"Matthew Haigh" wrote in message
...
In article , Custos Custodum
writes
Besides a mathematical inclination, an exceptionally good mastery of
one's native tongue is the most vital asset of a competent programmer.

I'd disagree. I know many very good commercial programmers who can't
spell to save their lives. But what really matters is that they can't
spell _consistently_, so mis-spelled variables and function names are
mis-spelled the same way every time (or the compiler catches the error
and they correct it to be consistent with their other mis-spellings).

Plus, of course, programming is not the hard bit- hasn't been for some time.
The skill lies in the system and software design. These days many packages
can autogenerate code and, with the high uP speeds and low memory costs,
that code is efficient enough to do the job- hand crafting to improve speed
etc often isn't required, even in real time apps. The move to the use of
real time operating systems has also reduced the demand for much of the core
software- one company can turn out versions (for example VxWorks, LynxOS)
that can serve many applications. The OEM manufacturer can focus just in his
particular needs, and pay a pitance of a fee to the RTOS supplier (sometimes
s few £)

Tends to leave a lot of the old hacker types on the scrap heap- often as not
claiming everyone else is the hacker.

It can be interesting reading some of the comments in their code!

True.

--
Brian Reay
www.g8osn.org.uk
www.amateurradiotraining.org.uk
FP#898

"Brian Reay" wrote:

: "Matthew Haigh" wrote in message
: ...
: In article , Custos Custodum
: writes
: Besides a mathematical inclination, an exceptionally good mastery of
: one's native tongue is the most vital asset of a competent programmer.
:
: I'd disagree. I know many very good commercial programmers who can't
: spell to save their lives. But what really matters is that they can't
: spell _consistently_, so mis-spelled variables and function names are
: mis-spelled the same way every time (or the compiler catches the error
: and they correct it to be consistent with their other mis-spellings).
:
: Plus, of course, programming is not the hard bit- hasn't been for some time.
: The skill lies in the system and software design. These days many packages
: can autogenerate code and, with the high uP speeds and low memory costs,
: that code is efficient enough to do the job- hand crafting to improve speed
: etc often isn't required, even in real time apps. The move to the use of
: real time operating systems has also reduced the demand for much of the core
: software- one company can turn out versions (for example VxWorks, LynxOS)
: that can serve many applications. The OEM manufacturer can focus just in his
: particular needs, and pay a pitance of a fee to the RTOS supplier (sometimes
: s few £)

said m3osn who never was a "lowly programmer"

:
: Tends to leave a lot of the old hacker types on the scrap heap- often as not
: claiming everyone else is the hacker.
u mean the ones who actually know how to program properly ?

You seem to be as ignorant about the practices of
software as you are about the practise of Morse Code
at 12WPM.

RTOS's have been in regular use in Britland industry
for well over 35 years.

If the "demand for much of the core software" was reduced in the
systems for which you were responsible, why did they go on for
so long, and why did you ultimately have to leave and get a job
as a teacher?

"Brian Reay" wrote in message
...
The move to the use of
real time operating systems has also reduced the demand for much of the
core
software.

"Airy R.Bean, village idiot" wrote in message
...
You seem to be as ignorant about the practices of
software as you are about the practise of Morse Code
at 12WPM.

RTOS's have been in regular use in Britland industry
for well over 35 years.

If the "demand for much of the core software" was reduced in the
systems for which you were responsible, why did they go on for
so long, and why did you ultimately have to leave and get a job
as a teacher?

Refresh my memory please, why did you 'leave' Westinghouse?
....(_!_)...

No wonder that you reported difficulties in managing the
software engineers that worked for you, and that you subsequently
left (HAD to leave? The BRATS all over again?) private industry
to parasitise from the public purse as a teacher.

"Those that can, do.
Those that can't, teach.
Those that can't teach, teach PE.
Those that can't teach PE, join the plods.
Those that can't plod, join the traffic plods.
Those that can't traffic plod, are on sale on the vegetable
rack in Tesco's.".


"Brian Reay" wrote in message
...
Plus, of course, programming is not the hard bit- hasn't been for some
time.
The skill lies in the system and software design. These days many packages
can autogenerate code and, with the high uP speeds and low memory costs,
that code is efficient enough to do the job- hand crafting to improve
speed
etc often isn't required, even in real time apps.

On Mon, 7 Feb 2005 15:48:39 -0000, Airy R.Bean wrote:

No wonder that you reported difficulties in managing the
software engineers that worked for you..

Your 'Be Nice to Brian Week' lasted just 42 minutes.....
--
from
Aero Spike