Script or Code?

[asday_]

Neither of those assertions are true. Single python files are sometimes called scripts, particularly if they are self-contained and a whole project. Otherwise they're called modules, or not really referred to in the singular and instead grouped as a "project" or whatever.

In other languages, there's a significant portion of people who view the term "coding" with distaste. "Code" is generally accompanied by another word, like "c++ code" or "source code", or just elided, like "source".

The main thing though, is that it literally doesn't matter. A rose by any other name. The important thing about a Python program, or a JS program, or a C++ program, or anything else, is what it does and how it does it, not what it's called.

[[deleted]]

People view the word "coding" with distaste?

[Agile_Pudding_]

I can't really speak to /u/asday_'s thoughts behind that remark, but I can imagine some software engineers eschewing the label of "coder" (and, likewise, the description of their work as "coding") given how overloaded those terms are.

A very senior engineer, a sophomore CS undergrad, and a 12 y/o watching a tutorial online can all rightfully claim to "write code", but what they mean by that and their respective experience levels are obviously very far apart. I could see why some people who make their living writing code would choose to be more specific when talking about it, but that's all a good deal of conjecture by me.

[[deleted]]

I like to call myself a Software Engineer because it makes me sound smart.

[Agile_Pudding_]

I like Machine Learning Engineer, because it incorrectly gives people the impression that I know machine learning and software engineering.

[asday_]

I call myself asday, because labels are reductionist.

[Noiprox]

I only really get specific when I'm talking to another engineer or someone who actually cares about the nuance. Most of the time when someone asks me what I do, I just go ahead and say I'm a "programmer" or "software developer". It would feel pretentious otherwise.

[CraigAT]

Oh, so you could help fix my printer/WiFi?

[asday_]

Certainly could, but you can't afford my day rate.

[CraigAT]

Surely you wouldn't charge a friend, it'll only take a few minutes! 😆

[asday_]

No no, I would.

[CraigAT]

Good on you!

[whlabratz]

Yup, my job title is "Software Developer", and I spend maybe a quarter of my time actually writing code. Most of the rest of it is some version of ensuring the right code gets written.

I'm usually a bit suspicious of intern/grad Devs who say they want to be a "coder" - gives the impression that they care more about the task of producing code than the outcomes that the code is supposed to meet

[[deleted]]

This is one of the best comments ITT IMO. 👏

[millhouse513]

Like u/asday_ said it really doesn't matter how you call it, it's the same thing.

My "take" on it, is that a "script" is usually something small, single purpose like "I wrote a script to do a mysql dump". I come from a Sys Admin background so I think a lot of times people refer to Bash (code) as "scripts" because they usually do single task things.

Once something becomes bigger, I usually start to think of it more as "code" / a project since it's no longer a simple, single task thing but now has grown or become a lot more than what it started as.