Live data from Hacker News

Advice to Aimless, Excited Programmers

prog21.dadgum.com

21–30 of 58 posts

Re: Advice to Aimless, Excited Programmers

#21
post #10

It's funny because some of us have the opposite problem. Too many ideas, but not that much interest in learning new languages for their own sake. So when it comes down to implementing a new idea, we want it done quickly. We don't want to take the time to try to figure out how to make it in Haskell, and just revert back to Python.

When all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail.

If you're good enough at swinging a hammer, you can solve almost any problem by banging on it.

Re: Advice to Aimless, Excited Programmers

#22

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I haven't done this myself (not enough experience) but I saw a similar idea discussed years ago - for an experienced programmer learning a new language, reimplement something you have already written in the new language. Supposedly, the fact that you had written the first application shows that you understand the problem domain, so you can concentrate on the new language.

Not enough experience to make a tic-tac-toe game? No time like the present to try!

I have never done any graphics at all. All I know is bash and some awk and perl, mostly for text processing. I keep planning to learn more, which is why I read about it a bit, and browse HN, but I have too many other things I want to do too.

Re: Advice to Aimless, Excited Programmers

#23
Summary: “You should be motivated in the same manner that I am.” 

Er, what’s wrong with someone looking to non-specifically contribute something to a movement (GNU/Linux) or to improve their skills in a particular language? Not anything, necessarily; they’re probably just young.

Re: Advice to Aimless, Excited Programmers

#27

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Not enough experience to make a tic-tac-toe game? No time like the present to try!

I have never done any graphics at all. All I know is bash and some awk and perl, mostly for text processing. I keep planning to learn more, which is why I read about it a bit, and browse HN, but I have too many other things I want to do too.

Who says you need graphics?

o | o | o ---------- x | x | x ---------- o | o | o

That (if HN doesn't mangle it) should be a fully working Tic-Tac-Toe board. You can store it as a string, hashtable, whatever you want. You could label the squares 1-9 for the prompt asking the user where to move.

This is all doable with perl and a command line. Try it out, see what you learn.

Re: Advice to Aimless, Excited Programmers

#28
post #8

It's funny because some of us have the opposite problem. Too many ideas, but not that much interest in learning new languages for their own sake. So when it comes down to implementing a new idea, we want it done quickly. We don't want to take the time to try to figure out how to make it in Haskell, and just revert back to Python.

I don't see the problem here.

Part of me is left nagging me for not learning Haskell.

Re: Advice to Aimless, Excited Programmers

#29
post #27

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I have never done any graphics at all. All I know is bash and some awk and perl, mostly for text processing. I keep planning to learn more, which is why I read about it a bit, and browse HN, but I have too many other things I want to do too.

Who says you need graphics? o | o | o ---------- x | x | x ---------- o | o | o That (if HN doesn't mangle it) should be a fully working Tic-Tac-Toe board. You can store it as a string, hashtable, whatever you want. You could label the squares 1-9 for the prompt asking the user where to move. This is all doable with perl and a command line. Try it out, see what you learn.

HN mangled it, but I think you can see where the line breaks ought to go.

Re: Advice to Aimless, Excited Programmers

#30

It's funny because some of us have the opposite problem. Too many ideas, but not that much interest in learning new languages for their own sake. So when it comes down to implementing a new idea, we want it done quickly. We don't want to take the time to try to figure out how to make it in Haskell, and just revert back to Python.

I agree, that is the one the (relative) dangers when you are proficient in a language; it is so much easier and faster to write something in the language you already know, rather than having to learn everything from scratch. Of course, it also depends on how much difference there is between old and new languages; a Python expert could probably pick up Ruby in no time, and vice versa; but Python vs Haskell is a differ…

Python is particularly cozy, I think. It picks up things from other languages, so I don't think there's much it can't do reasonably well.
Post reply on HN