If you’re running your program in the Visual Studio debugger, and you’ve built it in debug mode (the DEBUG build flag is set), you’ll see the output from System.Diagnostics.Debug.WriteLine (and related debug output functions) in the Output window in Visual …
Read moreShould software developers understand how operating systems work?
I hear this question frequently, and the answer is a resounding “Yes.” Operating system knowledge absolutely, positively has a use in the software development field. Being a software developer and not knowing how an operating system works is similar to …
Read moreAre C and C++ still relevant and are they worth learning?
I hear this question almost every day. Yes, the two languages, C and C++ (they are two distinct, separate languages) are very much still worth learning. Neither language is anywhere close to dying (at any speed). Both are here to …
Read moreShould abbreviations and acronyms be avoided as identifiers in source code?
The short answer is yes, usually. In most coding standards and guidelines I have worked with (and developed) over the decades, the use abbreviations and acronyms in identifiers (e.g., in variable names, function names, type names, class names, structure names, …
Read moreWhy should I add comments to my code?
Good comments convey important information to the human reader of the code that the code cannot clearly convey by itself. Comments should add value, making the code easier to understand, and therefore more maintainable. Remember that 80% of the cost …
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