[thelist] OT: KABOOOOOOM (explosions are cool)

[J. Blanchard]

>Hmmm, YMMV there.  People who put "notepad" on a resume >don't impress me at all, because notepad has no features.  >None. 

So you must have features in order to write/edit code?

>I'm not talking about the latest wysiwyg whizz bang drag >and drop, I'm talking about simple things like syntax >highlighting, indenting, maybe some further features like >validation, code completion.  

When I began "writing code" by punching holes in cards syntax highlighting, indenting, and further features were awefully handy. Imagine my disdain when I got my hands on a text editor on a monochrome monitor.

>These are things that help you work faster, because they >help you work smarter.  I do the majority of my work in >SGML and XML, and the same goes for those.  

Are SGML and XML editors? Or did you pass an incomplete idea here?

>I agree a text editor will teach you to look at your >markup in an entirely different way than a wysiwyg editor, >but that should be a text editor that helps you, not >hinders you.   Notepad is the editor of choice for >masochists and people woh 

Again, an incomplete thought here? But, Notepad is the editor of choice for some (emphasis on 'is').

>Emacs (+ psgml mode), vi, (both freely available on >platforms you've probably never even heard of) or the more >traditional Windows HomeSite and Mac BBEdit - those will >get my attention. Notepad on the other hand, does not.

How do you know that this person has not heard of UNIX or Linux or AIX or BSD? Homesite traditional? Notepad would be traditional as far as Windows is concerned as it has been in every Windows release, where Homesite (I use the not so fancy version of Homesite - v1.2, released about 5 years ago)has not been around as long.

<tip>
Code by hand, in any editor, anywhere, anytime. WRIRE code, code, and more code. Don't worry about the features, worry about the code. Learn to indent and comment properly, in that you will learn where to search for syntax errors and become more intuitive in your coding. Document and comment that which you have written, for someone with a fancier editor may come along and still not be able to discern what you have done without it...but the color code will sure look good.
</tip>

Jay Blanchard
___________________________________________________________________________
Visit http://www.visto.com/info, your free web-based communications center.
Visto.com. Life on the Dot.