Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!husc6!bloom-beacon!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!mailrus!ames!amdahl!pacbell!att!lzaz!lznv!psc
From: psc@lznv.ATT.COM (Paul S. R. Chisholm)
Newsgroups: comp.software-eng
Subject: Re: Basics of Program Design
Summary: flow charts, coding by hand
Message-ID: <1392@lznv.ATT.COM>
Date: 1 Jul 88 03:08:40 GMT
References: <900@td2cad.intel.com> <3537@pdn.UUCP> <1559@microsoft.UUCP>
Distribution: na
Organization: AT&T
Lines: 42

< "Would you buy a used operating system from these guys?" >

In article <1559@microsoft.UUCP>, alonzo@microsoft.UUCP (Alonzo Gariepy) writes:
>In article <900@td2cad.intel.com> brister@td3cad.UUCP (James Brister) writes:
> What I mean is: do experienced programmers usually write flow charts,
> or pseudo code.

An anecdote from CS 701 (any other UW-Madcity alumni remember the
graduate compiler course?)  In the last week or two, the professor
(Marvin Solomon, great teacher) said we had to turn in some external
documentation.  (Right before the project was due; hey, I guess he was
teaching us about the real world.-)  Someone asked, "Should we go back
and write flowcharts?"

The entire class broke out into hysterical laughter.

No, I don't think anyone writes flow charts any more.

>                 Do they write the whole program out by hand first or
> build it up in their favorite editor?

I envy the heck out of people who can design in their head, keeping
just the right amount of detail, then type the program in top-down.

> I do.  Write code by hand sometimes, that is.

Me, too.  I can't get a design right the first time.  It takes me two
or three attempts.  I need those scribbled-on pieces of paper, with
goofs lightly crossed out, as places to make mistakes that I can throw
out!  Writing with an editor just isn't the same.  Material that I
wrote and changed is gone forever.  Worse, it's harder to throw out a
compilable bad effort.  And the temptation to sweat details too early
is enormous when the compiler is right *there*. . . .

Besides, it gets cold out by the PC.  If I bring my notebook to bed and
scribble there, I stay comfy and warm. (And so does my wife.)

> Alonzo Gariepy

-Paul S. R. Chisholm, {ihnp4,cbosgd,allegra,rutgers}!mtune!lznv!psc
AT&T Mail !psrchisholm, Internet psc@lznv.att.com
I'm not speaking for my employer, I'm just speaking my mind.