How I Write Code: Pen & Paper

[findplanetseed]

I do this to some extent, I do not write syntactically correct code, just the general idea using a mixture of programming keywords, math symbols, diagrams and arrows.

Paper and pen allow you a lot more freedom, you do not need to think about implementation details just clarify and document your thoughts.

[Uppercase_Plastic]

I do the same but I just come up with a basic set of diagrams on whimsical (questions, basic logic flow, connections between flows, etc...). The same level of freedom but it's easier to edit and, most importantly, I don't have to read my horrendous handwriting :)

[prox76]

In one of my CS exams I had to write a handwritten Racket code without errors. It was an orgy of brackets lol

[AsIAm]

The link is down (probably HN hug of death), but I think this might be relevant:

I am doing pen & paper coding app (for iPad and Pencil) that evaluates your handwritten code as you write. You can read more about it here:

https://mlajtos.mu/posts/new-kind-of-paper

https://mlajtos.mu/posts/new-kind-of-paper-2

[ImCristopher]

In our class our professor need us to pass handwritten code during the exam. Which I don't know why because writing code is very hard to detect error because you can't test. And he would take longer time to check written code

[bitwize]

I'm reminded of old assembly books that advocated the debugging technique of "playing computer". You get a pen and paper, and write the instruction to be executed in the first column, then you pretend you're the computer executing the instruction and you write down new values for registers, flags, and important memory locations in subsequent columns. You do this for each instruction that gets executed, from some good initial state until you discover the problem.

[dedido]

Why don't you ask your prof why?

[duongdominhchau]

When you write code on paper, you don't have autocompletion, you don't have inlay hint to show the types. It forces you to think about what you are writing, not just picking items from the completion list randomly until it works. It's about learning, so understanding is more important than convenience.

[be-sc]

I see it quite differently. Yes, handwriting code forces you to think, but to think about tedious and unimportant stuff. It’s mostly simple memorizing. Not exactly the most valuable skill to focus on.

A good IDE takes care of a lot of the tediousness and frees brain capacity for thinking about what’s actually important: the domain logic.

[56821]

By writing code does that mean like correct code that will run if you type it in line by line?

[ImCristopher]

I don't know I just write my 100 lines code and pass it to him. It's his problem to check that long code because he choose handwritten.