How does Programming influence daily life – Life of a Programmer | Tips & Tricks

1A programmer’s brain is an interesting one. It’s a jumbled mess, filled with the strangest thoughts. Sometimes, my programming habits/activities threaten to show, even when I try to be a “normal” human being.

How does Programming influence my daily life?

1. Start counting from zero

“That’s 5! No, it’s 6!”

If you’ve been programming for a while, chances are that you’ve come across arrays many times. I have used them in coding so much that I also use it to real life. As we all should know, arrays start from zero. Show me five fingers and I will tell you it’s four.

I always forget to remember that: when writing code, start from zero and when interacting with non-programming human beings, start from one.

Also Read: 10 Funny and Interesting Facts About Programming

2. Observing software instead of using it

I will spend more time looking and trying to figure out a piece of software instead of actually using it. I look at the UI and front-end and wonder the code behind it. I wonder what programming language runs the backend. I examine it and wonder if there are some AI algorithms running in the software. Programmers are curious people. Being one, I always want to know everything.  Instead of having fun using a piece of software, I will rather navigate through it and try to imagine the lines of code which makes it function.

Also read: How to become a Good Programmer?

3. Consider creating a piece of software for every problem

Programmers are always considering the possibilities. They encounter a problem, and instead of solving it, they will want to create a program to solve that problem. Machines and algorithms are obviously faster and more reliable. Instead of solving a problem in 3 days, I will rather use 2 days to create a program which will solve that problem in 1 hour. Less time, more speed!

I have a quote: “To every problem, there’s an algorithmic solution.”

Let’s face it, not every problem can be solved using programs. Some troubles are so troublesome, human interaction is needed. But unless I must do it myself, why not create a program to do it for me?

4. Greetings

Normal people will greet with a simple “hello”. I am more likely to say “Hello world!” Using this can get ironic, especially when I’m talking to one person and not to a “world”, as someone may presume.

Also read: Write ‘Hello World’ Program in 25 Different Programming Languages

5. Assigning variables to people

Being a programmer, you get used to creating variables, which can be called back later. Some people don’t have actual names in my head. When I meet someone whose name I don’t know, I simply assign variables to help me remember. I won’t use var1, var2 etc. These are hard to remember. I simply use stranger1, stranger2, stranger3 etc.

5. Vocabulary

I have terms which I use, which only fellow programmers can understand. Programming concepts are interesting, and I often find myself applying them in sentences, even to sentences that are unrelated to programming.

Some sample sentences include:

• “I’m a busy person. I just buy and wear whatever I see. There’s no time to CSS myself.”
• “Yesterday, we visited her grandfather’s burial. He was uploaded to the cloud a week ago.”
• “This girl may have a nice frontend, but her back end is not impressive.”

How about you try decoding what the above statements mean in plain English?