I thought about this for a while, and it's not an easy answer. A lot depends on where you work. If you are not lucky, then you get stuck programming in a language you hate and your life can be a living hell. On the other hand, if you work for a good company, then life is pretty good. For instance I work at a company that is medium to small (200 employees) but has money. I'm the technical lead, but also our architect. I get to wear multiple hats which makes my job interesting and I try to keep our programmers interested by having them learn knew technology along the way.
In general, programming in the real world means your ass is on the line because you're expected to perform at a certain competency level. I mentor our junior programmers, but I also expect a lot out of them. If you always write crappy code, eventually you'll be called on the carpet or given really weak assignments. You also need to leave your ego at the door. That was the hardest thing for me to do when I first started. After a while I saw the light. It doesn't take too long when you have to work on someone's poorly documented, obfuscated, hacked up POS code. Programming in the real world is pressure. It seems like there is always some unrealistic deadline set by some marketing person or a vp -- "It's vital to our business". User's never know what they want, they only know that what you gave them was not it and they all think they are the only ones with a problem. And anyone who has ever gone through a major implementation can tell you, those suck beyond belief. On the other hand, you get to do a job that's like nothing else. You're part of a community that the rest of the company just can't fathom. You can tend to get away with things others don't, especially if you're good. I go ride my bicycle two hours a day in the middle of the day. Nobody says a thing because it keeps me sane, and my work never suffers. A number of our programmers keep some odd hours but as long as the work gets done, nobody minds much. >From a purely technical standpoint programs written in the real world are vastly more complex than what you'll write in high school and college. However, the basic structure of the programs is still the same. It's just that the programs themselves are larger and more complex. Jeff -----Original Message----- From: Tim Nicholson [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] Sent: Wednesday, September 25, 2002 7:18 AM To: JDJList Subject: [jdjlist] what is it like to be a programmer "in the real world" ? And to Joseph or anyone else who would like to answer:- Can you possibly tell me what it is like to be a programmer (in I assume the Java language) in the real world ? What I mean really by that is, what sort of code do you write in your job ? I assume you are working as a computer programmer ? So what sort of code do you produce and work with in your job ? And is this difficult code ? Would I find it difficult to understand and work with ? ----- Original Message ----- From: "Joseph B. Ottinger" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "JDJList" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Wednesday, September 25, 2002 8:12 PM Subject: [jdjlist] Re: two exercises I am trying to solve at the moment.... > RE: [jdjlist] Re: J2MEWell, Tim, the first step is to read the suggestions > made by your coursework. Start small; write functions that do the simple > stuff first. Break the problems down (although most of the work has been > done for you already.) Man, these questions have gotten easier since *I* was > in grade 9. > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: Tim Nicholson > To: JDJList > Sent: Wednesday, September 25, 2002 4:09 AM > Subject: [jdjlist] two exercises I am trying to solve at the moment.... > > > Hi everyone again, > > this is in addition to the previous email that I sent but this is on a > rather different topic. > > I am trying to work through some problems/exercises and I was wondering if > anyone might be able to suggest how I might be able to solve these problems > ? > > Like I said before, this email is on a different topic to the email that I > sent before. > > The 1st problem I was wondering if anyone could help me on is as follows :- > > ======================================================================== > > Design and implement a program that allows the user to input a number in any > base (2..16) as a string of digits (0..9, A..F) and the base that the number > is in and displays the value in decimal of the input number. > Your program must have two function methods that respectively return: > the value of one digit character; and > the value of a whole string of digits in a given base. > Hint: The first of those functions makes it easier to write the second. > Your program may have a BreezySwing or text-only interface > > ======================================================================== > ======================================================================== > And the second one is like this :- > ======================================================================= > Write a program that allows the user to input any int value and outputs that > number in words. > Examples: > inputoutput > 0zero > 3three > 13thirteen > 23twenty-three > 223223two hundred and twenty-three thousand, two hundred and twenty-three > 223223223two hundred and twenty-three million, two hundred and twenty-three > thousand, two hundred and twenty-three > >2147483647two billion, one hundred and forty-seven million, four hundred > and eighty-three thousand, six hundred and forty-seven > -1minus one > > Your program must have three function methods that respectively return: > a value between 1 and 9 in words; > a value between 1 and 999 in words; and > any int value in words. > Hint: The first of those functions makes it easier to write the second and > writing the second will help write the third. > Good solutions may have even more functions. > ========================================================================= > ======================================================================== > I really don't have a clue how to solve these so any help as to what sort of > algorithm and java code implementation that I could use, would be very much > appreciated. > > > To change your JDJList options, please visit: > http://www.sys-con.com/java/list.cfm > > To change your JDJList options, please visit: http://www.sys-con.com/java/list.cfm > To change your JDJList options, please visit: http://www.sys-con.com/java/list.cfm To change your JDJList options, please visit: http://www.sys-con.com/java/list.cfm
