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I encounter programmers after they learn loops, but I have noticed that many programmers have trouble with recursion and something there's no word for, but it's
by michaelfeathers 12y ago
I encounter programmers after they learn loops, but I have noticed that many programmers have trouble with recursion and something there's no word for, but it's the ability to imagine oneself on both sides of an API. Real cognitive hurdles there for many people.
Re loops, I wonder whether we're better off just going directly to collection operations - maps, folds, etc. We're doing a lot of work in the industry to lift ourselves up from mutability. It makes me wonder why then we feel that we have to start there in education.
- Qwertious 12y ago>I encounter programmers after they learn loops, but I have noticed that many programmers have trouble with recursion and something there's no word for, but it's the ability to imagine oneself on both sides of an API. Do you mean dealing with multiple levels of abstraction? Like thinking of employees as intelligent tools that complete tasks for you, and then thinking of them as bundles of motivations and beliefs that you must aim towards the task that you need done, using the power of incentives and values.
- michaelfeathers 12y agoIt's not multiple levels of abstraction, it's more like technical empathy - putting yourself in the position of being on the other side of an API.