Date: Fri, 6 Aug 2004 15:36:12 -0600
Reply-To: Jack Hamilton <JackHamilton@FIRSTHEALTH.COM>
Sender: "SAS(r) Discussion" <SAS-L@LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
From: Jack Hamilton <JackHamilton@FIRSTHEALTH.COM>
Subject: Re: what makes a "good" SAS programmer?
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
The FSLIST command lets you view a file in text+hex mode. It doesn't
let you edit a file in hex mode, unless there's a trick I don't know.
FSLIST seems to be part of base SAS.
--
JackHamilton@FirstHealth.com
Manager, Technical Development
Metrics Department, First Health
West Sacramento, California USA
>>> "Choate, Paul@DDS" <pchoate@DDS.CA.GOV> 08/06/2004 2:16 PM >>>
When will SAS catch up on this and provide an editor with Hex?!?!?!?!?
Paul Choate
DDS Data Extraction
(916) 654-2160
-----Original Message-----
From: SAS(r) Discussion [mailto:SAS-L@LISTSERV.UGA.EDU] On Behalf Of
Wainwright, Andrea
Sent: Friday, August 06, 2004 12:48 PM
To: SAS-L@LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
Subject: Re: what makes a "good" SAS programmer?
I don't know about others but I swear by UltraEdit. It does
highlighting
like SAS (it's not perfect, but pretty good) and it has column editing,
HEX,
you can show the tabs and carriage returns which helps when someone
give me
code that I have to use on the mainframe and had tabs I have to get rid
of.
-----Original Message-----
From: David Fickbohm [mailto:DavidF@HOMEGAIN.COM]
Sent: Friday, August 06, 2004 3:16 PM
To: SAS-L@LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
Subject: Re: what makes a "good" SAS programmer?
People,
Earlier in this conversation someone said uses a text editor. I would
be
interested in asking whether people who use text editor use them to
enter
sas instructions and if so what makes a text editor better than the
standard
editor that comes with SAS? Thanks Dave
-----Original Message-----
From: Jack Hamilton [mailto:JackHamilton@FIRSTHEALTH.COM]
Sent: Friday, August 06, 2004 11:44 AM
To: SAS-L@LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
Subject: Re: what makes a "good" SAS programmer?
Yes, but "explaining" is not the same as "training and mentoring".
--
JackHamilton@FirstHealth.com
Manager, Technical Development
Metrics Department, First Health
West Sacramento, California USA
>>> "Wainwright, Andrea" <andrea.wainwright@CAPITALONE.COM> 08/06/2004
11:37 AM >>>
I think it gets to a question of if they can explain things to others.
We look for that communication quality in programmers.
What does it matter how good their code is if no one else can get an
explanation of how it works? (If they are the most senior, the more
junior
programmers might not be familiar with all the code used)
-----Original Message-----
From: Jack Hamilton [mailto:JackHamilton@FIRSTHEALTH.COM]
Sent: Friday, August 06, 2004 1:59 PM
To: SAS-L@LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
Subject: Re: what makes a "good" SAS programmer?
"Dunn, Toby" <Toby.Dunn@TEA.STATE.TX.US> wrote:
>Jack,
>
>Being humble:
>
>Dijkstra, put it best in "The Humble Programmer". "The people who
are
>the best at programming are the people who realize how small their
>brains are. They are humble. The people who are the worst at
>programming are the people who refuse to accept the fact that their
>brains aren't equal to the task. Their egos keep them from being
great
>programmers. The more you learn to compensate for your small brain,
the
>better programmer you'll be. The more humble you are, the faster
you'll
>improve."
I think we're saying the same thing here, but in my dialect of English
"humble" is not the correct word, as it has connotations which are not
suitable.
>Helping other programmers:
>
>If the intent it to describe what makes a good programmer then why
stop
>at the ability of a programmer to just program a good program. Why
not
>go further and get into training and mentoring other newer
programmers.
Because that has nothing to do with the quality of their programs. You
wouldn't say that someone is not a good pianist because they don't
teach
piano classes, or that someone is not a good auto mechanic because she
doesn't have an apprentice.
And why stop at teaching? Why not say that a good programmer has to
own a
Buick? It would be just as relevant to the quality of their
programming.
--
JackHamilton@FirstHealth.com
Manager, Technical Development
Metrics Department, First Health
West Sacramento, California USA
>>> "Dunn, Toby" <Toby.Dunn@TEA.STATE.TX.US> 08/06/2004 10:01 AM >>>
Jack,
Being humble:
Dijkstra, put it best in "The Humble Programmer". "The people who are
the
best at programming are the people who realize how small their brains
are.
They are humble. The people who are the worst at programming are the
people
who refuse to accept the fact that their brains aren't equal to the
task.
Their egos keep them from being great programmers. The more you learn
to
compensate for your small brain, the better programmer you'll be. The
more
humble you are, the faster you'll improve."
Helping other programmers:
If the intent it to describe what makes a good programmer then why stop
at
the ability of a programmer to just program a good program. Why not
go
further and get into training and mentoring other newer programmers.
Toby
-----Original Message-----
From: Jack Hamilton [mailto:JackHamilton@firsthealth.com]
Sent: Friday, August 06, 2004 11:52 AM
To: SAS-L@LISTSERV.UGA.EDU; Dunn, Toby
Subject: Re: [SAS-L] what makes a "good" SAS programmer?
"Dunn, Toby" <Toby.Dunn@TEA.STATE.TX.US> wrote:
>2.) Humility - (Both McConnell and Dijkstra agree on this point)
I don't think that "humility" is the right word. "Isn't emotionally
attached to a particular solution, even their own", might be a better
description.
Very few, perhaps none, of the most-highly regarded contributors to
SAS-L
could reasonably be described as "humble".
>3.) Curiosity - (Experiement, Read about problem solving, Analyze and
>plan before you act, Learn abut successful projects,
>Read Manuals, Read other books and periodicals)
I think this is very important.
>d.) Takes the time and effort to help those less knowledgeable
(reminds
>me of people on the list)
That might be a desirable personable characteristic, but it has nothing
at
all to do with whether someone writes good programs.
--
JackHamilton@FirstHealth.com
Manager, Technical Development
Metrics Department, First Health
West Sacramento, California USA
>>> "Dunn, Toby" <Toby.Dunn@TEA.STATE.TX.US> 08/04/2004 6:40 AM >>>
Roland,
If we may look at Code Complete the list would be:
1.) Personal Character - (I would say this has more to do with a
person
wanting to and working to become a better program)
2.) Humility - (Both McConnell and Dijkstra agree on this point)
3.) Curiosity - (Experiement, Read about problem solving, Analyze and
plan before you act, Learn abut successful projects,
Read Manuals, Read other books and periodicals)
4.) Intellectual Honesty
5.) Communication and Cooperation
6.) Creativity and Discipline
7.) Habits - (Has developed good programming habits and continually
reflects upon these to look for improvement and for
other areas to improve upon)
I would also add the following:
a.) Has learned that programs are more than just instructions to a
machine.
b.) Documents extremely well. (this one is just for Ron)
c.) Continually wants to and does learn more about their language(s)
d.) Takes the time and effort to help those less knowledgeable
(reminds
me of people on the list)
That's just my two cents for what it is worth.
Toby Dunn
-----Original Message-----
From: SAS(r) Discussion [mailto:SAS-L@LISTSERV.UGA.EDU] On Behalf Of
RolandRB
Sent: Wednesday, August 04, 2004 2:59 AM
To: SAS-L@LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
Subject: what makes a "good" SAS programmer?
I am interested in what ideas people here have on this subject.
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