Computer Science Canada Personal programming |
| Author: | btiffin [ Wed Apr 23, 2008 8:07 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Personal programming |
Two part question; Do you write software for personal use? If yes, how and why? By that I mean; do you pull out gcc, make and friends? (Using a compiled language). Do you pull out VB or other IDE builder tool? Or do you script? Python, perl, Ch, Ruby, bash etc. Or of course a combination, but I'm mostly curious about primary modus operandi for personal use programs. Expand on the whys and hows if you'd like. (Do you care about interface? Do you build like it might be shared someday? Bob Loblaw). Thanks in advance and Cheers |
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| Author: | md [ Wed Apr 23, 2008 8:28 pm ] |
| Post subject: | RE:Personal programming |
I do, surprisingly usually using php since it has the best string functions of the languages I am familiar with. As soon as I learn perl and python this semester I'll probably use them. |
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| Author: | r691175002 [ Wed Apr 23, 2008 9:45 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Personal programming |
I do occasionally if a free alternative is not readily available but it generally takes too much time to make anything worthwhile. When I do I generally use Java. Most of them are quick command line programs that I inevitably lose or delete. |
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| Author: | rdrake [ Wed Apr 23, 2008 9:48 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Personal programming |
btiffin @ Wed Apr 23, 2008 8:07 pm wrote: Do you write software for personal use? I try to when I can. Usually it's more to learn about a specific technology than anything else, and not often for a particular task I find the current software for lacking.
btiffin @ Wed Apr 23, 2008 8:07 pm wrote: If yes, how and why? By that I mean; do you pull out gcc, make and friends? (Using a compiled language). Do you pull out VB or other IDE builder tool? Or do you script? Python, perl, Ch, Ruby, bash etc. Or of course a combination, but I'm mostly curious about primary modus operandi for personal use programs. Expand on the whys and hows if you'd like. (Do you care about interface? Do you build like it might be shared someday? Bob Loblaw). Lately mostly Visual Studio 2008 using C#. With the new extensions in C# 3.0 I really like the language. I used to do a lot of Ruby and I still enjoy playing around with it when I get time.
I've also lately been playing around with Silverlight (which has quite the potential). LINQ is another technology I've been reading up on a bit lately; also neat. Interfaces to me are very important. If a user does not understand your interface they will give up on your software no matter how great it is. Sadly many programmers fail to recognize this and half-ass the UI. Why? They could be using horrible tools (like Swing), not be even remotely artistic, or just plain lazy, who knows? |
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| Author: | wtd [ Wed Apr 23, 2008 10:15 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Personal programming |
r691175002 @ Thu Apr 24, 2008 10:45 am wrote: I do occasionally if a free alternative is not readily available but it generally takes too much time to make anything worthwhile.
When I do I generally use Java. Most of them are quick command line programs that I inevitably lose or delete. Java is way too much boilerplate for that.  |
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| Author: | Tony [ Wed Apr 23, 2008 11:33 pm ] |
| Post subject: | RE:Personal programming |
I use Ruby's IRB shell all the time. Any sort of data processing is done there (extracting data from large texts, working with various lists, etc.) |
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| Author: | wtd [ Wed Apr 23, 2008 11:43 pm ] |
| Post subject: | RE:Personal programming |
Simple prompt or standard prompt, Tony? |
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| Author: | Tony [ Wed Apr 23, 2008 11:53 pm ] |
| Post subject: | RE:Personal programming |
standard, but that's because I haven't realized there was the other one. Is there a way to make "simple" be the default choice? |
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| Author: | wtd [ Thu Apr 24, 2008 12:19 am ] | ||
| Post subject: | RE:Personal programming | ||
~/bin/irb
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| Author: | Dragan [ Thu Apr 24, 2008 4:43 am ] |
| Post subject: | RE:Personal programming |
I do, I use c# because it is very simply to make windows application |
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| Author: | btiffin [ Thu Apr 24, 2008 4:52 am ] | ||||
| Post subject: | Re: RE:Personal programming | ||||
Thanks again everyone. This really is a great board for getting at the pulse. And so you know my answers; Lots of personal scripts, REBOL mainly but I'll pull out the Icon compiler when awk can't handle pulling apart a file for me. Usually these apps are small; task tracking, todo lists, time keeping, invoice generators or like r691175002 said, one-offs that just accumulate until lost. When they are personal apps, I pay no heed to bugs (that don't trigger data loss) or completeness of the interface. I might give it a REBOL Title: and Date: header, but that's about it. For community efforts I'll spend the hours to make an app robust, readable and all that jazz. But for my own stuff, I can suffer hacky crap. I write most of these to learn. save time or stay organized. Once I think others might like it, the professional comes out. And I might make it a GUI then. I prefer CLI. By the way, for interactive Ruby you can use an init file
instead of overpathing irb. wtd @ Thu Apr 24, 2008 12:19 am wrote: ~/bin/irb
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| Author: | wtd [ Thu Apr 24, 2008 11:26 am ] |
| Post subject: | RE:Personal programming |
Oh, but what fun is that?  |
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| Author: | btiffin [ Thu Apr 24, 2008 12:03 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: RE:Personal programming |
wtd @ Thu Apr 24, 2008 11:26 am wrote: Oh, but what fun is that? So true. And we all know it takes 9 skinnings to defeat most cats.  |
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| Author: | md [ Thu Apr 24, 2008 12:53 pm ] |
| Post subject: | RE:Personal programming |
you're doing it wrong. If you skin the cat in peices you can harvest WAY more then 9 skins worth
I actually DO write some C++ code to do things for me... but usually things that are beyond the normal "translate this data" level. Like interfacing with a GPS unit that speaks a strange binary version of NMEA-0183. |
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| Author: | michaelp [ Fri Apr 25, 2008 6:17 pm ] |
| Post subject: | RE:Personal programming |
I don't usually, but I have made something for my personal use. For studying for my tests.  |
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| Author: | nike52 [ Fri Apr 25, 2008 9:12 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Personal programming |
Not proficient enough with the language I'm learning right now, java, to do anything substantial at the moment. I can't wait though. I'll probably make a -to do list -calender |
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| Author: | DemonWasp [ Fri Jun 06, 2008 9:42 am ] |
| Post subject: | RE:Personal programming |
I frequently write code for smallish tasks (unrar these 100 files to that directory, etc). I also have a tendency to write a lot of proof-of-concept stuff. Nearly 100% Java, because between the library, Eclipse, and the fact that I know it better than any other language, it's the easiest thing to write. |
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| Author: | apomb [ Fri Jun 06, 2008 9:56 am ] |
| Post subject: | RE:Personal programming |
perl is wonderful for this, also, regrettably a few people i know often use VBscript *shudder* to do things perl is beautiful at doing. i find im using perl, and even bash to do things i used to hate doing manually. |
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| Author: | btiffin [ Fri Jun 06, 2008 11:17 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Personal programming |
apomb; You really need to try REBOL. It's different enough to require "letting go" old habits and learned behaviour.
But just so ya know. This was Larry's take on REBOL nigh on 10 years ago. REBOL 2 changed just about all the things he talked about; but we rebols (and google) have long memories. 
http://www.xray.mpe.mpg.de/mailing-lists/perl5-porters/1998-10/msg01851.html Everyone; Oh and on the pet language of the day front; Installed Open COBOL on my Debian box last night. Woohoo. Free COBOL. Life is good. Poke-prod-poke; I'd urge any compsci members to give Open COBOL a spin. That team has done a wonderful job. And if it means you have to install GNU/Linux on your PC, all the better. Don't worry; the GRUB is nice enough to let you keep Windows and dual-boot. All you need to figure out is how much HD space to partition. And 10GB is more than enough to play in GNU/Linux land; including the install of just about every programming language enviroment you'll ever hear about. Open COBOL; Nothing beats being able to write ADD 1 TO VARIABLE GIVING VARIABLE. instead of the horrific variable++ nerd code that everyone is used to now. 
And I even glossed over the whole WORKING STORAGE SECTION. 01 VARIABLE PIC 99999999. PROCEDURE DIVISION. MOVE ZEROES TO VARIABLE. fun, fun goodness. 
Sorry, I was joking a bit, but more seriously; it may look verbose or boring, but COBOL coders can earn a boat load on the per diem scale, and COBOL actually allows for some real techie coding once you get into it. Now with Open COBOL, it can add another line to your resume and it won't cost you anything but time. Carpe diem; sieze the day Carpe per diem; sieze the money Cheers |
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| Author: | Aziz [ Fri Jun 06, 2008 11:49 am ] |
| Post subject: | RE:Personal programming |
I do whenever I can. For work too. I would've had to spend 1+ hours copypasta-ing a spreadsheet to fill in blanks. Instead I took 5 minutes and wrote a Python script. Good thing too, because the data was bad and it had to be redone |
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| Author: | apomb [ Fri Jun 06, 2008 12:16 pm ] |
| Post subject: | RE:Personal programming |
nothing like having to sanatize_inputs(); eh? Edit @ btiffin: I wont lie, i will probably will not take a serious look at REBOL, and not because i dont see any merit in it, i just dont really have the time to. I'm just being realistic is all. However, if i happen to come across a REBOL (interopreter?) and the mood strikes, you never know. |
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| Author: | Aziz [ Fri Jun 06, 2008 12:19 pm ] |
| Post subject: | RE:Personal programming |
Have no clue what you're talking about 
I googled (and fixed your horrible spelling) and came up with some php function? |
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| Author: | apomb [ Fri Jun 06, 2008 12:22 pm ] |
| Post subject: | RE:Personal programming |
haha yeah, my spelling can be atrocious, anyway, dont worry about it. |
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| Author: | btiffin [ Fri Jun 06, 2008 12:43 pm ] |
| Post subject: | RE:Personal programming |
apomb; re REBOL. No worries; compsci is such a vast arena that you really do have to choose wisely where and when to build up expertise. <jokey> Too bad you are choosing so wrongly and poorly.
Besides; I'm banking on you developing a nicer lookahead cache for self modifying instruction streams, so I expect you to keep busy with that. </jokey> Cheers |
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