Published online by Cambridge University Press: 05 June 2012
VB Quip
All programmers are optimists. Perhaps this modern sorcery especially attracts those who believe in happy endings and fairy godmothers. Perhaps the hundreds of nitty frustrations drive away all but those who habitually focus on the end goal.
Perhaps it is merely that computers are young, programmers are younger, and the young are always optimists. But however the selection process works, the result is indisputable: “This time it will surely run” or “I just found the last bug.”
–Fred BrooksProgramming is all about making the user happy. As a developer, your mission is to produce a product that fulfills a need for the user and makes them want to use your program. The easier you can make their computing experience, the better. That's a double-edged sword. Often, it's easier to make a program work than it is to keep the user happy. And, the more you try to please the ubiquitous end user, the harder it is for you as a developer. It's often said, “This whole software development thing would be a whole lot easier if it wasn't for all those end users.” While that may seem true, the computer industry wouldn't be where it is today without end users. They buy programs to make their work faster and easier and their fun more enjoyable. They're demanding, fussy, stubborn, and every year they spend billions on what works.
This chapter expands your knowledge of variables and their use. You'll get a taste of methods.
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