• Coding

  • Weird things you noticed about programming

1. Just like xterm, I also dream about code as well, especially when I'm really involved in a feature that I need to implement.

2. I often get stuck on the silliest mistakes you could ever think of (this might last for hours), while I tend to solve complex problems with ease.

3. When (2) happens, I get very furious after finding out how silly the mistake was. The swearing & shouting begins.

4. I noticed that I am very productive between 10PM and 2AM (when I used to work as a freelance). But many times when I get stuck after 12 midnight, the next day I would wake up, fire up Visual Studio and find a solution in less than 5 minutes.

5. I tend to scream "wlak ana 2estez!! I'm a GENIUS" when I solve a complex problem or resolve an annoying bug.

6. Sometimes when I'm completely focused on the code, I forget to drink or eat almost all day long.

7. I care too much about writing clean code and following best practices, it hinders my productivity sometimes.

8. I download (or ask my friends to download) a whole lot of programming screencasts/video series. I watched MANY so far, but many are still pending as well.

9. I tend to move from technology to another relatively fast. I know a lot of technologies, but I'm probably not an expert at any of them yet.

10. Now that I'm working at a company, I tend to criticize old code (written by other team members) very much, but I kinda feel it's insulting to others if I refactor their code.
Kassem wrote5. I tend to scream "wlak ana 2estez!! I'm a GENIUS" when I solve a complex problem or resolve an annoying bug.
I don't think that ever happened, me thinking that I am genius for solving a problem, I usually think, "so what!!". Refer to xterms post here for more info ;)
xterm wrote
incinerator wrote1. talk to myself when something weird is going on.
2. shouting loudly if something is not working, more shouting if some code was working and suddenly doesn't.
I forgot these.

My wife laughs at me because she constantly hears me saying:

2. Eh tab3an! shou 7mar ana
3. *&#*$&%*&#$(*!
i do that at work ..
rahmu wroteWhen I find a solution, I stand up. Every time, it's a nervous thing.
Same here, I stand up and pace when I figure something out, like I'm trying to make sure my brain wraps around the idea quickly and not let go.
(After it's all typed in and tested, I stand up again for a celebratory pace around the apartment.)

For those of you who like natural soundscapes in the background: I listen to Aura, where you can configure sounds of birds, running stream, occasional rain, crackling fire etc.
- I am more productive when someone is holding me company, preferably also working on a computer
- The code I write late at night is much more likely to be buggy and superfluous, although I tend to write more and concentrate more at that time
- I need my dose of sunlight every day
- When I give an estimated time, it's ALWAYS at least twice that time, even if I already doubled that time to take into consideration that :). I mostly start to up my pace one day from the deadline.
- When I'm frustrated my standard curse is "aaaaaaah!"
- Yes I also have this thing about standing up once work starts flowing (or I settle for a solution), for a trip to the fridge, just walking around, or even just checking these forums. I wonder why that is.
Kassem wrote4. I noticed that I am very productive between 10PM and 2AM (when I used to work as a freelance). But many times when I get stuck after 12 midnight, the next day I would wake up, fire up Visual Studio and find a solution in less than 5 minutes.
Exactly, that's what I meant.
Kassem wrote10. Now that I'm working at a company, I tend to criticize old code (written by other team members) very much, but I kinda feel it's insulting to others if I refactor their code.
If it works well, then better not touch it. You can take advantage of a new project to refactor it, but don't compromise anything which is currently running on top of it.
- If I try to reply to someone while coding I always sound like a teenage boy lacking self-confidence
- When am learning something new, I always feel am timing myself up and judging myself
- I can't think/code with any kind of conversation going on, but music without crisp lyrics is mostly ok and sometimes helps
- I drive myself crazy about the architecture of a solution, but usually won't share it with a colleague since I don't feel they'll be able to grasp. It's definitely bad to feel you have a gap of vocabulary with the ones you work. This drives me to a work-mode architecture mode (over simplified, no use of language features to aid in productivity...)
- I always try to have to think as little as possible. This entails some serious thought process.
- I'll mess up between VB and C# when coding in Visual Studio. This doesn't usually happen when I open FlashDevelop for Actionscript code, or even when am writing Javascript
- I try not to learn on the job as I have a sick belief that I should have already known this particular thing while doing it.
- I enjoy coding and thinking about algorithms a lot more than writing data massage applications. When am writing an algorithm at work, I feel something is really wrong and that I shouldn't have to write this kind of thing. (I rarely have to anyway, but sometimes it comes up and I can do it, but it feels funny).
- Recently, I am getting tired easily, so my concentration period has shortened from 2-4 hours to 15-30 minutes. Usually.
- On every IDE, i look for keyboard shortcuts before starting. I browse the help and use google.
- Lot of facepalms when finding silly mistakes and bugs.

- Coffee or Pepsi should be available at all times. Selection of one over the other depends on the mood and weather.
- I play the same playlist (been 3 years so far) every time i have a long coding session.
- Friends keep calling me to do something. I have to fight the temptation every time.
- Answers to any question/request from the outside world (most probably mom yelling that lunch is ready) are either yes, no or ok...
Kassem wrote8. I download (or ask my friends to download) a whole lot of programming screencasts/video series. I watched MANY so far, but many are still pending as well.
That's me :P
Georges wrote- Friends keep calling me to do something. I have to fight the temptation every time.
I cannot remember the last time I went out with friends. I only go out with my girlfriend either on weekends or (recently) after work.
Georges wrote
Kassem wrote8. I download (or ask my friends to download) a whole lot of programming screencasts/video series. I watched MANY so far, but many are still pending as well.
That's me :P
My friend should be here any minute now. He got a whole lot of Channel9 videos (HD Quality!) to deliver :P
Bassem wroteFor those of you who like natural soundscapes in the background: I listen to Aura, where you can configure sounds of birds, running stream, occasional rain, crackling fire etc.
thanks for the share love it!
- the bathroom helps me finding answers (i guess reading this does not make me the only one :P).
- when i solve something i stand up and go to either the bathroom or the kitchen to then remember that i wanted nothing.
- when i solve something hard/or trying a new thing i kinda hate to continue with the small important details.
- lots of azerty keyboards around me these days so i hate it :P, and i always curse when im on one.
- I dream about solutions, and i can see line of codes in my head during the day when i have something hard to do.
- I put music on and after a while i forget that it is playing.
3 months later
I bringing this back because I've noticed that I'm increasingly talking to myself when I'm coding.

It seems as i'm teaching the implementation to myself, or better yet, to a different personal of myself.

What's worse is, It's sounding as if I have a multiple personality disorder (just while coding that is).

Am i losing it?
xterm wroteI bringing this back because I've noticed that I'm increasingly talking to myself when I'm coding.

It seems as i'm teaching the implementation to myself, or better yet, to a different personal of myself.

What's worse is, It's sounding as if I have a multiple personality disorder (just while coding that is).

Am i losing it?
You know what I came to realize? That when we think , we are talking to ourselves but in our minds, so actually I think it is very normal to talk to yourself ^_^ I guess it means that you are thinking , which is good :D...

By the way I think all of us have many personality in ourselves, depends on the mood we are and stuff one shows and the other hide, just like when you are angry you become a different person when you are calm, I think there is a big misconception that people are actually constant and are one, while the truth is that we multi and ever changing ...
I started crying once...
@xterm, to hell with psychiatry! that's a really good technique you're following there: when in doubt, explain it to yourself. let's give it a name: endoprogramming?