Should Programmers Use API References at Everyday Work?
Author
I suppose that API References are a useful thing to keep by your hand when writing programs (like, an OpenGL BlueBook would help when coding an engine), and one of my friends, not a programmer, stated that if I'm using references then I'm not a programmer at all 'cause I don't remember the function calls and enums and etc etc etc.
What is your opinion?
Real programmers arent computers, they program computers. In other words, you dont have to remember every function and constant!!! Of course you should use refrences.
I suspect that your friend is joking. The ability to memorise entire libraries is not what makes one a programmer. My coworkers and I refer to references quite often.
Quote:Original post by Sheeva_
I suppose that API References are a useful thing to keep by your hand when writing programs (like, an OpenGL BlueBook would help when coding an engine), and one of my friends, not a programmer, stated that if I'm using references then I'm not a programmer at all 'cause I don't remember the function calls and enums and etc etc etc.
What is your opinion?
I couldn't imagine anyone memorizing every little bit of information about an API. You remember the stuff you use most often and then look-up the rest. Your friend is wrong.
Author
Thanx guys.
I'll show this post to convince him. :)
As I told before, he's not a coder but a gfx designer and says that he doesn't need any references to Photoshop and 3D max :)
I'll show this post to convince him. :)
As I told before, he's not a coder but a gfx designer and says that he doesn't need any references to Photoshop and 3D max :)
Quote:Original post by Sheeva_
As I told before, he's not a coder but a gfx designer and says that he doesn't need any references to Photoshop and 3D max :)
Tell him to model in just MaxScript, without using a reference [lol]
Real programmers don't memorize everything. Real programmers know where and how to look up exactly what they need, even if they've never done it before.
Real Programmers don't use Pascal
Real Programmers don't use Pascal
Your friend is 100% correct! I've never even met a programmer who doesn't have the entire DirectX API (releases 1-3, and 5-9) memorized. And don't even get me started on Berkley Sockets...
I wish people would read the documentation more. Then I wouldn't have to answer so many questions with "What documentation are you using?"
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