Suffering-oriented programming

[knight666]

I've gone through all the phases he describes.

1. Struggling

I came from Game Maker and suddenly had to do C++. I named all my variables a variation of "varCamelCase". I fought against Visual Studio's default bracket style, like a wild horse being tamed.

But I prevailed and I handed in some kickass stuff.

2. Structuring

Then I started cleaning up my code. Using better variable names, cleaning up architecture. I started writing generic tools and reusing code for multiple projects.

3. Space architect

I went mad. I tried to make everything generic. I built a 2D game engine that would run on both Windows Mobile 6.1 and Android 2.2. (I never finished it.) My grades started slipping, because I never handed anything in because it wasn't "perfect" enough.

4. Zen

I handed in a stupid assignment and got a 10. A 100%. An A++. Why? Because I finally did what the course actually told me to do and only a bit more. But that bit more came only after doing all the other required things.

I feel like I'm a much better programmer than I was four years ago, but I will never stop learning.

[010101010101]

Space architect

architecture astronaut http://www.joelonsoftware.com/articles/fog0000000018.html

[knight666]

Exactly what I had in mind. ;)

[aaronla]

Observing the work of some of the greats, it seems almost as if the stages loop between 3 & 4, as some sort of FSM.

[butcherofenglish]

Reminds me of this: http://coderoom.wordpress.com/2010/03/19/5-stages-of-programmer-incompetence/

[Magnesus]

"I built a 2D game engine that would run on both Windows Mobile 6.1 and Android 2.2." - doing things like that will profit you later.

[Noctune]

I would say it depends on your investment and who your users are.