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Subject:Re: Programming vs. Technical Writing From:Richard Mateosian <srm -at- CYBERPASS -dot- NET> Date:Thu, 13 Aug 1998 11:22:50 -0700
>When I write, I tend to present information step by step;
>the last thing I want to do is to skip a step and
>lose my reader. When the programmer writes code, he seems
>to look for ways to skip steps, or integrate several steps
>into one. His main concern is making his code short.
If the programmer emphasizes brevity over comprehensibility, then
you're right.
In general, though, I think the aims of programming and technical
writing are the same: understand complex information and convey it
unambiguously to your target audience.
Programmers have two audiences: the computer and other programmers.
Good programmers think about the needs of both audiences.
The main reasons an experienced programmer's (or writer's) work is
often shorter than that of an inexperienced one:
* Planning, leading to a clear grasp of the problem
before fingers begin to touch the keys.
* Skill at organizing information and procedures, and
communicating their essence concisely.
...RM
Richard Mateosian <srm -at- cyberpass -dot- net> www.cyberpass.net/~srm/
Review Editor, IEEE Micro Berkeley, CA
