What Languages Do I Use?

I have a simple way to decide whether I will use Ruby, Perl, Java, or Bash. If I need to maintain it 10 years from now. It is in Java. If it is going to be fewer than 10 lines and I only need to use the command line arguments, it is Bash. If I need to process a few things, but not too…

Why I Like Justifiable Verbosity in Programming Languages

I started using Perl in 1988 or 1989, I think. Yes, right at the time Larry Wall released his Perl. I was doing a lot of scripting at that time, and the Bourne shell (sh) was giving me fits. Why not write csh scripts? Well, okay…

Java 23 Does Not Have String Templates

So, they removed the string template preview feature from Java23. What a bummer. I do understand why they did it, but removing it means I can’t try it for my systems. I wish they had left it in so that there is a clear path forward if I decided to try it now.

Do What You Like

When I was studying computer science in university, in the early 1980’s, the future for a programmer was to do COBOL in a big company, most probably a bank or an insurance company, using IBM mainframes. Jobs that used minicomputers like DEC VAX, etc., were few and far between. Those were the dream…

How to get Hired as a Programmer Easily

Until about 18 years ago, I worked as a normal programmer: I basically worked for others. So, I had to find work. Going to interview, put up with the corporate nonsense, etc. I have been free of them for 18 years now, working for myself for that long. But that…

Can We have Beautiful Code?

I don’t know. That is the short answer. I have been thinking about this for a long time. Christopher Alexander got me thinking about this question ever since I read his “The Timeless Way of Building”. There is a certain beauty in things done the natural way. We instinctively know…

There are Innovations in Academia

I read an article about why innovations in academia is rare. Is it though?

For computer related technology and computer science itself, that is not entirely true. Arpanet was a military and academic collaboration. Knuth did quite a bit of…