What do the clever programmers here do to keep track of handy programming tricks and useful information they pick up over their many years of experience? Things like useful compiler arguments, IDE short-cuts, clever code snippets, etc.
I sometimes find myself frustrated when looking up something that I used to know a year or two ago. My IE favorites probably represent a good chunk of the Internet in the late 1990s, so clearly that isn't effective (at least for me). Or am I just getting old?
So.. what do you do?
Two Things I do:
I blog about it - this allows me to go back and search my own blog.
We use the code snippet feature in Visual Studio.
Cheers.
I use:
Google Notebook - I take notes for projects, books I'm reading, etc
Delicious + Firefox plug in - Every time I see a good page I mark it.
Windows Journal (in tablet pc) - When I need to draw something and then copy/cut/paste it. I have more distractions here, the web is always very close :)
Small Moleskine paper notebook - Its always with me.
Big paper notebook - When I need more space to write and less distractions.
Obviously these are for all useful information, not just for snippets or tips and tricks.
Why not set up a Wiki?
If you are on windows, i know that ScrewTurn wiki is pretty simple to deploy on a desktop/laptop. No database to fuss around with.
Blog about it.
One of the nice side-effects of blogging is that if you use a sensible categorization or tagging system, it's quite easy to search for stuff within your blog. The fact that you wrote about it also makes it easier to remember problems you have encountered before ("hey, I blogged about that!").
That's a great benefit aside from, of course, being able to share this information publicly so that others might be able to find your solution to a particular problem using Google.
A number of people I know swear by Google Notebook
I send them to my gmail account, that way I have them where ever I go, and they can be put into appropriate folders for later.
I second the blog about it technique...even Jeff said that's a major reason he blogs.
Also, regarding the wiki idea, if you set one up at work, be sure to encourage your coworkers to do the same. When someone finds something of interest they can just write a little "article" explaining what it is and how to do it... that way, not only are your own things easily available and quickly searchable, but you'll often find out things you never knew from other people in your group. That way it benefits everyone not just you.
I agree with emailing, the wiki and the blog. Emailing is the most useful. If you can't use GMail and you're on windows, install a desktop search utility (Windows search, Google Desktop, Copernic, etc)
I also like to jot it into a textfile and save it in my documents folder. Whatever desktop search utility you use will be able to find it easily. e.g.
//print spool stop.notes.txt
If the printer spooler stops, start it again by
- Services > Provision Networks > Restart Service
tags: printer provision no printer spooler cannot print remote desktop
Subscribe in Google Reader and then search later.
At my last place of work they wouldn't let me set up a wiki or anything - so I just made various word documents full of tips and instructions and gave that to my successor when I left.
Now though I'd use a private wiki, or maybe a blog.
For many years I've kept a Word doc named Knowledgebase.doc that contains all my notes with a decent table of contents. I like to keep everything in one searchable doc.
I use a sync tool to make sure the file is copied to all the machines I want it on.
I use TiddlyWiki stored in my DropBox account. Although, recently, Evernote is getting my atention; it has a really useful feature: you send a twitter direct message to evernote user (myen) and it adds a note with your message (a really quick way to add notes or URL's for post-processing). Imagine, you can use a command-line twitter client to create notes! (or any twitter client). I really like this feature.
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I'm sitting here writing a function that I'm positive has been written before, somewhere on earth. It's just too common to have not been attempted, and I'm wondering why I can't just go to a website and search for a function that I can then copy and paste into my project in 2 seconds, instead of wasting my day reinventing the wheel.
Sure there are certain libraries you can use, but where do you find these libraries and when they are absent, is there a site like I'm describing?
Possibly a wiki of some type that contains free code that anybody can edit and improve?
Edit: I can code things fine, I just don't know HOW to do them. So for example, right now, I'm trying to localize a robot/car/point in space. I KNOW there is a way to do it, just based off of range and distance. Triangulation and Trilateration. How to code that is a different story. A site that could have psuedo code, step by step how to do that would be ridiculously helpful. It would also ensure the optimal solution since everybody can edit it. I'm also writing in Matlab, which I hate because it's quirky, adding to my desire for creating a website like I describe.
StackOverflow.com. No, I'm not joking.
At its best, people come here saying "hasn't some library done X already", and very often the Collective Wisdom answers "yes". But the biggest obstacle is lack of a description language: even here, a big problem for many posters is describing the problem clearly enough for others to recognize it as something they've seen before.
And if people can't understand what you're trying to do, no search engine will.
Firstly, two caveats:
Copy and pasting code you don't understand is a bad idea. Make sure you understand exactly what the code does before you use it.
Make sure you respect the license of the code you are copying. This is important!
Those caveats aside, it's often language dependent. Languages with an open development ethos (not just an open source implementation, think Python as compared to Java) tend to have official archives of open source libraries. For example:
Perl (which probably started this trend) has CPAN
Python has PyPI and Python Cookbook
PHP has PEAR
C++ has boost
Ruby has gems
R has CRAN.
Haskell has Hoogle and Hackage
Furthermore, don't forget to look in your languages standard library. Some modern languages have massive standard libraries, which have often contained the functionality I am looking for:
Java has its API documentation
C# and VB.NET have the massive MSDN
Non-openly developed languages often have non-official community archives. For example:
C# tends to have a lot of code at CodePlex and CodeProject
MATLAB has the Matlab Central File Exchange
A third category of sites are language agnostic. They are often best search through POG (plain old-fashioned Google). For example:
Stack Overflow
SourceForge
The confusingly language agnostic Java2s
Planet source code
Github
Finally, a fourth category of sites that I find increasingly useful are source-code search engines:
Google Codesearch
Koders
You may also be able to find useful source code, or at least get help writing something, through various pastebins.
Pastebin is language-agnostic
HPaste is mostly Haskell, but has a little in other languages.
Often, at the end of the day it is easiest just to google it, though.
There is a wiki that contains free code that anybody can edit and improve:
Rosetta Code.
As a means of an overview there is the "Solutions by Programming Task" page.
From the former page:
"Rosetta Code is a programming chrestomathy site. The
idea is to present solutions to the same task in as
many different languages as possible, to demonstrate
how languages are similar and different, and to aid a
person with a grounding in one approach to a problem
in learning another."
Cutting and pasting code you find on the Internet into production code would be like chewing gum found in the street. - Mike Johnson
With that in mind, try sites that host opensource projects like GitHub, CodePlex, code.google.com, etc.
I'm not sure this question is language agnostic, but I use GitHub this way ;) Other languages may have places where this is possible.
Safari Bookshelf from O'Reilly has many, many books that contain many implementations from which to choose.
http://my.safaribooksonline.com/
I was a subscriber for a few years before coming to my current job, where we have a corporate account! It's one of the best perks, and one of the best resources I have available. I haven't bought a computer book in years.
Aside from sites like this (Stack Overflow) I don't think there's many, maybe CodePlex, but I almost marked you -1 for assuming that code found on the Internet is yours to copy.
I'd suggest reading about software licencing, I hope you'd at least comment where you got it from.
Many applications are let down by the quality of the 'writing' in their user interfaces: typically, poor spelling, grammar, inconsistent tone, and worse yet, "humour" are the usual offenders.
Are there good resources that can help developers to write UI messages that give a professional and positive impression to your customers, even when your code's going to hell in a handcart?
Thanks, all — Some great resources here, so I will CW this question. I'm accepting Adam Sill's answer because it's the one that (as a developer of desktop apps) I found most pertinent.
Since XP, I've been a fan of the Windows UX Guidelines sections that cover how to properly structure text (how to ask questions, how to make assertions in dialogs, etc).
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa974176.aspx
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa974175.aspx
Read The Elements of Style. Then re-read it.
Also, anytime you are working with a program or website make a conscious effort to notice how they choose to do their writing. Imitate those you like.
The resources found at Writing for the Web might be useful to you.
The best tool for this is called "primary education". Many developers seem to have missed this, and I don't know how to fix that problem.
Also, this may be a British thing, but I think you mean "humor" and "going to Hell in a handbasket". :)
This book has a lot of good advice:
GUI Bloopers 2.0
Short version:
Be consistent throughout your application or app suite. Don't call the same feature two different names, even if they're in different dialogs, etc. Develop a product lexicon that everyone references.
Use the same terms that people who use your software use (i.e. users don't refer to themselves as users).
Don't call two different things by the same name.
Put all of the messages displayed to the user in a central place (i.e. a resources file of some kind). This makes it easy to review all of the messages for spelling, tone, consistency, and whatever else you want to check.
Usability test your software to see if the messages make sense and people can use your software easily. If they can't, change the resources file and test it again.
I would suggest showing your UI to as many people as you can--preferably people who read a lot (Just because reading does wonders for your grammar and vocabulary).
Getting something out that people can examine, however, is awesome--even if it's just a demo of the GUI.
If you work at a company, get to know your QA and Tech Support people. They are usually really wonderful once they understand what you are trying to do--they will review your UI, give you input on text and usability as well as possibly new requirements nobody in engineering would come up with.
If you work on your own, try to find a potential customer or two to review your UI. Ask them to pay attention to the text...
The more eyes, the better. You might even ask your parents, wife or other family. What can it hurt?
Get your application's texts proofread by someone who does just that for a living. Then the UI walked through by someone who does usability for a living. Neither of these two people should have been involved in the development.
It's the only way to make sure.
Well I am sure that most people have seen the following:
This time, I did not install the local MSDN so I do not have the option of Local help, however I usually always use the first option of look online anyway.
I was wondering if there are any downsides to not installing MSDN?
The only one I have found so far is that dynamic help does not seem to work. As this is a feature I love, I think I will install MSDN.
I was just wondering, are there any other downsides and what do others use?
Edit -
It is hard to really select one answer here and I did various experiments and came up with my own conclusion. They are all good points so +1 to everyone - I was going to put this as an answer and mark it, but that feels rather cheap... so I have edited the question and will have to think about who to mark as answer.
I have been experimenting with different combinations and it is weird to say the least. On a new project, I just pressed F1 at random places and it is amazing that the differences are huge in the pages which are returned - For example, just selecting a <form> tag and pressing F1 came up with 100% different results between online and offline help.
I love the dynamic help feature but I always have an internet connection... I am confused and just not sure what I should do! Another benefit I have found is that through offline help, you can sync the sidebar and navigate around VERY quickly and find other articles - which is much harder online.
I think I will install help, but I am really not that happy... I hope the help feature is improved in VS2010 (haven't had a chance to play around or see) because it shouldn't be this hard to try and choose!
#blaketaylor.nameindex.ht - I personally find Google a bit mucky when I just want to figure out one property or item etc... I like looking in MSDN / Documentation first as there is usually a good example and then just look at Google after if I cannot figure it out - the dynamic help feature is a brilliant feature which I love and skips straight to the correct part in the library, and you do not get this without installing help.
#Shiraz Bhaiji - Agreed with your points, however, I think 2GB's is not really huge. I like your comparison.
#Yassir - It disabled the dynamic help feature, 2GB's isn't huge, I do like Google and SO but I like to try and get it done on my own first.
#Stephen Nutt - Agreed about speed, but it isn't really by much. How do you see local and online help at the same time? I love Dynamic help but when I click a link, it goes straight to local help and I see no options.
I have never found the local help to be of any use. I stopped installing it years ago and have never looked back.
Google is my help.
The main downside to not installing local help is that you do not have access to help if you do not have access to the internet.
The benefits of not having it local are:
Always up to date
Does not use space on your harddisk
I really don't think you might need it unless you don't have no internet connection all the time
also it takes about 2Gb of your hard drive !!
All you need is google and SO :)
I always use local help - it is much faster to navigate around in. When I do a search it always brings up the results count in my local help and online, if I see nothing in my local help I just click on the online tab and see the online search results.
I want to add a "Community" section (Bulletin Board) to my website so everyone can communicate, but I don't know what I'm doing.
How would I go about adding this and which one offers the most documentation and support?
Whatever you do, make certain that you read the instructions on configuring your discussion software to protect you and your community for the worst parts of the internet: spam, spoofing, and abuse.
Make certain that you immediately change the admin password from the one that comes with the installation.
If you leave your communities wide open to all kinds of posting, harvesting, and general mis-use, you'll spend your days playing whack-a-mole with thousands of idiots. Develop your acceptable use policy, configure your boards to support it, then enforce it.
And if the software you are looking at doesn't support things like e-mail verification, moderation, abuse reporting, anti-spamming controls, etc., just keep looking.
Be prepared to spend time managing your community so that it doesn't become another one of the millions of web forums out there full of off topic posts that drive people away from your website.
I think what you needed is a forum software, there are tones of free and open source ones available on the net. DotNetNuke is a .NET one but can be expensive to host and phpBB is another popular choice and there are a lot of cheap hosting solutions.
is your site based on php/mysql or asp/sql? Chances are if you do not know where to even find tables, that you are not able to what you actually want.
HOWEVER, if it's php/mysql, i recommend Cool Php Scripts book. It covers creating sort of a community forum/message board.
As i said again, you are probably not going to do it alone, at least, without a long frustrating learning curve.
You can always post a job and someone would be more than willing to bid on it at elance or rentacoder or any other site of your choice
Wikipedia has a big honking list of forum software. Pick the one that best matches the programming language(s) you're familiar with, the features you need, etc.
This is what you need.
Edit: They don't offer a hosted version there. You can use this instead. It's hosted on it's own site, free, and doesn't require a download.
I find Vanilla to be a much better forum application that phpBB for reasons of aesthetics as well as extensibility. I have not seen/used it in a situation where many sub-forums were required, so depending on your scope it may not be the right choice, but for small-to-medium sized forums I'd suggest trying it first.
First, you need to choose a forum software that matchs your requirements.
Then, just follow the Installation Guide provided by the software you have choosen.
More information at Forum Software Reviews
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Back in the days of Unix, you couldn't even close a software without reading the man page first. Then came Mac and Windows with consistent menu layout and keyboard shortcuts, but you still saw paper user manuals shipped in the shrinkwrap box, which described each and every single operation possible in the app. After the Internet, help files became html documents.
Nowadays with Web 2.0 applications, you hardly see the Help. Even if it's there, they simply describe some specific tasks. In other words, the apps are relying more on the common sense or don't-make-me-think factor of the user base.
Years ago Microsoft came up with a concept called Inductive User Interface, which basically tells programmers to put in instructions on the apps itself, but I am not sure how popular that idea is.
Are help files, user manuals, and context sensitive online help with F1 key dead? Have I failed if user could not find out what to do from the UI? If not, what degree of help should I provide? (both for desktop and web app)
EDIT: How does documentation/help file mesh with agile development methods? For example, should the developers think twice before UI changes that may obsolete a bunch of screenshots?
Three notes on help:
F1 / stand-alone context-sensitive help was always doomed. It was hidden by default, and so the people who most needed it were least likely to read it. There was hope at one time that we would be able to train users to always hit F1 when they ran into trouble, but too many applications without useful context-sensitive help... combined with too many bizarre help interfaces... pretty much killed this.
Manuals are as important now as they ever were. Not so many printed manuals anymore, but online manuals are better than ever. The proliferation of wiki-as-a-manual systems has helped here, reducing the up-front cost of creating good online documentation. Of course, plenty of people just don't read...
The beauty of using web pages as an application interface is that you can combine useful context-sensitive help with the UI, removing the barrier for novices and others who otherwise couldn't be bothered to look for relevant information when they get stuck.
Of course, there are still plenty of apps, even online apps, designed with obtuse interfaces and a tiny little help icon in a corner somewhere, presumably hoping that the latter mitigates the former. Pity them.
No way. You look at the amount of documentation and training and marketing expenditure even MS puts up.. you'll get your answer.
Try using someone else's product, and you will learn the true value of documentation - I'm learning Godiagrams right now.. :)
So I can say without a doubt.. NO and it never will.. no matter how intuitive user interfaces get.. beyond a certain size, you will need help and training. But by understanding the user and what he needs to get done, you could design it such that the time he/she needs to learn the system to do his/her routine tasks is minimal.
Have I failed if user could not find out what to do from the UI?
If not, what degree of help should I provide? (both for desktop and web app)
They should be able to use your your app to do basic things from the UI. eg say for an image editor, they should be able to create a new image, and draw some lines then save it just by looking at the UI.
This is best done by following common layouts (like having new, open and save under file in the menubar, and using the standard open and save dialogs).
The same goes for webapps, people exspect to be able to do the basic stuff without having to read the docs, but for more advanced features people will still read the docs. (eg most pople will read the docs for say BB code, or markdown at least sometimes, but they expect to be able to post without having to know them)
Are help files, user manuals, and context sensitive online help with F1 key dead?
They still have their place. People will use them to learn about how to best use various features, for example markdown or bbcode, or how to use filters to get certain effects in an image editor.
I've been incorporating context-sensitive screencasts into my applications. I've found this helps non-technical users grasp the application quickly, without asking for live help.
The Idiot/Dummy books must be doing quite well. Imagine if the standard application help was as good as those books. The standard F1 help for a lot of apps is just awful.
Is help dead? No, but some of it should be taken out and shot.