Anybody here write Code ?

[gaz2050]

I became a trainee software developer a little over a year ago due to my interest in android app development and very basic sites I used to make about 15 years ago with basic html. Udemy and Lynda have been great in getting me back into the swing of things. Throughout the last year I've had to dabble in HTML, CSS Javascript / ES6, Kotlin, and now Java. Currently training as an AEM developer now. I've quickly learned that developing a few games by yourself as a hobby and developing real projects for a business are two completely different ways of working!

[BigJag]

How does the process work in industry?

Is it

A client presents a problem. 

Programmer. Looks at the problem. 

Devises a solution.

Writes program to realise the solution. 

Solution is tested.

Solution tweaked if necessary. 

Solution presented to client. 

That's obviously a very simplified step process. I'm sure I've missed a number of crucial steps. Please fill in the gaps. I'm not a programmer myself. Never really got beyond BASIC and a little bit of C. I am however the incumbent IT guy in our office. My daily task is to monitor and manage an IOT system. We use a program, I guess, called PLAnet. To control our street lighting. It is really just a glorified spreadsheet. Having to figure out what you want the system to do and getting it to do that is what takes up the majority of my time. Everyone including the various tech support guys have their own way of working this system. It can be quite frustrating trying to explain to other members of the team who aren't as nerdy as me. Why the system can't do what they think it can do.

During the use of Planet and other IT devices. You do notice "loops" in the programming. Are these there intentionally? The main ones I come across are those annoying sign into Apple notifications on the old iPads our office uses. For some reason nobody can give me the requisite passcode to actually log into Apple. Therefore when I have to use the iPads. I'm constantly having to hit cancel on the requests made by the device. Currently the iPads have been reduced to being used as web surfing devices.  Not for data recording as intended. These "looping" notifications also pop up in mobile phone games. Where they're trying to encourage you go buy the latest upgrade or as an advert for another app. It seems to be a very crude way of achieving a result. 99% of the time I'm hitting the X/close/cancel button. Is there a method where the use of "loops" can be avoided?

[Your Fight Site]

I’ve been a web developer for around 12 years now. I’m “full stack” (in that I can pretty much do everything involved in creating a website). Main languages I use are PHP and JavaScript, and a fair bit of cloud-based services like Amazon Web Services. The past few years, I’ve specialised in a PHP framework called Laravel, so much so was asked to write a book on it: https://www.packtpub.com/web-development/laravel-5-essentials (note: don’t buy it, it’s horribly outdated now!)

I’ve used other languages in the past, such as Python, and currently working with Swift and a Visual Basic-like language called BrightScript whilst I’m developing companion apps for my video on demand platform. I’ve also looked at Go in the past, but not done too much with it.

@RancidPunx If you’re starting out, learning a general purpose language like Python is good way to go. It is prevalent in machine learning and statistical fields (which are popular right now) but Python does have other applications beyond that. JavaScript’s also pretty mature these days. It used to only be used in web pages to add silly effects, but Node.js now allows you to write server-side JavaScript code, so you can write a web service (both the front-end and back-end) in the same language.

Go, whilst fairly new, is also getting pretty popular. It’s developed by Google, so the people behind the language have a little bit of an idea of what they’re doing!

I’d just stay mindful that learning your first language is always the hardest. I actually had no aspiration of programming growing up; I wanted to be a designer. It was in my first job that they put me on the path to development by learning PHP, and soon found I much preferred making websites do things rather than creating static mock-ups with Photoshop. Once you’ve learned the core concepts of your first language (types, variables, functions, classes, etc) you’ll find you’ll be able to use that knowledge to quickly pick up the syntax of other languages.

@BigJag Usually a client will have some idea of what they want (in terms of features). They’ll then either approach an agency/software house directly if they have a preferred choice, or put out a tender if not. Suppliers will then go through the requirements, work out how much they can charge the client, and provide a quote.

[Onyx2]

Amazon have launched free Python courses. There's something about being a student or teacher but don't know if you can frig it.

https://amazon.firetechcamp.com/python/

[Loki]

I don't code, but I work with plenty of coders, and it seems to me that the most useful language to learn ultimately is C++.  That's what every videogame I've ever worked on is written in anyway.

I've learnt to read code over the years.  I can't write it at all, but I can read it which is useful.  I can just about trot out a basic script in C# with help.  It's a great skill that I will definitely learn if I'm ever out of work for 6 months.

[Your Fight Site]

Yeah, C++ is the language of choice for video games as it’s performant. They’ll even be assembly code written when more performance is needed, though. Gotta squeeze out those CPU cycles! It’s also easier to compile to multiple targets (i.e. PlayStation, Xbox, PC).

I contracted for Ubisoft a few years ago (working on second screen experiences, not anything console-related) and saw the code the developers there were writing and it’s amazing the constraints they have to work with and how they get around them.

[BigJag]

@Your Fight Site Second screen experiences? 

Edited April 22, 2020 by BigJag

[Your Fight Site]

2 hours ago, BigJag said:

@Your Fight Site Second screen experiences? 

It was companion apps for a multiplayer console game. Whilst you were playing the “main” game on the console, someone else could control and interact with the game at the same time using a tablet. I ended up working on it as the tablet app used a lot of web-based technologies and networking.

Edited April 22, 2020 by Your Fight Site

[BigJag]

I've heard of spectator type modes before. Would the project you worked on have been similar? The tablet user could view say an F1 Esport race from different camera angles, access live data and the like. I was wondering if something like that was available whilst watching the RX Esport race this past Sunday. 

Another thought I had was how the TV broadcast of the RX race was selecting the on screen footage. At times it was very similar to an actual real life race. With multiple camera angles showing the tactics and strategies being used by the players. Surely this takes up massive amounts of processing power. Not only do the players have to be playing their own multiplayer game. I'd imagine a whole different yet connected computer is compiling, producing, and outputting a TV style video file. Seemingly on the fly. It can't be a simple process. Pretty amazing. 

[Your Fight Site]

6 hours ago, BigJag said:

I've heard of spectator type modes before. Would the project you worked on have been similar?

Kinda. It was party modes for Just Dance. So whilst players were playing the game on the TV, someone else could influence the game using the tablet by changing the track, or upcoming dance sequence, etc.