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Posted by Oli Filth on 10/25/05 04:59
Andrew DeFaria said the following on 25/10/2005 02:29:
> Oli Filth wrote:
>
>> Justin Koivisto said the following on 24/10/2005 22:54:
>>
>>> Sure all the code completion and such is nice and *might* save you
>>> time when you are using functions that aren't part of your daily
>>> routine, but if you have only ever used IDEs and not memorized
>>> function names, syntax and return cases, where would you be when you
>>> notice that something is very bad on your site and you don't have
>>> access to your computer (or any computer) with the IDE installed?
>>
>>
>> I see your point, but that only applies for interpreted/script-based
>> languages like PHP, VBScript, etc. For anything that requires a
>> compiler (e.g. C), the point is moot...
>
>
> Sorry but that does not compute! Why is the presence of a compiler
> dictate the need for an IDE? Both the interpreted and compiled based
> languages can suffer from the same problem mentioned above.
I was refuting the idea that you could fix code errors on any PC without
"specialist" tools. That only applies for script-based languages, and
therefore isn't a general rule. Wasn't very clear originally, I admit!
>> My point was
>> along the lines of "why forego modern technology that's there to make
>> your life easier?".
>
> The same reason why teenagers always use calculators and have been
> losing the ability to compute problems, do arithmetic without a
> calculator and to, by extension, think logically. Just because there's a
> modern do hickey for something doesn't mean that you can nor should give
> up understanding of what's going on under the hood and get your hands
> dirty every now and then.
I think there's a difference between IDEs and the calculator example. By
using a calculator to do your sums, it can act as a replacement for
knowing *how* to calculate (I agree, BTW ;) ). Using an IDE to remind
you of function syntax, for example, can't act as a replacement for
knowing *how* to construct a program.
In the case of the IDE, it's not hiding anything "under the hood"
(FrontPage excepted).
Anyway, even intelligent professional mathematicians wouldn't forego a
calculator if they were asked to calculate something like
123.4528*log(3.573). They'd use the calculator because it makes their
life easier and gets the job done; that doesn't imply that they don't
understand multiplication or logarithms.
--
Oli
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