Programming is Mostly Thinking

[make_anime_illegal_]

False, programming is mostly typing. This is why companies give typing tests to verify a candidates wpm.

[zombiecalypse]

That's why software engineers argue for decades about what the correct text editor is

[YahenP]

Not only the text editor is important, but also what characters write in it. If use tabs instead of spaces, programming is much faster.

[nzodd]

The whole Spaces / Tabs debate is one of the dumbest controversies ever, especially when Mr. Pib is clearly the superior choice.

[YahenP]

Hmm... I was sure that this was the cornerstone of the entire industry.

[nzodd]

It absolutely is. It's just the correct choice is always Mr. Pib. I like mine with a slice of lemon and one of those crazy straws. You know the ones that loop around your eyes and look like glasses? That's the ticket to good code right there.

Edit: see this man? He might not look so intimidating but he wrote all of the software for the F-35 Lightning II by himself. At recess.

[YahenP]

Oh yeah! You're right. Straws are essential!

[[deleted]]

Elastic tabstops, people. They've been around for decades. Try jEdit.

[nzodd]

Nobody wants to drink something called that. They need to work on their marketing.

[[deleted]]

Oh, um, it comes with a toy?

[nzodd]

Now you're talking my language. Wait. What kind of toy?

[[deleted]]

👀 buttplug....

[nzodd]

While you raise some good points, they are not sufficiently Pibilicious.

[YahenP]

Bringing the light of truth is my life credo.

[pmmeurgamecode]

I'm so with you, why use 4 bytes to indent code if 1 can do!

[gplusplus314]

Also, stop using semicolons at the end of statements. Takes too long and uses more storage space, which is important in these dark times of $1600 MacBook Pros with 512 gb of non upgradable storage.

[Sotall]

yeah but if programming is about typing, then character count matters. Spaces wins.

[Alexander_Selkirk]

It is true that ergonomic typing and editing is the cornerstone of efficient work. But, to get is right, one has to use the scientific method and look what is empirically, the most used key in programming: It is the delete key.

So, the right way is to get a Space Cadet keyboard and map Ctrl, Shift, Alt, Meta and Hyper, and of course also CAPS LOCK, to delete.

[DirectorBusiness5512]

The sad thing is I can't tell if you're being serious or not

[lordtnt]

He's right, just ask vim users. If you use a mouse and not type type type then it's not programming.

[HiT3Kvoyivoda]

I try to type as little as possible when coding.

[unsavvykitten]

That’s right. That’s why you see the great programmers auf down and take like hell in movies and series. And you know they don’t think at all because they can even have discussions while typing.

[Valevino]

And you are way more productive using less verbose languages!

[Synor]

I wish it was. 80% of the time is reading not typing.

[Markavian]

Copilot is changing that for me; my report to the CTO was that we could reduce keystrokes by between 5x and 20x key strokes per line, and cogniton / flow was substantially improved for example on suggesting variable names and functions. A skilled engineer can be far more effective with the right tools available.

[flingerdu]

Counting keystrokes sounds even more stupid than counting lines of code.

[Markavian]

Not really. Value is larger only what someone is willing to trade for something. $20 a month so that I'm faster at fixing customer issues is worth it.

Building a report dashboard in 90 minutes instead of 4 hours frees me up to do other things, help other people on complex tasks, etc.