My Coding Style | James Gosling and Lex Fridman

TL;DR

The video discusses the beauty of theoretical computer science and how it influences the speaker's coding style preferences.

Transcript

i think in one of the videos i watched you mentioned uh don knuth uh well at least recommending his uh you know his his book is something people should read oh yeah but in terms of you know theoretical computer science do you do you see something beautiful in in that has been inspiring to you speaking of n log n in your work on programming language... Read More

Key Insights

• 🥹 Theoretical computer science holds beauty and inspiration for those interested in programming and code correctness.
• 👨‍💻 Coding style preferences can differ widely, with some preferring dense layouts for maximum visibility, while others prioritize whitespace and readability.
• 💪 Engineers may have strong opinions about coding style and may stage interventions to address differences.
• 🦻 Visual thinkers may have a unique advantage in programming as they can quickly transform code into mental pictures, aiding comprehension and analysis.

Questions & Answers

Q: Why does the speaker find theoretical computer science beautiful and inspiring?

The speaker finds theoretical computer science beautiful as it allows them to prove the correctness of code, which is a crucial aspect of their work. It inspires them to delve into the world of algorithms and complexity to enhance their programming skills.

Q: How does the speaker's coding style differ from others?

The speaker's coding style is dense, aiming to minimize whitespace and maximize visibility of entire functions. They prefer to see a complete picture of the code, facilitating understanding, rather than scrolling and remembering.

Q: How do other engineers react to the speaker's coding style?

Other engineers often dislike the speaker's coding style and have staged interventions to address it. They criticize the dense formatting and prefer a more traditional, spaced-out approach to code layout.

Q: How does the speaker's visual thinking process affect their programming?

The speaker is a visual thinker, and when they see a piece of code, it quickly transforms into mental pictures of interconnected gears and machinery. This visual mapping helps them understand the code's inputs, outputs, and overall functionality.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• The speaker finds inspiration in theoretical computer science, specifically in algorithms and complexity.

• The ability to prove code correctness is important to the speaker, influencing their coding style preferences.

• The speaker's visual thinking process transforms code into mental pictures, guiding their preference for dense code layout.