Re: [MacPerl] MAC Filesystem Help

[Matthias Ulrich Neeracher <neeri@iis.ee.ethz.ch>]

mark@cheers.jsc.nasa.gov (Mark Manning/Muniz Eng.)
>According to Chris Nandor:
>> It reinvents the wheel created by File::Find.  See Paul Schinder's post
>> regarding reinventing the wheel; I see absolutely no reason to not use
>> File::Find (unless you feel like using FSpIterateDirectory() or something).
>
>Well, as I've said in the past and will probably say in the
>future:
>
>The reason people do these things is because they are
>mainly learning how to do it in the first place.

That's all just fine, but one of the great underdeveloped areas
of Perl didactics is teaching people to use the standard library.
Many otherwise perfectly proficient Perl developers don't exploit their
productivity potential (hmm, I'm starting to sound like a Spam/Scientology
ad here :-) because they have not learned to look in the library first.

>  And just as in teaching - you can't teach someone to use calculus
>until they know how to do the basics.

You can, however, teach people a considerable deal of physics without teaching
them the calculus behind it (Gymnasium physics as I learned it contained 
essentially no calculus).

>So I wouldn't suggest saying "don't re-invent the wheel".
>I wouldn't suggest it because it is being used like a
>put-down.  As if you are saying "You stupid person you -
>don't you know any better?"  But I DO suggest saying use
>the modules.  And I DO suggest presenting the usage of the
>modules in a positive way.  Like saying "Your code looks
>nice but I believe this is covered in the <blah> module."

I'm all for mutual respect and politeness, but "don't reinvent the wheel" is
not really a putdown; I see it more as an acknowledgement that the questioner
has indeed identified one of the grand challenges facing mankind and was 
merely unaware of the existence of a solution :-)

Furthermore, even if one wants to understand how something works, it's better
starting off with a module and then trying to understand that, instead of the
method I've often seen here:

 - Attempt to solve it yourself.
 - Post an article titled, depending on your confidence "Newbie totally lost"
   or "MacPerl bug".
 - Look at a lengthy discussion of the fine points ensuing.

I also have to say that I have a certain self interest in discouraging lengthy
debates on the list about introductory Perl: Every time one of them starts,
I see a few people who want to discuss *Mac*Perl unsubscribe, so all of you 
who are trying to be helpful by answering non-Mac specific questions are 
actually diminishing the value of the list for MacPerl users (and are 
encouraging further non-MacPerl questions).

Therefore, when in doubt, I prefer that off-topic questions be answered with 
a touch of aggressiveness. Contrary to popular misconception, beginner's
questions in comp.lang.perl.misc *will* be answered, but the helpful folks
there don't hesitate telling people that they have failed to do their research
first.

Matthias

-----
Matthias Neeracher   <neeri@iis.ee.ethz.ch>   http://www.iis.ee.ethz.ch/~neeri
   "One fine day in my odd past..." -- Pixies, _Planet of Sound_

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