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Use a vertical monitor for your code editing. Having twice as many lines of code in front of you at once makes a big difference. Most skeptics haven't really tr

Use a vertical monitor for your code editing. Having twice as many lines of code in front of you at once makes a big difference. Most skeptics haven't really tried it. Stop wasting time obsessing about the best coding setup and the best editor. I've seen very poor developers with incredibly advanced typing shortcuts that they spend hours perfecting. They still write shit code (maybe they do so faster...). I use the standard configuration for an editor I like, which is a text editor only, not an IDE. I think the extra seconds here and there I spend typing repetitive parts of code give me time to think about what I'm going to do next. If you've ever spent half a day writing macros that save you milliseconds, then you're fooling yourself into thinking that you're increasing your productivity. And as I've mentioned, "lost time" isn't lost if you're spending it thinking about the problem you're solving. Limit your use of debugging tools. I'm self-taught and in my early years of programming (Pascal) as a teenager I just didn't know how to use a debugger. It's given me a 6th sense in figuring out where the problem is in the code when I encounter a problem. Developing that ability makes you work faster because most times you know immediately where the problem is, instead of hunting things down in the debugger in a systematic fashion. Next time you're tempted to immediately fire up the debugger, just don't and try to figure it out only by looking at the code.

Estragon 16y ago
> Use a vertical monitor for your code editing I used to use emacs's follow-mode for this, but it seems to have been broken for several years. EDIT: I just tried it again after a long hiatus, and it seems to be working, now. > Next time you're tempted to immediately fire up the > debugger, just don't and try to figure it out only by > looking at the code. That "sixth sense" develops even if you use the debugger. The debugger is basically useless unless you have a fair idea of where the bug is in the first place. Its main value is in verifying your understanding of what's going on.
anonymousDan 16y ago
The problem I have with a vertical monitor screen is that I end up craning my neck to see the text at the very bottom of the monitor.
- reeses 16y ago
  That's why I use horizontal screens as well. If you're looking at a screen or paper all day, you want narrow text to avoid a lot of unnecessary eye movement, and relatively short windows so you avoid unnecessary head movement. Readability is still a good reason for keeping functions narrower than 80 columns and shorter than 24 lines.
- kouiskas 16y ago
  Moving the monitor a bit further away from you and/or tilting it (which looks a bit unnatural, having your monitor "facing up" slightly) solves that problem for me. I've only used 22" monitors vertically, maybe bigger ones are just too big for vertical use and worsen the issue you've experienced.
_debug_ 16y ago
My monitor is a wide-format one and the viewing angle is quite bad when used vertically :-( (Dell S2409W). What's yours? In general, do you know the principle(s) to keep in mind when selecting a monitor for vertical use?
- kouiskas 16y ago
  I had to spend a lot of time to find monitors that use technology with a decent vertical viewing angle. Nowadays most LCDs use cheaper techs like TN panels that only give a good viewing angle when used horizontally. You have to look for monitors with IPS or S-PVA panels. The one you have has a TN panel, which is the worst kind for vertical use, I'm not surprised that you were disappointed. Be careful and triple-check that the monitor you intend to buy uses the right panel technology, some manufacturers lie about it and others sell different techs for the same model number. I have two Dell 2209WAB and one HP LP2275w (in different locations, I only use one monitor at a time + laptop). Both models provide excellent angles for vertical use and definitely use the panel technology advertised.
ianpurton 16y ago
I've setup a web based IDE. Using a browser based terminal emulator (shellinabox) and Vim, I can cut code from anywhere I have an internet connection. http://blog.servermonitoringhq.com/posts/the_ultimate_web_based_ide http://blog.servermonitoringhq.com/posts/the_ultimate_web_ba...

Estragon 16y ago

> Use a vertical monitor for your code editing I used to use emacs's follow-mode for this, but it seems to have been broken for several years. EDIT: I just tried it again after a long hiatus, and it seems to be working, now. > Next time you're tempted to immediately fire up the > debugger, just don't and try to figure it out only by > looking at the code. That "sixth sense" develops even if you use the debugger. The debugger is basically useless unless you have a fair idea of where the bug is in the first place. Its main value is in verifying your understanding of what's going on.

anonymousDan 16y ago

The problem I have with a vertical monitor screen is that I end up craning my neck to see the text at the very bottom of the monitor.

reeses 16y ago
That's why I use horizontal screens as well. If you're looking at a screen or paper all day, you want narrow text to avoid a lot of unnecessary eye movement, and relatively short windows so you avoid unnecessary head movement. Readability is still a good reason for keeping functions narrower than 80 columns and shorter than 24 lines.
kouiskas 16y ago
Moving the monitor a bit further away from you and/or tilting it (which looks a bit unnatural, having your monitor "facing up" slightly) solves that problem for me. I've only used 22" monitors vertically, maybe bigger ones are just too big for vertical use and worsen the issue you've experienced.

_debug_ 16y ago

My monitor is a wide-format one and the viewing angle is quite bad when used vertically :-( (Dell S2409W). What's yours? In general, do you know the principle(s) to keep in mind when selecting a monitor for vertical use?

kouiskas 16y ago
I had to spend a lot of time to find monitors that use technology with a decent vertical viewing angle. Nowadays most LCDs use cheaper techs like TN panels that only give a good viewing angle when used horizontally. You have to look for monitors with IPS or S-PVA panels. The one you have has a TN panel, which is the worst kind for vertical use, I'm not surprised that you were disappointed. Be careful and triple-check that the monitor you intend to buy uses the right panel technology, some manufacturers lie about it and others sell different techs for the same model number. I have two Dell 2209WAB and one HP LP2275w (in different locations, I only use one monitor at a time + laptop). Both models provide excellent angles for vertical use and definitely use the panel technology advertised.

ianpurton 16y ago

I've setup a web based IDE. Using a browser based terminal emulator (shellinabox) and Vim, I can cut code from anywhere I have an internet connection. http://blog.servermonitoringhq.com/posts/the_ultimate_web_based_ide http://blog.servermonitoringhq.com/posts/the_ultimate_web_ba...