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If you need flashcards to remember syntax, you're probably not writing/reading enough code.
If you need flashcards to remember syntax, you're probably not writing/reading enough code.
I've never used flashcards for remembering anything related to programming, but I know how effective it is for foreign language learning, so I wouldn't jump to the conclusion that for programming it would be no better than just working with code.
Languages don't just have syntax but standard library and API functions. It seems like spaced repetition would be an efficient way to remember the synopses of 5000 functions, compared to just spending years reading and writing code.
If you need flashcards to remember syntax, you're probably not writing/reading enough code.
Making the flashcards on your own definitely helps with remembering things.
My performance isn't any better on the deck I made myself.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
Probably true if you can't remember how to write if/else or a for loop. But it's very useful for the bits of knowledge that you might not be needing all the time. Don't know how many tweets I've read from developers saying things like "I've been coding for ten years and I still have to Google this one particular thing". Those things are perfect for flash cards. Example: I am almost never in need of grep. But sometime…
Does it speed up development? Or slow it down because you are reviewing things you rarely need instead of doing useful work? Sure in the moment it speeds things up, but over time it slows things down since you spend time learning things you might not need again.
Something like grep can easily meet the mark.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
Probably true if you can't remember how to write if/else or a for loop. But it's very useful for the bits of knowledge that you might not be needing all the time. Don't know how many tweets I've read from developers saying things like "I've been coding for ten years and I still have to Google this one particular thing". Those things are perfect for flash cards. Example: I am almost never in need of grep. But sometime…
Does it speed up development? Or slow it down because you are reviewing things you rarely need instead of doing useful work? Sure in the moment it speeds things up, but over time it slows things down since you spend time learning things you might not need again.
What you know is a Turing-complete subset with all the platform escape hatches you need, so you're able to get your stuff working.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
Does it speed up development? Or slow it down because you are reviewing things you rarely need instead of doing useful work? Sure in the moment it speeds things up, but over time it slows things down since you spend time learning things you might not need again.
Someone somewhere (gwern? Xkcd?) estimated: if you think you will lose 5’ in the rest of your life searching for it, you can anki it and will save time, statistically, over the long term. Something like grep can easily meet the mark.
The XKCD comic you're thinking of is much more general^: https://xkcd.com/1205/
^ and not too helpful here because it assumes you know how much time something saves/costs - which isn't obvious for spaced repetition because the entire point is to dynamically adjust the timing & number of repetitions over the long run.