code_fu

After seeing an overhanging brace that looks at you funny in someone else's code, do you:

• Spend several hours methodically reformatting (and rewriting) their code using vi/emacs/NOTEPAD.EXE only to have it changed back on your next check-out.
• Start a "reformat code" war using your favorite IDE with the other developer, impressing your peers with the amount of commits the both of you do everyday.
• Say fugeddaboutit (one of the guys will change it anyway) and leave work early for a beer at the local.

After encountering an empty commit message when investigating a problem caused by a merge, do you:

• Lecture the other developer on the reasons for good software practices and procedures, and how it saves time when chasing bugs after merging code branches.
• Drive them up the wall by adding empty commit messages to your insignificant changes to their code.
• Blame it on the other developer and convince them to solve the problem for you.

When you create a simple java bean do you:

• Hand-code the whole class including corresponding hashcode() and equals() methods.
• Create a suite of test cases using your favorite unit test tools and then start coding.
• Use an IDE wizard to create the class, its attributes and helper methods without checking the code it produces.

When asked to write a program to convert a text file into HTML do you:

• Write a single line of obfuscated, unmaintainable PERL code that you'll forget about after writing that lengthy commit message.
• Import a 200kb Jar file to convert the text into XML (since you read a benchmark showing it's faster than what ships with the JDK) and then apply XSL to change it into strict XHTML; requiring all your clients to upgrade to the latest standards compliant web browser.
• Find a program on the internet that you can download and configure, but get stumped at that .tar.gz file extension.

After reading blogs such as this do you:

• Think to yourself you should write your own blog and set this young whippersnapper straight.
• Write a trackback on your own blog about this blog to create extra hits for ad revenue.
• Bookmark it for future reference. That bit about using XSL might come in handy later.

If you answered mostly A you're a hardcore UNIX geek still in love with the command line who likes to view pr0n in 24 lines of black and green ASCII. If you answered mostly B, you're with the in crowd, continually heaping praise on each other for solving problems that have been solved before in a slightly different and probably better way. If you answered C you know just enough to get things done but actually remember nothing since whatever technology you learn today will not be needed tomorrow. Thought about a successful career in Project Management? ;)