Boss wants me to program

[Adriaan Renting]

The question was about someone with limited programming experience
building simple easy to use programs on Windows. This is the niche where
VB and Delphi realy shine. Python with TkInter is kind of o.k., I realy
like Python+PyQt+Eric3+QtDesigner, but currently that only works with a
commercial licence of Qt on Windows, that's why, on Windows, I'd
recommend VB (maybe Delphi) for small projects.
This doesn't mean I would recommend VB for everything. For large
projects C++ or java can both be far superior, depending on needs and
available tools and libraries. I realy like Python for small projects on
Linux. Both VB and Python are easier to learn as the more powerful
languages, the price is that they lack features that make it easier to
manage large and complex projects.

If there is one thing I want to advise, is to get some education, at
least buy a few good books, but only 20+ years of experience can
sometimes substitute for a few good programming classes. If they teach
how to write maintainable code, software design, efficient sorting
algorithms, user interface design, security, etc. then you're on to
something. Courses focussing on a single language often don't teach you
these general programming proinciples.

I think it's important to know how stuff works behind the scenes to some
extent. But I realy like to use all the hard work other people have done
for me.
I prefer QPrinter.print(MyEditor.lines())
to having to push the bits out the LPT myself.

I prefer TMessageBox->Question("Do you realy want to quit")
to having to MOV the bits to my video memory myself.

I realy prefer a WYSIWYG UI design tool
to having to code BUTTON(120, 123, 123, 335, -1, NULL, doButton, "Push",
"push this button")

Why?
Because people already figured out a way to do that, saving me time, so
I can finish my project on schedule or spend my time on something else.

P.S. I share your worries about the dwindling number of people that
actually have the technical know-how to run our increasingly complex
society. I think it has to do with our society mainly rewarding
charismatic people, and a lack of organisation among the more technical
professions. We should have a bar exam for all programmers!
About teaching in the exact sciences: I think we need a more hands-on
applied approach, to some extent this holds for the entire school
system. I'll stop here, or this will become a long OT rant.

Adriaan Renting        | Email: renting at astron.nl
ASTRON                 | Phone: +31 521 595 217
P.O. Box 2             | GSM:   +31 6 24 25 17 28
NL-7990 AA Dwingeloo   | FAX:   +31 521 597 332
The Netherlands        | Web: http://www.astron.nl/~renting/
>>> phil <phillip.watts at anvilcom.com> 06/28/05 8:04 PM >>>
> 
> You are quite correct to point out how much better it is to know what
is
> going on behind the scenes.  But heck, once you know how to extract
square
> roots - you need to let the computer do it!
> 
> GUI interfaces should be the same deal!
> Thomas Bartkus
> 
I think I pretty much agree. I essentially code my own gui builder

but in text files.

I just think it is really important to emphasise the operative
"but once you know how" in your comments.

Then some would counter with "oh, so we should code everthing
in assembler?"  Ouch. No, I will admit there is judgement
required.  Everything should be done the easiest way, with the
qualification that you need to understand how using someone
else's shortcut leaves you vulnerable.

This guy is trying to get started and looking for our advice and
I saw most of the advice leaning towrd VB (aarrgh!) and I thought
I should give him other food for thought.

I'm going to take this opportunity for a short rant.
<rant>
I believe our society ( I'm an old fart) is drifting toward
a VERY small percentage of people knowing, caring or even
being curious about "how stuff works".  I teach high school
geometry and am APPALLED at the apathy.  I am concerned about
the future of this nation, economically, but spirtually as well.
So, this influences my advice.  Know how your stuff works if
it is reasonable.
Tom Wolfe talked in a book about two kinds of kids.
Those that play video games and those that make video games,
and the numbers of the latter is shrinking.
</rant>





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