions. Code review? Time for some stimulating music (though not too stimulating, I do need to pay attention to the code review).

But give me something interesting - a real challenge - and I'm able to get into the zone, the hours flying by like they were minutes. My brain has to be able to fully engage with the problem to hit that zone.

Of course, I'm a technical lead in my group, so the ability to control my environment is limited. So I get up absurdly early just to get work done before I have to be available to be interrupted.

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