Have you also become memory-lazy as a programmer? How do you overcome it?

Question

In the last few years I've become very bad at memorizing API functions, how to use them, etc b/c I can get a reminder very easily using search engines (or StackOverflow), and do copy / paste / modify. I'm starting to feel like I'm relying too much on it.. sometimes to the point of getting stuck if I don't have access to the Internet :-)

Do you think it's a bad idea to substitute your memory with the Internet? Do you make a conscious effort to memorize API's ?

I realize it's a weird question... but I'm interested in surveying what good programmers do out there.

Answer 1

I personally don't think there's anything wrong with this as long as you don't completely depend on copying and pasting (You should definitely understand whatever it is you're copying and pasting), and can comfortably lookup and understand code documentation when you need to. When I find a snippet of source online that I could use, I type it out myself instead of pasting, to make sure I understand each line. This helps you remember how you solved said problem, so that when you encounter that problem again or a similar one, you'll have something to build off of. It's easier to remember things when you understand them than when you're merely copying and pasting, in my experience.

Answer 2

Why not? Make the computer do the work so we can get more function points out the door faster and more accurately. Autocomplete of objects/methods? great. Popup documentation? wonderful. I can't remember it all. All those gigahertz waiting to be used? Make them do something for us.

However I do fear how I would ever be able to answer any coding interview questions.

The downside of copying someone's code off a website is the subtle bugs in may include like ignored null variables, bad pointer/memory management or ignored exceptions. Always read through any posted comments before blindly copying a chunk of code.

Answer 3

Yes. I overcome it with Google.

Answer 4

Memorization comes with repetitive usage. Any other way is forcing it.

Answer 5

If you understand the problem and you have solutions for it, I thinks it's okay, api's are not as important as how you solve the problem, however you must understand what you are coding, even is don't remember the name of the class or function

Examples: When to use Vector or ArrayList

Answer 6

I think it's good practice - just as we have moved away from extracting square roots by hand. This is part of our evolution towards an information-based organism and Wikipedia and SO are excellent examples of good practice. It will make most of us much more effective and innovative.

Answer 7

It's a side effect from intellisense and almighty search engine... you can try something I am doing:

1. Try to use brain for at least 15 seconds before look up references or google
2. Print cheatsheets of common use APIs, place on wall behind your monitor and repeat step 1
3. Use text editor for minor code changes instead of launching your IDE
4. Type out codes instead of copy and paste

Comments are welcome as I am also trying to overcome my habbit of not using my memory.

Answer 8

You could try using a good reference book instead of using the internet most of the time.

I tend to memorize better looking up something this -old school- way. I guess there may be some logic behind it since it seems a little more cerebrally intense.

Answer 9

I think it's more the way you think and approach a problem than how well you remember APIs. Google/cheatsheets/journals are like extensions of your memory.

It has been almost six months since I've started using Qt and one thing that helped me memorize some common APIs were patterns. After using Qt for some time I've started noticing there are a lot of things in common between methods in various objects. Call behavior, various parameters and so on.

Answer 10

I think the important thing is knowing what is available to you via the API or framework you're using. For example, if you know that the .NET Framework has an API for converting text streams to and from various encodings, then you won't waste time implementing it yourself. Sure, you'll spend a few moments probing intellisense or googling, but this time is fairly negligible.

Answer 11

I hate to post a similar response to ChristopheD's. However, I learned how to program with Visual C++ without having an internet connection. I used the MSDN, a C++ book and Teach yourself VC++ in x days. It was tough and frustrating. It also took me much longer to develop than if I had Google at my finger tips. (At that time, Google wasn't arround) What I did get out of it was that I could develop what I wanted and I knew how to find help through the resources given.

Answer 12

I personally use the documentation, editors code completion , google etc. etc., almost anything except trying to memorise the API.

I used to know such Arcane APIs as IBMs DLI database API or Java JNI interface by heart, but these days I work with just too many languages with too many APIs to have any hope of remembering any of it.

One week I couple of years ago I wrote code in: JCL, COBOL, Rexx, SQL (DB2), Asemmbler(OS/390), C, Java(plain), J2EE, perl, php, html, css, SQL (sqlite), xsd in a single week!

The biggest problem I find is when languages are similar but not quite the same. is Length($var); valid in perl or php? Is DATE('1999-12-31') valid in sqlite? I just dont know anymore.

Rather than sweat it I just admit I am old and slow and keep the manuals open.

Knowledge of how to structure and shape a program is in the end more important than knowing how to spell "substr" in any given language.

Answer 13

Knowledge is of two kinds. We know a subject ourselves, or we know where we can find information upon it. - Samuel Johnson, 1775 (reference)

As long as you thoroughly understand the material when you find it, I don't see a problem. In fact I run Tomcat on my dev machine with a page full of handy links. e.g. The Javadoc for String is never more than 2-3 clicks away.

Answer 14

Intentionally memorizing an API is called procrastination IMO. Either it will come with regular use, or you're not using it enough to justify the time and effort of memorizing it.

If Google doesn't do it for you, download API docs in PDF or whatever, and use a desktop search utility. And don't forget to add your own notes and index them too.

Answer 15

You can basically visualise the web page you used the API on, and how it behaved. Visualisation is a natural aspect of our brain that gets under utilized everyday.

Thanks, Tony. www.webcloudsolutions.net

Answer 16

If you're not using the computer to replace or augment tedious or difficult functions the human brain, or vast amounts of manual labour would usually be doing--- what ARE you using your computer for?

Answer 17

The same thing has happened to me, but I see no particular problem with it.

The brain is a fixed capacity resource just like the computer (at least in the short term), and the less brain resources we need to spend on remembering cryptic APIs and argument ordering, the more resources are spare for more interesting or important matters like architecture, usability or features.

I agree that you need to understand what you are doing, so you can fix it when it doesn't work correctly. But with that caveat, the more brainless we can make coding the better.

I like a quote from Alfred North Whitehead (early 1900s):

Civilization advances by extending the number of important operations we can perform without thinking.

I humbly suggest that autocomplete, Google etc. is part of this development, and that we are actually contributing to the advance of our civilization (nothing less :) by not spending precious brain resources on memorizing APIs unless we have a good reason to do so.

Answer 18

I look at it as having a small cache of data in my memory pertinent to the task at hand. If i don't find a given piece of info in that cache, i do a "soft page fault" into my memory to try to find the data. If it's not there, i'll "hard page fault" onto the web to get what i need.

Answer 19

things are is layered , record only core layer knowledge to your brain (methods).