The Programmers Brain

Notes from The Programmer's brain by Felienne Hermans

1. Decoding your confusion while coding

• Code is a mental decoding process.
• Confussion involves cognitive processes.
• Confussion processes:
  • Lack of knowledge: understand what are you doing.
  • Lack of information: understand how this is happening.
  • Lack of processing power: be able to execute the code in your brain.
• Cognitive processes associated:
  • Lack of knowledge: LTM Long term memory.
  • Lack of information: STM Short term memory.
  • Lack of processing power: Working memory.
• The three cognitive processes work together when you're coding.
• LTM could be the knowlege and experience using a language intructions.
• STM could be the variables used to implement a piece of code.3

2. Speed reading for code

• "Programs must be writter for people to read and only incidentally for machines to execute" Harold Abelson.
• There is often a lot of focus on producing code.
• STM is limited (6 slots).
• Chunking technique to read code: read a piece of code for 3 minutes and try to remember it. Chunks help to structure your interpretation.
• Iconic memory: space to store sensory memory.
• Iconic memory can be procressed in the STM.
• Iconic exercise: look the code for a short time and the reflecting on what you have seen.
• Chunkeable code is about use conventions and patterns to help you to process code faster.
• When code contains comments, programmers will take more time to read it. (How do we read algorithms? Martha Crosby)
• Beacons are a piece of code contains certain data or approach.
• Beacons are a trigger for programmers to confirm or refute hyphotesis about the source. 😲

References:

• Knowledge Organization and Skill Differences in Computer Programmers
• The information available in brief visual presentations. Psychological Monographs