Comments on: In search of the best solution—speed and size http://destroytoday.com/blog/2009/10/in-search-of-the-best-solution%e2%80%94speed-and-size/ Jonnie is back to work. Tue, 16 Mar 2010 04:31:20 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Jackson Dunstan http://destroytoday.com/blog/2009/10/in-search-of-the-best-solution%e2%80%94speed-and-size/comment-page-1/#comment-750 Jackson Dunstan Thu, 22 Oct 2009 00:12:48 +0000 http://destroytoday.com/blog/?p=1357#comment-750 Thanks for the tips. I am, unfortunately, addicted to split keyboards. I will totally try out the Wacom pen idea though. There are plenty of artists around where I work to talk out of their pens. :-D Thanks for the tips. I am, unfortunately, addicted to split keyboards. I will totally try out the Wacom pen idea though. There are plenty of artists around where I work to talk out of their pens. :-D

]]> By: Jonnie http://destroytoday.com/blog/2009/10/in-search-of-the-best-solution%e2%80%94speed-and-size/comment-page-1/#comment-749 Jonnie Thu, 22 Oct 2009 00:05:43 +0000 http://destroytoday.com/blog/?p=1357#comment-749 @Jackson — I used to have that same left pinky pain when I used a PC keyboard, but now that I have the latest Apple slim keyboard, there's a lot less stress. You should try it out. Also, I use a Wacom pen (http://bit.ly/u3TqK) and keep it tucked with my left thumb when typing. I can still type with that thumb, so it works out well—flip up the pen when I need to use the mouse. The trick is mapping the pen as a mouse, so you "flick" the cursor around the screen rather than mirroring it. I'm hesitant to lose the sigils, since they make it so easy to identify temporary vars, but I see your point :) Also, I tried out your solution and it actually is faster than the array with indexOf. @Jackson — I used to have that same left pinky pain when I used a PC keyboard, but now that I have the latest Apple slim keyboard, there’s a lot less stress. You should try it out.

Also, I use a Wacom pen (http://bit.ly/u3TqK) and keep it tucked with my left thumb when typing. I can still type with that thumb, so it works out well—flip up the pen when I need to use the mouse. The trick is mapping the pen as a mouse, so you “flick” the cursor around the screen rather than mirroring it.

I’m hesitant to lose the sigils, since they make it so easy to identify temporary vars, but I see your point :) Also, I tried out your solution and it actually is faster than the array with indexOf.

]]> By: Jackson Dunstan http://destroytoday.com/blog/2009/10/in-search-of-the-best-solution%e2%80%94speed-and-size/comment-page-1/#comment-748 Jackson Dunstan Wed, 21 Oct 2009 23:41:08 +0000 http://destroytoday.com/blog/?p=1357#comment-748 I think about this very frequently. I often code AS3 more than 50 hours a week and it is physically tiring to me after 12 hours or so. I start to notice pain points like the left pinky finger from hitting and holding the shift key so often. This leads me to capitalize less and loathe C++/C#-style CapitalizedFunctionNames and CapitalizedVariableNames. I don't take it to extremes and lower-case everything, of course, but exercises like you have written about here are common for me. As for your example, I have two suggestions: 1) Drop the sigils and save a character ;-) 2) if ($string in {Jonnie:1, loves:1, Subway:1, Cookies:1}) Obviously you could use whatever you want instead of the value 1 for that technique. I recommend something easy for you to hit. It will be slow like your Array example, but it's exactly the same number of characters as your ideal example from SQL and Python. I look forward to anything more you have to write about reducing the typing load. In the meantime, here is a search on my site for anything I've written about "tying": http://jacksondunstan.com/?s=typing Thanks for writing this! I think about this very frequently. I often code AS3 more than 50 hours a week and it is physically tiring to me after 12 hours or so. I start to notice pain points like the left pinky finger from hitting and holding the shift key so often. This leads me to capitalize less and loathe C++/C#-style CapitalizedFunctionNames and CapitalizedVariableNames. I don’t take it to extremes and lower-case everything, of course, but exercises like you have written about here are common for me. As for your example, I have two suggestions:

1) Drop the sigils and save a character ;-)
2) if ($string in {Jonnie:1, loves:1, Subway:1, Cookies:1})

Obviously you could use whatever you want instead of the value 1 for that technique. I recommend something easy for you to hit. It will be slow like your Array example, but it’s exactly the same number of characters as your ideal example from SQL and Python.

I look forward to anything more you have to write about reducing the typing load. In the meantime, here is a search on my site for anything I’ve written about “tying”:

http://jacksondunstan.com/?s=typing

Thanks for writing this!

]]> By: Matthew Pietz http://destroytoday.com/blog/2009/10/in-search-of-the-best-solution%e2%80%94speed-and-size/comment-page-1/#comment-747 Matthew Pietz Wed, 21 Oct 2009 22:48:43 +0000 http://destroytoday.com/blog/?p=1357#comment-747 Subway cookies are scrumptious. Also, I enjoy storing certain types of data in an SQL database for the exact purpose you stated. `IN` is so valuable but so rarely used (or maybe known) by programmers. Subway cookies are scrumptious.

Also, I enjoy storing certain types of data in an SQL database for the exact purpose you stated. `IN` is so valuable but so rarely used (or maybe known) by programmers.

]]> By: David Kerry http://destroytoday.com/blog/2009/10/in-search-of-the-best-solution%e2%80%94speed-and-size/comment-page-1/#comment-746 David Kerry Wed, 21 Oct 2009 22:25:18 +0000 http://destroytoday.com/blog/?p=1357#comment-746 It really is refreshing to see a developer working hard on optimisation rather than simply cramming in more features than really necessary to applications with no concern for real-world usability. If only all developers thought the way you do, the world would be a happier, snappier place, and no doubt, there would be more cookies for all. It really is refreshing to see a developer working hard on optimisation rather than simply cramming in more features than really necessary to applications with no concern for real-world usability. If only all developers thought the way you do, the world would be a happier, snappier place, and no doubt, there would be more cookies for all.

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