Re: [SLUG] GPL version of Kylix

From: R.G. Mayhue (r.g.mayhue@verizon.net)
Date: Thu Jul 26 2001 - 21:33:09 EDT


On Thursday 26 July 2001 05:54 pm, Ross Fogleman wrote:
>
> Paul M Foster wrote:
>
> <snip>
>
> > I agree, but you can absolutely count on truckloads of brain-dead
> > luser applications from this. If I were hiring programmers, I'd
> > sit 'em down in front of vi/jed/emacs and make them prove to me
> > they could really program, not drag/drop.
>
> <snip>
>
> I think this whole view of having people prove that they can
> "program" by learning obscure and user-hostile applications (*ahem*
> vi) is BS. Calling it masochism would be putting it in its best
> light.
>
[snip]

I think what Paul was trying to say here is that there are many
programmers that learn and become completely dependent on a RAD
environment to write code. So dependent that they never really learn
how to write any code outside of that environment because so much of
the "Dirty Work" is done for them. Take that RAD environment away and
they simply cannot write a program because core elements such as
event loops and error trapping are done for them in the background.
When you drag/drop a button onto a form and the RAD system inserts
the "click event" into the editor all you need to do is insert some
code between the lines to handle the event......well......Ok....but
what lead up to that event? They never learn that part.

While I agree that using a good RAD environment can be very efficient
(time wise maybe) and even fun in some cases, there is really no
substitute for the experience gained by writing code "from scratch"
in a text editor and compiling from the command line.

Paul's little test would be a test to see if the programmer could
actually write a simple program without the help of a RAD system.

I must clarify something here. There is a BIG difference between a
complete RAD development system and a programmers IDE. Although I
have never used the "PHP Coder Pro!" you spoke of I would be willing
to bet that it is more of a programmers IDE then a RAD environment
for PHP.

I have used many IDE's and several RAD systems and a lot of simple
text editors and I must say I would choose a nice programmers editor
over a simple text editor!

Don't get me wrong. A RAD system certainly has its place in any good
programmers bag of tricks as well as a good IDE any other tools that
make his coding faster and more efficient.

Its kind of like this.......

The difference between using a RAD environment and using a text
editor is kind of like the difference between painting by numbers
and.....well......painting!

--
R.G. Mayhue
r.g.mayhue@verizon.net



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