Get Organized: Spaghetti Code

An interesting part of my brain is that I am spectacular at organization - I just have trouble forcing myself to start the process. Once I begin, then, it becomes almost impossible to finish the job.

Being a programmer and developer, I have countless files in numerous locations on my hard drive that are in an inconvenient location or are simply no longer needed. The problem with many of these files is that I am a lazy coder - the code requires that the files be in their current location, and in order to change that dependency, I have to go back and edit the path in the source code and recompile, or combine the files into a single program, a process which takes even longer than the "quick fix."

As a result of this lack of resolve, I've put off any serious organization of my code files since I stopped using Visual Studio, which organizes the user's file for them. My preferred editor, Vim, goes for a minimalist approach and does no organization for the user. I began using Vim about a year and a half ago.

Programmers have a term that they use to describe code that is messy and unorganized: spaghetti code. I guess you could say my computer was full of spaghetti files. I had gotten lazy, and it was initially easy to work around the small inconveniences, but as the files piled up, it became impossible. There were source files in bin, tmp, usr, home, and countless other directories that the user isn't even supposed to touch.

I didn't realize before I began the project how much harder it was to bridge my coding from one part of the computer to another. Every time I had to switch terminals to grab a file it made me lose concentration (as I realized all too well in the Ludum Dare speedcoding competition, which I did not complete). As I organized, I got a feel for where everything was and exactly what would need to be changed.

When I finished, I felt moderately satisfied, but it wasn't until I got back to coding that I realized what a difference it had made. First of all, it had convinced me to use more efficient methods in my code, requiring less external dependency and decreasing compile time. It also allowed the programs to run significantly faster and with less system resources.

The process of code writing itself was also much easier and far less stressful - no longer did I need four file managers open at the same time to search for files, and many of the memory-hogging search scripts that had previously been necessary could be disabled. The process came quite a bit more naturally, as well - more time could be spent on content as opposed to organization and my code became quite a bit more concise and efficient.

Blogging Around: Shea's iMedia and Jack's Inconvenient Truth

In response to Shea's iMedia: If I Had a Daughter

Wow.

This speech (though it's much more than that) amazes me on countless levels. The language, the word choice, is flawless. Sentence melts into sentence, and the use of a word causes the use of the same word or sound to convey a totally different meaning. It's hard to think of it as a speech when it is, as Shea says, "beautiful and poetic."

Regarding the content of the speech itself, I am astonished by Sarah Kay's humility. She admits outright that she doesn't have any idea what the "right" way to parent is - but she's going to try, and she thinks she knows what she needs to do to make it worthwhile.

Shea mentions that "Sarah Kay would be the perfect mother." I found this statement to be interesting. From what Kay says in the speech, she would only do what she felt was best. So even if she was a good parent, who would think she was a perfect mother? Certainly not her daughter, if Kay constantly reminds her to be humble. Perhaps there's no way to be "perfect," but Kay is clearly good.

In response to Jack's An Inconvenient Truth: Success

The title to this post grabbed my attention immediately. I can relate completely to this line of thinking - this has been my year for these thoughts too, especially what with subpar performance at school.

You mentioned that you have a "problem" - that you don't have any idea what your future will look like, or what you want to do. I used to think like that too, but I realized that that kind of knowledge would be a burden.

If you don't have a reason to go into a field, then it doesn't make sense to try to point your life in that direction. I feel that my life will turn onto its real path whenever it needs to - until then, I'll be going wherever life takes me.

Until recently, I had quite a different definition of "success," which was the standard definition. I've since subscribed to your definition, but with one added point: 3. To understand everything I can. Try adding that in - you'll be surprised at what happens.