Our jobs, as developers, is to write code. Our tools for writing code are IDEs. Whenever I see a developer write out an entire block of code that could have been code-generated, I feel like he’s hammering a nail with his bare hand instead of using the hammer he has sitting on his desk. I don’t mean to sound condescending, but I feel it’s important to practice with the tools you have to make sure you’re not just wasting time typing*.
My session will focus on putting together an application in 45 minutes. I’ll be demonstrating (though live-coding) how to wire your application together using Robotlegs and other frameworky-type utilities. As a disclaimer, I will have the services and “presentation layer” done before I start live-coding. I believe that’s what your team’s workflow should be anyway: build services first, build visual components next, then wire it all together with the framework of the day.
I completely understand code-generation isn’t perfect for every situation. Tasks like building your own framework, writing out and optimizing algorithms, piecing together data structures, etc, etc, are all highly customized and need to be thought through line-by-line. But wiring your application together involves a lot of boilerplate code, no matter what framework you’re using, and that’s where your tools come in handy.
Read more about my FlashBelt session here: From Zero to RIA in 45 Minutes
*I also believe that if you’re not typing close to 80 wpm, you should spend time practicing typing every day until your speed picks up. Typing is the most practical skill you can have in a world of computers and it kills me to see people stare at the keyboard while they peck away. TypeRacer is a great way to practice :)
That's a cool little utility. Wish I knew about it (if it existed yet) back when I was first learning to type.
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