There are good times and there are worst times. I recently had to write code in a hot room with temperatures near 107°F (42°C); nothing to sit on; 64 Kbps inconsistent internet connection; warm water for drinking and a lot of distractions and interruptions. I am sure many people have been in similar situations and I would like to know yo...
As programmers, we typically HATE repeating operations. I find myself writing little programs every once in a while to help me with mundane tasks. I might take an hour to write a little console app to perform a task that normally takes me 5 or 10 minutes, but I use it probably once a week, so it saves me time (and arguably more important...
At my workplace, it has been suggested that each developer is given the opportunity to indicate to his peers that he is busy and cannot be disturbed. This would be done in order to ensure that you don't get disturbed, when you are "in the zone". Do you think this is a good idea ? Do you have anything like that at your workplace ? I am...
I have secured the budget to upgrade the individual workstations and latops. While newer, bigger screens were welcomed with enthusiasm, the thought of re-installation tools and settings caused most of them to blanch and I got one "Do I really have to?". How much downtime do you usually have when you move to a new machine? Do you employ...
There is a site that will let you download Microsoft QFE patches like the ones in Microsoft Knowledge Base Articles without having to call Microsoft support first? I used to know it offhand but have managed to forget it. I keep running in to situations where I need a patch for SQL or Visual Studio and have to spend an hour on the phone...
I have two projects, with identical priorities and work hours demand, and a single developer. Two possible approaches: Deliver one project first. Split the developer's time and deliver both later. I can't see any reason why people would choose the second approach. But they do. Can you explain me why? ...
I am looking for some ways to use my Sony PSP for purposes other than gaming. so far I have successfully downloaded some Microsoft podcasts and other videos to listen while commuting. Any other ideas??? ...
Currently, we manage database (SQL Server) changes with a series of numbered scripts. One folder holds scripts that can only be run once (table alters, data initialization, etc). Another holds all scripts that can be run multiple times without fear of them destroying anything (stored procedures, functions, etc). Typically, when we need ...
As a programmer, what would you consider the most important factors that determine productivity? I am looking for an answer of the type: n% language m% experience i% programming mojo where n+m+i = 100 Or maybe productivity = (0.2*environment + 0.8*language)*skill I am not a very experienced programmer, so I can't judge for myself...
I'm having a hard time taking my mind off of work projects in my personal time. It's not that I have a stressful job or tight deadlines; I love my job. I find that after spending the whole day (8-10 hours) writing code and trying to solve problems, I have an extremely hard time getting it out of my mind. I'm constantly thinking about ...
I have a large number of basic text, rtf, html, pdf and chm files that I store on a USB key as a personal knowledge base. Up until now, to retrieve information, I've used a standard file searching tools (windows search,grep etc). However these days a brute force search can take minutes due to sheer data size. Also PDF and CHM are als...
We programmers know our way around the computer better than just about anyone. And we love automation and shortcuts. What is your favorite time-saving trick, applicable to MS Windows. ...
I've seen one idea on this blog, it seems a great solution especially if you work on a laptop because you don't have to fear the thunder, but you might fear the blue screen of death. We can also use a software to synchronize the RAM disk with another folder on the hard drive. Do you have any ideas to improve the productivity of develope...
This is a sincere question, please hear me out before downvoting or hitting close. I noticed last night after having spent hours away playing a new computer game that I had lost all track of time while I was playing it. Someone would have to come and physically drag me away while I was playing to break my concentration. Then, when I wo...
To clarify: I've been programming in C# for 5 years now, doing both Windows and Web development. I don't intend using Python for GUI development (I pretty much like WPF and Windows Forms). Will I be more productive (deliver projects faster) with Python for console and web projects? Does Python standard library allow developers to write...
The Pragmatic Programmer recommends that you should use one text editor for everything. My chosen weapon editor is Vim. So I want to collect all the ways in which Vim (and the Vim keybindings) can be used and setting up your computer to make Vim work well. This includes how to embed Vim in your IDE, web browser, email client, command sh...
Duplicate: How do you track your hours? Best tools for time tracking? Although this question isn't strictly program related, I think a lot of developers are often put into a position to quickly recap what we've been up to. I'd like hear recommendations for a free, easy-to-use online time-logging tool. Nothing fancy, must...
I would like to know, for those of you who are one-man bands especially, how much of your time is spent maintaining or supporting your programs, as it compares to everything else you do in your day to day business. I worked in telephone-based tech support for a large ISP for two years, and I still have nightmares about that. I can get m...
Is it possible in some way to change icon of the eclipse workspace based on the workspace choosen, I have multiple workspace open running in different eclipse instances and it becomes complex to recognize. I tried the location argument, which shows the location, but it changes based on selection of directory in the Package Explorer/Navig...
The company I work for (large manufacturing/engineering) has subscribed to a Muzak service and plays a mixture of soft rock, pop, and country music all day long in our building. While the music selection is designed to be as inane as possible, I still find it distracting. Neither am I unique from the other developers on my team: we all f...