Spaghetti code is a term we seem to hear a lot in the programming realm, but I’m not convinced that we all really know how to recognize it we’re poring through our code.
This last week I had the pleasure of helping someone with a web development problem on a certain new developer focused site. While I was able to solve this person’s issue for now, what I saw saddened and angered me. The code that this person posted was THE essence of spaghetti code.
Example of Spaghetti Code
First I want to say that I do not mean to call out the poster, I have total faith that he is not the original author. In general, it does not matter WHO wrote the code, a good programmer will take responsibility and fix this broken window unpinned grenade without a finger of blame.
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A couple months ago I was at my Alma Mater Adams State College to talk about what I would have wanted to know if I was a student. I’ve been out of college for 3 years now, and held 3 VERY different programming jobs since graduating with my Bachelor’s Degree. I am hoping to shed some light on what I have learned about the "real world" and clear up some misconceptions.
Quick background
I just want to give you enough information about where I’m coming from here. Obviously, your experiences will be different but I think there are several things common to almost all workplaces and that is what this post will focus on.
I have done data-oriented programming, back-end programming, and web programming for a couple small companies and one quite large company. All of these positions were around Northern Colorado/Wyoming so we’re not exactly in Silicon Valley. If you really care about the details you can check out my LinkedIn page.
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I’m in San Francisco where JavaOne is now halfway complete. This is my first time at the largest programming conference, and I have learned what JavaOne is really about and the best ways to take full advantage of the opportunity:
Talk to every person that is directly behind you in the queues
JavaOne is NOT just about learning, it is about networking. I challenge you to do this and I know that you will be well rewarded for it. You might even find out about good parties, more on that later. Making good connections will take your career a long way, and if you are hiring than you are bound to find people that suit just what you are looking for. Continue reading →