The curtain over my eyes has been raised!! : )

["Mike" <mcroghan@MediaOne.Net>]

Ah I felt like sharing this with ya'll...after yesterday I feel 240+% better
and steady with programmin' than I ever have.

When I use the term "hacker" in this message, I'm refering to the type of
person who tends to do work in a sloppier less effecient not well planned
out manner.
After yesterday I feel much more like a programmer than an average hacker
(hack n' slash).

The second assignment for one of my C++ classes basically is create some
cheesy card game (doesn't matter...could be high card) that has to be able
to add, delete and keep track of turns for each player...and to play the
game of course.

Anyways, yesterday while sitting there at work I took the advice I kept
somewhat ignoring from teachers and a few peers (and that I even gave to
another student when he couldn't figure out his problem) and actually
planned everything out. I figured out the exact task(s) I needed this to
accomplish. Took me approximately an hour to design (write out what needed
to be accomplished, the functions and variables needed to complete the task,
write out what each function was to do plus pseudocode/(nipits of code)) and
lay out all that I needed and it took me all of 10 minutes to code it. Had a
couple of typo and syntax errors but that was it.

This normally would've taken me a few hours to beat out and in the end
would've been a lot sloppier. LOL

Granted it would probably take me even less time if I were more experienced
but practice makes perfect. ;>

Good thing, I now have a very well written template for future linear linked
lists that I can add and modify to (hell create another type for circular
and doubly linked lists).

I almost felt stupid afterwards wondering why the hell I didn't figure this
out earlier...was kind of like when I first figured out how easy using
pointers was when I used to fight it and couldn't figure it out. I even
admitted this to my professor and she laughed...plus she was happy I learned
this NOW; apparently most of her students don't seem to grasp this concept
until they hit some of the much higher courses. I actually felt very good
about myself. Almost as if a rather large curtain lifted off my head!!

Coding is VERY easy once you sit down and take the time to plan out every
little inch of your program!! : )

Mike



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