Op Wed, 6 Sep 2006, schreef Dossy Shiobara:
> On 2006.09.06, Rick Gutleber <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > As much as it would please, however, me to be able to step through Tcl > > code, I think Dossy is correct. You really can live without one. > > I think the point here is, if you force yourself to live without one, it > demands that you become a better programmer. Either that, or spend a > lot of time chasing down stupid bugs without the debugger. > > Just because a debugger reduces the time you spend chasing down stupid > bugs, it doesn't force you to become a better programmer. > > When you have a debugger, what's your incentive for becoming a better > programmer? Where's the "pain" that you work hard to avoid? That is just as stupid a comment as that word processors are bad; you should use typing machines instead because with the typing machine you learn to avoid typing errors. Facts are that for example data typists (people who cannot afford to make typing errors) have abandonned typing machines decades ago. People who have learned to do calculating with slide rules instead of just pen and paper claim to be able to understand the process much better than the pen and paper people. They say that because they see how the slide rule gets to the answer they have a better insight in calculations. It is the same with a debugger. A programmer who uses a debugger sees his algorithm actually working and will get more insight in it. Debuggers result in programmers that understand their programs better because they have seen their algortihms actually work. Because they understand them, they can make them better. > Remembering and carefully avoiding past mistakes (why bother, when you > can just root them out in the debugger)? Improving your fundamental > design repertoire to eliminate known bad decisions (why bother, the > debugger will let you finagle your way through even the worst of rats > nests)? > Perhaps that's the wisdom that Linus was trying to impart, here. Linus has been rejecting source code management tools for years because "real programmers don't need them". When he finally used one he found he became two, three times more productive merging patches. He's a smart guy, but at the same time he is a fool. Note also that Linus does use a debugger, in the sense of attaching gdb to a running kernel. You can't debug the kernel, but you can inspect its variables and data structures. Daniël -- AOLserver - http://www.aolserver.com/ To Remove yourself from this list, simply send an email to <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> with the body of "SIGNOFF AOLSERVER" in the email message. You can leave the Subject: field of your email blank.
