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Code On Paper

3 min read ¡

update: after 1 year, slowly understanding how dots are connecting, when i wrote this wasn’t able to see the point, but now it make sense

It was sunny day and we were taught C language in the college, and I got to know first time that, We have to write a program on the paper in the exam, like literally hand written, I was like WTF!, it doesn’t make any sense, but it is the system which is running in the college for so long.

Few thoughts own this thing, I like to write programs in front of computer, not writing out complete program on the paper, expecting my self it was correct, most of the time when i write the code, just write the code, it can be broken, or doesn’t give you expected result, then transform it to produce desired output using this wonderful process called debugging, like my most of the time goes in the debugging then writing actual code, and most of all programmers write like this.

Why?

Programming is like thinking for me and for most of the programmers, not rewriting thing that you already know on piece of paper, this process is similar to how potter makes pots, or how painter make painting, or how writers write his first draft, or how musician produce music, no body can get things perfect at his first trial, things improve with the iteration and feedback loops.

I think learning by doing is the best way to learn then any other way, and in the doing also, imitating things and adding your personal touch to the things you do, is the go to strategy, like when you imitate someones work, you start to realise why some things are there, or why they exist, dots start to connect with each other, for example in the painting world, for example benjamin franklin learned to write by summarizing essays of addison, then reproducing them.

Makers run the world, by doing things in real world.

Maker’s definition according to me is, who does things in real life, who can transform his thoughts or imagination in real world, they can be writers, painter, musician, inventor…

PS: doctors can’t learn things by doing in today’s modern world, it was that way in the ancient world, because people used to trust each other, now days it is next to impossible, it can be done if we are able to produce exact replica of human, in case of error no real lives are wasted.