From someone who has been there, here are a dozen tips for software engineers who want to climb the corporate ladder: Be an outstanding software engineer. This can’t be overemphasized. Meet and exceed the expectations for your position. Make sure …
Read moreCan I return more than one thing from a C or C++ function?
Yes. Whether or not a function can return more than one value depends on the specific programming language you’re using and on whether you’re talking about pure functions or impure functions. Many programming languages, including C and C++, chose the traditional mathematical …
Read moreWhat is the third parameter I sometimes see defined in the main function?
The third parameter to the main function is not standard or portable in C or C++, but in practice, most modern compiler implementations allow an optional third parameter to main. The data type of this third parameter is pointer to …
Read moreWhy don’t they add a garbage collector to new versions of C and C++?
Let’s start by considering C++. As an opt-in option in C++, it is technically possible to add garbage collection to C++, as long as it is clearly specified how it integrates with the language and with the existing memory management …
Read moreWhat would happen if a bitwise operator like ^ were applied to objects of a C++ user-defined class?
The behavior depends on what conversions and operator overloads are defined for these types of objects. To simplify the discussion, let’s say that the objects you’re talking about are instances of class X. According to the C++ standard, bitwise operators …
Read moreWhy do people still use Python, C, C++, C#, and Java when there is Go?
I know and use several programming languages in my software and firmware development projects. There is a core set that I use most often, because they happen to be the right tools for the job. Early on, I learned several …
Read moreWill a game engine in Python be slower than one written in C++?
If we assume that: The Python programmers are highly competent, and The C++ programmers are highly competent, and Python is interpreted, and C++ compiles to native (machine) code, and has typical optimizations enabled in the compiler, and There there is …
Read moreMy big fat rookie mistake as a software design engineer
It seems that we often wax nostalgic around the holidays, and significant past events, whether good or bad, come back to us. In talking with a colleague, I was reminded of my first rookie mistake as a software design engineer. …
Read moreHow do I know when my software product is ready to release?
Knowing when a software product is done, or is at least “good enough to ship,” is important. Becoming skilled at knowing how to make this determination takes some serious thought, discipline, and work. Assuming you have a software requirements document for the …
Read moreHow long does it take to become proficient at ALL programming languages?
It will take your entire career, lifetime, afterlife, after-afterlife, next life, and beyond to become proficient in ALL of the programming languages, because there are a lot of programming languages out there, and the list just keeps on growing. Setting …
Read more