What the IDEs don’t say us

This reflexion is focused in the way i face programming, the problem that stuck us without come to our limits

Foto by Amza Andrei from Unsplash

My motivation to write this born from a simple reflexion about my work mode. All my priorities, principles and experiences, and how they modify the final product. The role of my personal brand on each tech or creative decision, when my objectivity is at stake.

I don’t even want to make this article more deeply than already is, after all it’s not a controversial topic that carry an entire culture change or something as dramatic as that. This not a hate point of view, because programming is more than just select between an IDE, code editor or the console command line.

The main objective is to create a searching attitude growing inside of the programmer, whose new concepts learned can lift him to the top of his habilities. Imagine for a moment, you with all the resources allowing you creative freedom in a project, where a new member means an increasing measure or also more perspectives to face the same idea. And that is, be accustomed to something superficial and easy to use can limit us.

Motivational experience

Personaly, i am compelled to make use of an example, in an attempt to increase the credibility of this blog post. This is not a conclusion that i thought sitting in my sofa, i actually lived this and i interesting in share you.

All began a cuople of yeras ago when i tried to start Android Development. It always seems to me something amazing and complicated to do and then motivating, with some practice i was convinced to learn it. Unfortunately, external factors made my life more hard, for example, i listed below the next ones..

• Low computational performance
• Low purchasing power
• Low knowledges and methods to get them
• Few friends
• A lot of Animes to watch

Okey, one of the main problems was my computer, because the Android Studio software require tons of well… requirements. Then i wasn’t able to open the IDE.

The purchasing power i’m refering here, is my money. If you have a the sufficient resources you can buy a better computer or any equipment involved. Each item are connected. And the third inconvenient made thing worse, but at least i know where to start.

My little expertise help me in this stage, i always was a self-taught in technology. A lecture procces began but it should be learning without praxis/training due to limited situation. Reading and reading, i found interesting topics, how linux is involved in the Android OS and its virtual machine related, the stages a Java script should go through to be compiled accurately and ready to be executed in the mobile environment, i remember it with nostalgia.

The most important tools i knew were the “build tools”, which occur automaticaly behind scenes of our favourite IDE. Gradle or maven, in this case, seems to me strange and useless softwares, based on the vague explanations found in differents forums. Following with the searching on internet, i get “the why” this tools are such important, but when i finally installed Gradle, i really live its importance in the software development, in order i keep understanding more contextualy how it works. Other technology, i think i should stand out, is the Kotlin language as more modern and specialized replace of Java. Also this new language participate in the Gradle files managers, which ones are writen on Kotlin or Groovy.

The same occurs to me when i try to code in C-lang for Arduino without an specific IDE. Oftenly i found Eclipse as a suggestion. Here i learnd the compilation procces in .c files, .h files, .o files, how asembler works or when it is needed, the role of linkers and so on.

I stoped trying mobile development due to my preferences to the backend web development, where i’ve growth. The truth is that it is more direct and easy to face, allowing a close practice, being the learning curve much more outstanding. However, few days ago, i retake Android, and today i just have one inconvenient, i don’t know how to install the Android SDK correctly from the manager. Life always blow me (sarcasm).

The results, at the end of the day, i’m not worried about. I learned more than i expected, to not rely completely on the IDE, to formule my own environment that indeed affects the workflow. I don’t going to lie, honestly i donot have choice in this, without an accurate computer among other facts. The only valid alternative was search to develop all from scratch, knowing each piece ther eplaying a role and its work.

Globalization efect?

Maybe, you will take me as an anti-globalization guy but i am not, i defend our responsability as individual or citizens. The world can say what it want, that don’t meant we should repeat it or start to propagate its word, being in the current. In this part, and if you confinue reading, i’m compelled to say you to choose about you future and the way to programm, to live, to work or whatever you do.

Globalization unfornately, feed our subconcious, turning us in more superficial animals if we don’t have the sufficient mental strength to decide. The entertainment industry accustomed us to be entertained all the time and when there’s nothing to consume well maybe it’s moment to think in our ordinary life. Out there, always exists person that make to us new features, tools, beautiful snippets and IDEs. Facilitate our routine is amazing but why not start to build it? participating in situation that looks common for example, answering at the professor when no one do it too. Here comes the center point and the reason of this article.

“We are such focused to achieve our goals that we forget what we love to do”

That is a “cliche”, all the world say it but rarely it’s execute. I mean as all phrase. In our case, it come more easy to recognize and apply if you want to, if you pursue be a real life programmer and no just a real work programmer. The second one wants a economic sustainable life, predictable risks, accurate to his daily requirements and each posible conflics minimized until the invisibility. In the other hand, the first one search new and better methods to contribute with, for all that things the “normal” people ignore but depends on.

Truly, if we change or personalized the way and focus which we percive our environ, constantly we’re going to be breaking barriers, creating alternatives, forging what no one forged before cause it borned from our minds. That is not automatically a luxurious life, it’s filled of depression stages, alone imporvements and solitary nights. The command line not looks beautiful how that IDE looks like. And i insist, you’re going to be always thinking on what the world have to say you, and you’re going to be making you questions and asking anothers, without waiting for others to answer you cause you don’t really need its acceptance at coding. Among other problems what i exposed here stuck us unfairly, without come to our limits, to explode our capacities.

Conclusion

Well it’s all, it is just a something i live, and i always asking to me. Why i don’t build my own code editor, or my build tool, minimlistic environment or maybe new languages, compilers. When i’m in this posture, i always come to a confused state, i can but why don’t do? This question is related with my real motivations when i code, i just want a work or change some aspect from the world?. Am i a real life programmer or a real work programmer?. Think it!

Thanks for reading, i’m still learning English and think i lack a tons of reosurces, repeating words and expresions. Meanwhile, you get what i want you to get, i’m satisfied. Have a good day!