Tim's Weblog
Tim Strehle’s links and thoughts on Web apps, software development and Digital Asset Management, since 2002.
2004-07-26

Efficiency can be lost on code snobs

Tom Yager at InfoWorld - Efficiency can be lost on code snobs:

"At my local Ace hardware store, circular saws sit near the registers to tempt impulse buyers. When Ace sells you that saw, they’ve also got you for blades, safety glasses, and handy little accessories. But Ace isn’t the only beneficiary in this “sell the saw, sell the store” arrangement. Simply having the saw turns some neglected, avoided projects into adventures. For the buyer, the saw is an inspiration: “Get the saw, fix the house.”

The circular saws of software development are dynamic languages such as Perl, Python, PHP, and JavaScript, as well as RAD (rapid application development) tools such as Visual Studio. [...]

I'm reminded of the near-miracles I've worked in JavaScript and shell scripts, and even in quick-and-dirty C or C++. I've knowingly made things harder for myself by setting aside these tools as cheats, shortcuts suitable only for prototyping. As I look at my straining bookshelves of volumes on .Net and Java, I'm reminded of the vast numbers of problems I haven't approached because I insist on using the right tools the proper way. Being a code snob has distinct disadvantages."