Post date: Oct 30, 2015 3:54:33 PM
I've (re)discovered this week that reproducing and interpreting others' code has some pretty strong pros and cons. Pro: someone else has already done the work of designing and implementing an algorithm. Con: designing and implementing algorithms (that work) is mostly what I enjoy about coding; it's problem solving on a small scale. Pro: someone else understands what you're doing and can help when you get stuck. Con: sometimes you have to depend on others when you're stuck and they have busy schedules and other priorities, which means others can significantly slow down your progress. Pro: variables already have names. Con: sometimes those names are hopelessly confusing. Pro: you get to learn while you read. Con: but only if there's good enough documentation to teach you.