If "rigid rules" are the wrong way...

Hi.

I've been chided on the threads I've started for somehow thinking that
programming can be "reduced to rigid, mechanical rules" and I think
the chidings are right -- and I suspect that if one wants to do "good"
programming, one is DEFINITELY going about it the WRONG way trying to
make it a matter of memorizing tons of rules and procedures. I also
saw this comment on this forum:

http://stackoverflow.com/questions/10583321/when-are-denormals-actually-useful

"A "code smell" is an overly-coarse guideline for people who don't
actually know what they're doing (or can't be bothered to carefully
read the sources in question)."

suggesting such rules are probably not the way to go. So where does
one get that knowledge, so that one can then actually do it right, and
after doing it right, not worry so much about "smells" and the like,
since then one will be able to know when to apply the rule and when
not to. Which books would one need? But I suspect also a lot of it is
practice work. But first you need to know the right thing to
practice... otherwise you can end up developing bad habits.
.

Relevant Pages

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