How do you remember it all? | Newbie | | Join Date: Jul 2009
Posts: 11
| | |
With all of the APIs, methods, etc. How do you remember all of it? Do you write it down? Keep samples? etc.?
Just curious as to how other people do this.
| | Expert | | Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: VA
Posts: 419
| | | re: How do you remember it all?
I have kept a lot of code samples and references for certain functionality, but the majority of it is remembering what the API or class can do and where to get information on it. I can't begin to think how many times I couldn't remember how to use a simple class or function call and I have to go out and look up the reference on it. I think its all about knowing what you can do in software and where you can find information on how to do it. I do a lot of windows programming and I am constantly on MSDN.
|  | Moderator | | Join Date: May 2007 Location: Munich, Germany
Posts: 4,136
| | | re: How do you remember it all?
very true ... you always just need to remember the abilities and when you forgot the correct API then you just need to know where you find the reference quickly ... i think most, if not all, programmers will use/need a reference and don't remember every detailed API ... but of course often the basic ones are and should be in mind :)
in case you are a student, then you could be out of luck, when you are not allowed to use a quick-reference or similar material in certain cases ... as i was teaching at the university i mostly allowed such helping materials but i know that that could differ from institution to institution ... then you have to find a way to memorize the needed things, most people have their own way to do that ... but that is not different from learning any spoken language or other things that have to be memorized?
kind regards
|  | Moderator | | Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: York, England, with wolves.
Posts: 4,949
| | | re: How do you remember it all?
If the API has good documentation, then you don't need to worry about remembering it, although continuous use will do that for you anyway.
|  | Site Moderator | | Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: America
Posts: 3,393
| | | re: How do you remember it all?
You guys use reference material? I use random keyboard presses until the program works.
| | Moderator | | Join Date: May 2007 Location: Munich, Germany
Posts: 4,136
| | | re: How do you remember it all?
*lol* ... how do you make them random? :) may be that could be of help to me too :)
[EDIT]just found something useful here :)[/EDIT]
| | Moderator | | Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: York, England, with wolves.
Posts: 4,949
| | | re: How do you remember it all?
Quote:
Originally Posted by RedSon  You guys use reference material? I use random keyboard presses until the program works. Actually, no. I meditate until I reach a state of enlightenment. It is then that I realise there is no spoon, and the program will write itself, given enough time.
| | Site Moderator | | Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: America
Posts: 3,393
| | | re: How do you remember it all?
In fact, earlier today I took my freezer magnet and ran it across the ram sticks and across the platters of my disk drive and made a new graphics engine. I'm not quite sure how useful it is, but it does make pretty colors!
| | Newbie | | Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: St Johns Antigua & Barbuda
Posts: 3
| | | re: How do you remember it all?
I try to keep a general idea in mind of what a particular API does. When I think I need it I will find it and look at it in greater detail; sometimes its right other times its not
| | Newbie | | Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Brisbane
Posts: 5
| | | re: How do you remember it all?
Quote:
Originally Posted by mikeymike With all of the APIs, methods, etc. How do you remember all of it? Do you write it down? Keep samples? etc.?
Just curious as to how other people do this. You don't need to remember it word for word and method for method. More and more practice and you'll remember the most common methods but all the others you can just guess. Say you want a data stream.... mmm search data stream and ta da :)
A good editor is the key
Cheers
|  | Site Moderator | | Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: The Great White North
Posts: 5,137
| | | re: How do you remember it all?
Visual studio helps me a lot :)
Visual Studio has something called "intellisense" where it'll pop up useful tips on the API. It'll even auto type things for you which makes life easier. It has a feature called "code snippets" that will let you pick from a variety of commonly used code "snippets". Code snippets are under used but can make coding faster and can also teach you things as well!
Most APIs have documentation that goes with it and if you get stuck you can refer to it.
Kremsoft's right though, the more you use something the more familiar you will become with it. The more familiar with an API you are, the less likely you'll be to refer to the documentation on it.
| | Newbie | | Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Brisbane
Posts: 5
| | | re: How do you remember it all?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Frinavale Visual studio helps me a lot :)
Visual Studio has something called "intellisense" where it'll pop up useful tips on the API. It'll even auto type things for you which makes life easier. It has a feature called "code snippets" that will let you pick from a variety of commonly used code "snippets". Code snippets are under used but can make coding faster and can also teach you things as well!
Most APIs have documentation that goes with it and if you get stuck you can refer to it.
Kremsoft's right though, the more you use something the more familiar you will become with it. The more familiar with an API you are, the less likely you'll be to refer to the documentation on it. Visual Studio great for beginners but you should really use a professionl tool like Eclipse :)
Kremsoft
<removed link>
| | Site Moderator | | Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: The Great White North
Posts: 5,137
| | | re: How do you remember it all?
Haha nice try.
Visual Studio and Eclipse are used for developing completely different applications. Eclipse is use for developing Java applications and Visual Studio is used for developing .NET applications.
They are both used by professional developers every day but for developing systems using different frameworks (I'm considering the Java API to be a Framework here).
-Frinny
|  | Expert | | Join Date: Mar 2007
Posts: 10,611
| | | re: How do you remember it all?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Frinavale Haha nice try.
Visual Studio and Eclipse are used for developing completely different applications. Eclipse is use for developing Java applications and Visual Studio is used for developing .NET applications. Eclipse is an IDE "about nothing and about everything"; it is not tied to Java; the JDT (Java Development Toolkit) was the first to be shipped with the core eclipse distribution but there are others; CDT (C Development Toolkit) comes to mind.
kind regards,
Jos
| | Site Moderator | | Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: The Great White North
Posts: 5,137
| | | re: How do you remember it all?
Thanks Jos, I didn't know that.
I've only ever used Eclipse for Java development. I think I've touched it maybe twice in my life really.
I wonder if it works with the .NET framework?
I'll have to investigate this! But, using Visual Studio to develop .NET is the .NET industry standard.
-Frinny
| | Moderator | | Join Date: May 2007 Location: Munich, Germany
Posts: 4,136
| | | re: How do you remember it all?
you might plugin nearly everything into eclipse and/or use its built in features ... currently i use it for php (phpeclipse-plugin), javascript (jseclipse-plugin) and the remote-system-explorer (RSE-plugin) to work directly on my remote developement host ... before it i loved the tiny cvs-integrated tools too :) ... i'm sure there are .NET-plugins out there ... :)
kind regards
| | Moderator | | Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: York, England, with wolves.
Posts: 4,949
| | | re: How do you remember it all?
Quote:
Originally Posted by kremsoft Visual Studio great for beginners but you should really use a professionl tool like Eclipse :)
Kremsoft
<removed link> Visual Studio isn't for professionals? A revalation!
| | Site Moderator | | Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: America
Posts: 3,393
| | | re: How do you remember it all?
Will you people stop hijacking this thread?!?
Eclipse is an IDE or editor for anything. VS is an IDE that is used for the Microsoft family of languages. But it too can be used for other things.
If you want a real professional tool use Source Insight.
PS. The first person to bring up vim or emacs will get a ban!
| | Expert | | Join Date: Mar 2007
Posts: 10,611
| | | re: How do you remember it all?
Quote:
Originally Posted by RedSon PS. The first person to bring up vim or emacs will get a ban! Vim roolz and emacs sucks!
kind regards,
Jos ;-)
| | Member | | Join Date: Aug 2008
Posts: 124
| | | re: How do you remember it all?
Actually it is not as hard as you may think... However it depends on the documentation that the system or API or framework or something else that you use more often has.
For example if you do POSIX programming then having a browser open at the
OPEN GROUP's site with online documentation of the latest standard helps you and saves a lot of time. The same to be said about MSDN. Unfortunately not all API's have such a good source of documentation...
| | Moderator | | Join Date: May 2007 Location: Munich, Germany
Posts: 4,136
| | | re: How do you remember it all?
Quote:
Originally Posted by JosAH Vim roolz and emacs sucks!
kind regards,
Jos ;-) that is quite true :)
|  |
Similar Software Development bytes | | |  /bytes/about
We are a network of experts and professionals in IT and software development that help one another with answers to tough questions and share insights.
Get the best answers to your questions from over 226,510 network members.
|
