Pretty sure Shakespeare would not use JavaScript at all, but rather this:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shakespeare_(programming_langua...
If Hemingway wrote JavaScript
71–80 of 88 posts
Re: If Hemingway wrote JavaScript
#72Earlier quoted context omitted.
I'm not sure I understand how a speed benefit would be had here, since to get number N+1 they still need to retrieve (and/or calculate) number N-1. The difference between getting (N and N-1) or only N-1 is negligible, especially for large n, unless I'm missing something? It's not really more parallelizable either.
Ah, yes, I've read the part about multiplying, and skipped over the real code. My bad. The benefit would be there, if Dickens went one step further, and used Math.pow to get the result instead of loop (that is - assuming calculating the power is faster than doing a loop (but it should be - you can square a few times to get near the result instead of multiplying "by one factor" each time)).
Now I see, yeah that would improve it.
Re: If Hemingway wrote JavaScript
#73Excellent use of the .xxx domain name. If people start using .xxx for normal writing, the concept of "one place to conveniently censor" will not work out. Heh.
Indeed. It's blocked by my college's proxy.
Is this like on a public computer at your campus? Or is it your personal machine connected to the college network? If it's the latter, it seems odd to me that a college would filter your results for your personal machine.
Re: If Hemingway wrote JavaScript
#74This brings up a sore point, for me. I love to read. At some points in my life I have been able to read two or three books every week. I have spent years of time drifting through the endlessly multiplicating realities of prose. However: since moving to the Valley, working full time whilst attacking various business and development side projects, I can usually manage 2-3 pages (immediately before bed). Where do you fi…
At some point you have to relax a little with the side projects and just sit down with a book and read. Maybe go to a park or coffee shop to get a change in scenery so you're not tempted to open the laptop and start coding again. If you take public transportation, your commute's a good time as well.
Re: If Hemingway wrote JavaScript
#75This is cool as a joke, but I don't think code should be compared to writing. For example I am an engineer, so this comment is written like code. It contains just enough words to express my point, it's clearly structured and my goal is to make it easy to read. That's okay writing, but far from great. Great writers can just sit down and write amazing text. I could never do that. I have to go back, read after myself an…
Go read "On Writing" by Stephen King. It will make you a better programmer and a better writer.
Re: If Hemingway wrote JavaScript
#76Excellent use of the .xxx domain name. If people start using .xxx for normal writing, the concept of "one place to conveniently censor" will not work out. Heh.
I don't think that is true, what will happen is people browsing hackernews from work (in not particularly liberal work places) will not be able to read posts. Even if people choose to (incorrectly) use the .xxx extension I don't think it's going to push people to stop assuming .xxx is pornographic. edit: assuming you're not being sarcastic, can't tell.
Yup, still hesitant to click .xxx links at work even if it's not filtered. Didn't see any repercussions after the last time I accidentally clicked one at work (another HN article)... though I didn't get promoted this time around... correlation? I'm going to make myself feel better and say yes.
Re: If Hemingway wrote JavaScript
#77If anyone wants to add Vonnegut or anyone else please feel free to fork my original code. No reasonable pull request refused :-) https://github.com/angus-c/literaryJavaScript
I was actually really hoping to see a Vonnegut.
Re: If Hemingway wrote JavaScript
#78the code for the bolaño one is not so good, although the explanation improves it (i think all the others snippets give you a fair idea of what to expect in a book by the author; that really doesn't). when i first skimmed the article i got down to that section, read the code, with a list of names, and expected something french and post-modern. was really surprised when i checked back to the title to see bolaño. (if yo…
It seemed like a pretty obvious reference to 2666 to me. The first part of the book has a number of dream sequences where its characters will just list off philosophers and put them into groups and connect them with lines. Definitely took me a few days to get through that book.
Perhaps but having only read Savage Detectives it still felt like Bolano to me.
Re: If Hemingway wrote JavaScript
#79This is cool as a joke, but I don't think code should be compared to writing. For example I am an engineer, so this comment is written like code. It contains just enough words to express my point, it's clearly structured and my goal is to make it easy to read. That's okay writing, but far from great. Great writers can just sit down and write amazing text. I could never do that. I have to go back, read after myself an…
I think comparing coding to writing works because they both show a flow of thought. How you write and how you code depends on the way thoughts flow from you. I feel that things like verbosity, word choice, sentence structure, etc. are very similar to logic choices and order of operations.
Also, both writers and programmers do a ton of refactoring. Most authors will go over their writing 2 or 3 time, eliminating words and sentences that are unnecessary, combining and shortening sentences to make them more readable, etc. A lot of refactoring happens in both.
Re: If Hemingway wrote JavaScript
#80Dickens got paid by the word.
I would expect a lot more code that does nothing.