4 ms·

> And here I am on Earth, barely capable of debugging JavaScript code. If as much education was required of software engineers as it is from people who work on

> And here I am on Earth, barely capable of debugging JavaScript code. If as much education was required of software engineers as it is from people who work on the Hubble telescope then you wouldn't have any troubles debugging JavaScript.

protomyth 8y ago
If JavaScript was specified to the same degree as the Hubble telescope then the OP wouldn't have had a problem. Blaming gdubs's education is a bit problematic.
- TheAceOfHearts 8y ago
  The ECMAScript spec is actually quite thorough and freely available to read online. In addition, it has a very large suite of tests to check for compliance. I don't think there's any other language with as many independent production-quality implementations. In what way do you think it could be better specified?
  - protomyth 8y ago
    Anywhere the spec says "implementation-dependent" or "behavior is undefined" could be fully specified. Some might say its impractical, but given the effort folks but into the hardware and software of a NASA project, you can really see the difference.
  - jjuhl 8y ago
    "I don't think there's any other language with as many independent production-quality implementations." - C++?
    - TheAceOfHearts 8y ago
      Yeah, it looks like you might be right. I just looked it up and there's a ton of C++ compilers I'd never heard of before.
      - Tomte 8y ago
        Sure, but the number might fool you. Not every C++ compiler is standards-compliant, and at least on the PC side, many of the good compilers bought the frontend from the Edison Design Group and focussed on the backend.
vanattab 8y ago
I would be willing to bet that there are many engineers on the Hubble project that have and struggled debugging java script themselves.
flyinglizard 8y ago
Nothing to do with education; it’s all about operating procedures. Hubble has a large and well funded team behind it that generally operates on much longer timelines. Everything is engineered and documented to a tee. Hubble mission spans around 30 years now, from concept and until today; very possible that for some people, Hubble is the only thing they experienced in their profession. Obviously such measures would be very much impractical outside of NASA.

protomyth 8y ago

If JavaScript was specified to the same degree as the Hubble telescope then the OP wouldn't have had a problem. Blaming gdubs's education is a bit problematic.

TheAceOfHearts 8y ago
The ECMAScript spec is actually quite thorough and freely available to read online. In addition, it has a very large suite of tests to check for compliance. I don't think there's any other language with as many independent production-quality implementations. In what way do you think it could be better specified?
- protomyth 8y ago
  Anywhere the spec says "implementation-dependent" or "behavior is undefined" could be fully specified. Some might say its impractical, but given the effort folks but into the hardware and software of a NASA project, you can really see the difference.
- jjuhl 8y ago
  "I don't think there's any other language with as many independent production-quality implementations." - C++?
  - TheAceOfHearts 8y ago
    Yeah, it looks like you might be right. I just looked it up and there's a ton of C++ compilers I'd never heard of before.
    - Tomte 8y ago
      Sure, but the number might fool you. Not every C++ compiler is standards-compliant, and at least on the PC side, many of the good compilers bought the frontend from the Edison Design Group and focussed on the backend.

vanattab 8y ago

I would be willing to bet that there are many engineers on the Hubble project that have and struggled debugging java script themselves.

flyinglizard 8y ago

Nothing to do with education; it’s all about operating procedures. Hubble has a large and well funded team behind it that generally operates on much longer timelines. Everything is engineered and documented to a tee. Hubble mission spans around 30 years now, from concept and until today; very possible that for some people, Hubble is the only thing they experienced in their profession. Obviously such measures would be very much impractical outside of NASA.