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Using a logbook to improve your programming

routley.io

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Re: Using a logbook to improve your programming

#51

Post by afarrell »

JAFTEM wrote: post #41

Surprised no one has mentioned doing this in a physical notebook with a pen. I started doing what the author describes a long time ago to document bugs to come back to later. I soon realized it's just a good way to keep my thoughts organized and be more productive. I tried doing something similar with a text editor but grew tired switching screens or tabs. A notebook is also a bit more accessible than a laptop when y…

I've done this with a notebook for a long time and it is indeed helpful, especially if I didn't get enough sleep the night before or didn't start my day with a run and I find myself more distractable.

Re: Using a logbook to improve your programming

#52

Post by Mikhail_Edoshin »

leviathan wrote: post #2

This article seems lacking some examples. I have found that such ideas are nice in theory, but when it comes to practice, they tend to fall short. So the author says that it's a good idea to write logbooks, and that it will help. But no mention on how it would help, and what would you actually do with them after you write them up. A few concrete examples would have been nice. If the idea is to help you solve the prob…

It works. There's even a psychotherapy method called "problem-solving therapy"; all it does is that it formalizes the process of finding a solution to a problem: define the problem (what you have and what you want to have), outline possible approaches, evaluate, choose. I myself use something like that in my work (software development) with a text file and I can attest that following the steps often helps me to find or choose a different solution than what initially popped up in my head.

It doesn't solve all problems, e.g. a complex problem that is hard to understand are not a good fit; if I notice that what I write is lengthy or that I keep returning and restating it, then this is that kind of problem; here I normally leave the desk and try to sketch it on paper.

Very seldom I look through the file to find why I've made a particular choice; I don't think logbooks are of any use here, it's better to document the design elsewhere, closer to the product. I'd say logbooks are write-only (although they may be a source for the docs).

Re: Using a logbook to improve your programming

#53

Post by r41nbowdash »

neya wrote: post #37

I believe many of us already do what the author suggests, maybe in a slightly different way. Here's how I use my own flavor: 1) I create a GOAL. The GOAL is my ultimate big picture, which will give me immense happiness. So, the most recent example is, I wanted to build an E-Commerce application. 2) I map out the PATHS to achieving my GOAL. So, what I consider PATHS is: a) What programming language should I use? b) Wh…

looks a lot like "ends ways means" approach

http://www.dtic.mil/dtic/tr/fulltext/u2/a222381.pdf

Re: Using a logbook to improve your programming

#55

Post by mmrezaie »

notinventedhear wrote: post #54

I've found keeping a software-engineering logbook very useful at work. Recommend the vim-wiki plugin for this https://github.com/vimwiki/vimwiki ; in any vim-window the logbook for today is accessible via [leader-W-leader-W].

or maybe http://orgmode.org/ if you are using emacs. I do not know how awesome orgmode was, and I was missing it. plus you can export it even to latex if you wanna track your research and write your thesis.

Re: Using a logbook to improve your programming

#56

Post by kilon »

JAFTEM wrote: post #41

Surprised no one has mentioned doing this in a physical notebook with a pen. I started doing what the author describes a long time ago to document bugs to come back to later. I soon realized it's just a good way to keep my thoughts organized and be more productive. I tried doing something similar with a text editor but grew tired switching screens or tabs. A notebook is also a bit more accessible than a laptop when y…

I actually I mentioned this 10 hours ago. So no need to be suprised ;)

Re: Using a logbook to improve your programming

#57

Post by tigershark »

Maybe I go against the common thought here, but for me I think it is completely useless. Whenever I start working on a problem I obviously have an approach in my mind, but very often I find out that is the wrong one. And I can realise it only after I start working on the actual problem and solving it. At a certain point I will find some obstacle that will make me rethink the whole approach. For this reason I can't really see the added value in spending more time before actually tackling a problem once you have a plan in your head. The most important thing to do when solving problems is to be prepared to change your point of view multiple times and to attack the problems from several different directions. I'm sorry but I really can't see how writing in stone your approach before you fully understand the problem can help you in any way...

Re: Using a logbook to improve your programming

#58

Post by chillax »

neya wrote: post #37

I believe many of us already do what the author suggests, maybe in a slightly different way. Here's how I use my own flavor: 1) I create a GOAL. The GOAL is my ultimate big picture, which will give me immense happiness. So, the most recent example is, I wanted to build an E-Commerce application. 2) I map out the PATHS to achieving my GOAL. So, what I consider PATHS is: a) What programming language should I use? b) Wh…

Somehow got me thinking about impact maps again: https://www.impactmapping.org/drawing.html

Re: Using a logbook to improve your programming

#59

Post by rwmj »

JAFTEM wrote: post #41

Surprised no one has mentioned doing this in a physical notebook with a pen. I started doing what the author describes a long time ago to document bugs to come back to later. I soon realized it's just a good way to keep my thoughts organized and be more productive. I tried doing something similar with a text editor but grew tired switching screens or tabs. A notebook is also a bit more accessible than a laptop when y…

I use a physical notebook to record my work too, and I find it very effective. If I sit through a meeting and write nothing down I will inevitably forget everything about the meeting, writing it down helps me to remember it. You can also go back and find out what was discussed before - a surprising number of meetings just retread things which were talked about or even decided upon previously.

I use: Oxford Black n' Red A5 Matt Casebound Hardback Notebook, and UM-153S Signo Impact Gel Pens. I get through one of those notebooks per year on average.

Edit: https://rwmj.wordpress.com/2017/11/24/keeping-a-work-noteboo...

Re: Using a logbook to improve your programming

#60

Post by andreareina »

tigershark wrote: post #57

Maybe I go against the common thought here, but for me I think it is completely useless. Whenever I start working on a problem I obviously have an approach in my mind, but very often I find out that is the wrong one. And I can realise it only after I start working on the actual problem and solving it. At a certain point I will find some obstacle that will make me rethink the whole approach. For this reason I can't re…

The way I interpreted it was basically an iterated Feynman Algorithm[1]:

1. Write down the problem

2. Think real hard

3. Write down the solution

4. Write down how well it worked

5. GOTO 2

I do something similar using org-mode, and it's useful when, after some time has passed and I need to do the same thing again, I can go back to my notes and not start from scratch again.

[1] http://wiki.c2.com/?FeynmanAlgorithm

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