I'm a largely self-taught front-end developer only just making the transition into back-end development in order to be able to say yes to more projects.
I've found eclipse to be my favourite text editor for javascript and php, but I'm conscious that it (and other IDEs) have a whole load of features which I don't know how to use, or why I should want to use them.
I'd really appreciate some pointers on why using such-and-such a feature of an IDE helps you work more efficiently, write better code etc..., and maybe some links to useful sources of information.
Cheers
edit - I'm already converted to using ftp features and code explorer/function lists
You may find eclipse tips such as these interesting. But if your objective is to "write better code" then I think you need to look elsewhere. Understand the language you are using better, understand design patterns and the reasons whey people apply them, study testing techniques. There's so much else to spend your time on. Truly working smarter is the objective.
I would always advise learning what goes on behind the IDE and then using the IDE.
Get familiar with:
Build/Distribution processes (Like Make and others)
How compilation works, what are the component processes
How the IDE is generating things like autocomplete (scanning headers/source)
version control, get familiar with it on the command-line. It will mean you can deal with issues/requirements not filled by the IDE.
Once you know what goes on behind the scenes for the language/environment you are programming in ... the IDE is a bit mundane, just a modular text-editor on steroids.
Good luck
Maybe this is obvious, but in my opinion class/function/variable name refactoring is among the most essential features of any IDE. Constant refactoring is one of the secrets of making good code.
That's a bit of a difficult question to answer since most modern IDEs offer such a wide range of features. From a general standpoint, I'd become familiar with hot key combinations for repetitive tasks (saving, building, code folding, etc.) and how to install/enable/disable add-ons and plug-ins. That will make you more efficient.
As Aiden mentions, knowing how to to a build from the command line/compilation in general will be useful as well as version control systems. Get familiar with GIT and Subversion.
The IDE will not make you write better code. For that, you're going to need practice and some time spent reading/listening to podcasts. Read Robert Martin's "Clean Code" for starters.
Additionally, spend the time to learn proper TDD and the toolset(s) available for your IDE.
Related
I have been using WingIDE for python program development for several years, and in general I am satisfied with it (esp. with their technical support). The learning curve for WingIDE was rather steep (at least for me). I am now considering some projects that I will require that I work with PyDev-Eclipse.
What kind of learning curve (steep -> easy, or not steep -> not easy) might one expect with PyDev?
I don't think there's a right answer here... Experiences vary a lot (I'd suggest following the Getting started tutorial http://pydev.org/manual_101_root.html and then judging for yourself... I think the basics should be easy to grasp, but as with anything else, to really master it will take more time, especially getting used to shortcuts and discovering what it's capable of).
I agree with Fabio that there is no simple answer. For Wing, start with the Tutorial in the Help menu. That takes you through the basics you need to know to work with Wing and use the debugger, and you can learn the other tools and capabilities more slowly over time.
The choice of IDE is as personal as choosing a keyboard. But for both the experiences of others sometimes help to make a choice.
In my case Wing has made the difference between advancing my Python skills relatively quickly, and some months of being bogged down by not understanding basic concepts. I have really found that the functionality Wing offers to go through existing code helps to understand Python and existing code more quickly.
With Pydev I got bogged down in the complexities of Eclipse. With Wing I felt that I was standing on the shoulders of people who grokked Python deeply. Note the word "felt", it is a very subjective thing, and you should most definitely take some time to try out what works for you.
Some things about Wing that make me believe it has helped me learn Python much more quickly than I would have otherwise: The Auto-Enter Invocation Args setting which shows up the PEP-8 way of invoking arguments to standard functions you are calling. And the go-to-definition and find-points-of-use functions that I have used many times to try to figure out how existing code works. This may all be available elsewhere, but it just works immediately and in a very coherent way in Wing.
I'm net-java developer with some small projects implemented. I'm going to start a new project which is portal with many typical features (posts, comments, messaging, users, catalog, news, galleries, etc).
I believe the best solution would be use any mature CMS (joomla, drupal...) and customize it where needed. The problem is that I'm not familiar with PHP (CMS written on PHP has far better set of features, plugins, community, information I believe) I'm not planning to learn PHP, I want to improve my java-net skills.
So the question for me is:
write all by myself, improving my programming skills and risking to finish my project in relatively long period
on the other hand
I could spend some time learning tools and languages, which I think while, I don't need in the future and more likely finish my project in some shorter time
what would you advise?
Learning another language will not hurt you, and as most of the differences are in syntax and supporting libraries, you would be surprised at how quickly you can pick up a new language.
Your choice should be on what language is best for the task, not simply the one you know.
So, my suggestion is - learn PHP and go with a mature CMS.
A LOT of effort goes into developing a CMS, so writing your own will likely take some time. Put together a project plan and work out how long it would take you to develop something from scratch, then do some research on existing CMS packages and how they fit your needs.
I'm a .NET developer but have used Joomla in the past - it's actually quite easy to put together a website even if you're not too familiar with PHP.
Better yet, find a CMS package in your preferred language - they oughta be some out there.
i.e.
http://java-source.net/open-source/content-managment-systems
Learning new tools is seldom a waste of time. Especially not when it comes to such well known and world wide spread languages such as php. I would say it's best using the tools most suited for the project you're up to, rather than reinventing the wheel.
You should take a good look at your requirements. If you're sure you can get them all from a CMS, that makes most sense. Take a good look at the compatibility and reliability of all components.
Otherwise, you might be better served by a .net or java CMS.
Writing your own CMS without having extensive experience in the current available ones is not going to lead to a good result, except for you learning some programming skills.
If you don't have a "due date" for your project write it by yourself.
Or take a look at http://www.opencms.org/en/ ;)
There are a lot of opensource CMS written in Java ;)
Even if you don't write in PHP again, the benefit of knowing another programming language is going to give you some valuable perspective on net-java.
The task of learning a new language is going to be an asset. Learning to learn something. Identifying what you need to know and how to find the answers is a transferable skill.
Your job will be to complete your project in the most efficient manner with the highest quality output practical. Use the tool that is going to best help you achieve this. The language it's written in should be largely irrelevant.
Anyone got any experience of teams doing pair programming where there is a mixed IDE environment? I'm a long time IntelliJ user, others use Eclipse, which you may have heard of.
In my mind pair programming involves a lot of passing the keyboard between the programmers. But every time I get the keyboard I grind to a halt as I don't know to do anything anymore. (It's like suddenly I'm an idiot!)
Now I could, probably should, learn my way round Eclipse. (Not starting a holy war here about relative merits.) But I wonder if anyone else has got an opinion?
I don't see the need for passing the keyboard around. In my view, you work on part while the other half of your pair looks over your shoulder. Sometimes I imagine you would have to take the wheel, but generally not every 10 minutes. If he types for 4 hours, then you switch places, just switch IDEs at that time.
I agree you should learn the tools that are used, and if there is an actual published or documented standard you should follow it, but if you are allowed to use any IDE you want, then I don't see an issue. But if it inhibits your ability to deliver, then maybe you pair up with someone using the same IDE as you.
About 10 years too late for the OP, but this question is still highly ranked in search engines, so others interested in remote mixed environment pair programming can try CodeTogether. It's available for for IntelliJ, Eclipse, VS Code and IDEs based on them.
Participants join in a browser, but get a full IDE-like experience with IntelliSense, validation, reference searches, navigation, etc. CodeTogether is simple, fast, free, anonymous, and encrypted. The plugins/extensions are in the normal marketplaces/registries you'd expect and are also available on the website.
Full disclosure: I work for Genuitec, the makers of CodeTogether, and we really hope you enjoy it. Any constructive feedback on Gitter or GitHub is always appreciated.
I have not done this in a multi-IDE environment. But pairing is, to my mind, far and away the best way to learn IDE features. So you should come up to speed quickly on Eclipse, and your colleagues, likewise, should get a handle on IntelliJ in short order. Both of you will become better versed in both environments - and that's a good position from which to settle on a team IDE, should you choose to do so.
By comparison with other means of learning, pairing teaches you the features that are useful to you (or your pair, who probably has a similar set of needs). You learn almost by osmosis; as your pair uses a feature you may find yourself asking, "how did you do that?" or "what did you just do?" This is teaching you the features you need, exactly when you need them.
In your situation, there may be additional value: you may find yourself wanting a feature that your IDE offers; your pair may never have encountered it (but it might be in Eclipse, too). So you spend a minute tracking down that feature, and now both of you have learned new (and useful) functionality of the IDE.
Standardize your environment! As much as you need a common source style, I would argue you also need a common way of working, including having a common IDE. All kinds of settings, knowledge, plugins, etc. is much easier to share, including your example about pair programming.
In pair programming, the pair should standardize on an IDE.
My suggestion would be either to pair with another IntelliJ user or, if the rest of the group is on Eclipse, start learning Eclipse.
You're going to lose too much time switching between IDEs to gain the efficiencies of pair programming.
You could have both IDEs loaded on the pairing machine and switch between them as needed, but I'd recommend standardizing IDEs with your pairing partner. You might want to bring this question up in your next retrospective and see what the team consensus is.
Now i know that this one is actually not a very technical question but one that has been bothering me for some time. Actually we are using a lot of C++ and PHP at our company and some of our developers are really hoping for a new and modern language to come by to help us getting more productive. I have been talking about what scala can do and the other coders seem to gain some interest in the language. The tough job is, how do you convince your boss to consider scala as a language for the company. I saw the presentation "Sneaking Scala into your company", but it deals with the situation that you are using Java at your company which we don't.
How do you fight of the usual "that is just esoteric stuff" and "we can already do that in $LANGUAGE" arguments. I was planing to give a talk about Scala, and since I don't have much time I need ideas how to get people interested in the language rather then setting of reactions like "currying? we can already do something like this with boost::bind".
How did you guys do it?
Regards,
raichoo
EDIT: Gave my talk yesterday, people were very excited. My company is going to give it a try! Thanks for all your suggestions.
If you don't already have killer arguments, what are you basing your reasoning on that Scala will make your company more productive?
Don't like something then hunt for reasons to use it at work. Let the reasons speak for themselves..
"A hammer looking for nails"
Using it to do some stuff around the side, as datamigrations, testing and similar things will make sure the necessary experience is built and can give it some exposure.
ScalaTest is really nice to help with acceptance/integration testing. (Yes, I know it is nice for unit testing, but I do not see that immediately happening with C++/PHP target code, and it would probably be unwise).
Proof of Concept and other Prototypes are great for 2 reasons
1) It showcases the capabilities
2) You are certain they will be thrown away if you have to reimplement them in C++/PHP
Now a bad time to introduce Scala would be when you REALLY need it : hopes will be high, it will not immediately work as intended, hopes are dashed and everybody will blame Scala. As a result it will be burnt for a long time in the organisation.
Sooner or later some suit will think it was his idea to introduce Scala and use it on a formal project. If that project is moderately successful, then it is sold.
These kind of changes are complicated people issues, and the harder you push, the harder you will face push-back. On the other hand the persistent mind can move mountains.
Redo some of your work related code in Scala and compare KLOC, code structure and performence, if it looks and works better, show it to your peers and your managers.
In other words:
Talk is cheap. Show me the code.
-- Torvalds, Linus (2000-08-25)
In case of our company (and I assume, many companies share the same scenario), move to Scala (from Java) was initiated by tech people, who 1. wanted to work more productive writing code (living in the 21st century utilize modern approaches), 2. have less troubles building concurrent applications (Actors concept promoted by Scala is a way simpler than Java thread-based concurrency) 2.1 have a simpler way of building scalable staged event driven architectures.
In our company, transition to Scala was more or less simple, because Scala was literlly sold to business people as a library to Java :) -> from their POV, we're still using the same platform (JVM), application servers, etc., but developers are having more fun from their work, and therefore, are more inspired and work more efficiently.
Maybe you could pitch Scala by showing off the suite of tools that is used for development? For example, if you are not already using Eclipse in your company, show your execs a demo of what a modern IDE can do for your productivity.
There is a book called "Fearless Change" (Linda Rising) that describes a pattern language for "powerless leaders" (I LOVE that role title!). SE-radio had a really motivating interview with the author: http://www.se-radio.net/podcast/2009-06/episode-139-fearless-change-linda-rising. Listen up on that interview to collect a few non-technical strategies that can help you in this struggle!
I haven't used Scala yet for any real business code, but I know people who have.
One group used it to write a tool to analyze log files. So they didn't use it for mission-critical business code, but for a non-critical tool to support the project.
Another person I know is an architect and he just went and wrote some Scala code on his own for some production code without telling his manager. After the code was deployed successfully he did tell it. One of the things he mentioned is that because Scala runs on the JVM, the people who support the application don't even notice - to them, Scala is just another library that's included with the application (they were already used to the JVM). Ofcourse this approach is risky and not everybody will be in the position or be willing to do this.
You could start small - use it as your personal preferred scripting language for small things that you need yourself. Tell your fellow developers about it and make them enthusiasts too. If they also start using it then you can step it up to make some side code for your project (such as for example that log analyser tool).
This isn't a really easy task. I would concentrate on the fact that you will be able to produce code and therefore products faster and with a higher quality. That's always the two reasons, business wants to hear from you and will listen to.
Maybe you can show an example of 1-2 very small projects you did in your company with C++/PHP and compare the effort, quality etc. with a similar/the same implemenation in Scala? This would be very impressive and should also convince people who are not on the coding side.
There was a very good talk at Scala Days 2010 by David Copeland:
Sneaking Scala into your organisation
The executive summary: Testing. You can use Scala for testing without affecting release code.
The company that owns the company that I work for has recently decided unilaterally that the salesforce.com and force.com platform are where we are headed. Currently, we're a C# .NET shop and we frequently use Visual Studio and Resharper in our daily work.
I'm not happy about this decision but, like any good developer, I'm willing to give it a chance and investigate this new technology to see what things might be like if I'm forced to make the decision to transition from a .NET to a APEX developer. So far, I must admit to not being all that impressed with the Force.com platform. To be fair, there are somethings that seem quite ok...but other things just suck...just look at their ideas on what constitute good unit tests.... Luckily, those sort of mistakes are something I can avoid by actually writing proper unit tests regardless of how much the people behind salesforce.com's documentation suck....
However, and sorry for the rant (I just really needed to get that off my chest), the one thing that I've found missing that I know I'd really miss is a good refactoring tool like Resharper. As a .NET developer, Resharper makes it possible to do a lot of heavy lifting that I would otherwise be hesitant to do. It also makes developing TDD style much easier cause I can easily create new methods and properties with just a few keystrokes. As such, I'm on the lookout for any sort of refactoring tool that is available for Eclipse and the APEX programming language. I've downloaded and installed the tools recommended by the force.com developers site but so far I have seen very little in the way of refactoring support.
Does anyone know of the existence of any refactoring tools for use with the APEX programming language?
As yet there are no tools that offer refactoring support for the Apex language.