Subj : Re: programming and typing
To   : comp.programming
From : Ed Prochak
Date : Wed Sep 07 2005 01:58 pm


Scott Moore wrote:
> John Smith wrote:
> > Settle an argument. How many professional programmers are touch
> > typists? Does typing proficiency affect programming productivity?
> >
> > JS
>
> All of them besides C/Unix programmers.

That's right. UNIX programmers (including me) cannot touch type, which
is why most commands are so cryptic.

But actually one of my excuses is that even with qwerty keyboards, the
positions of other keys are not consistant. example: different
keyboards have:
legend
control key  <ctl>
function key <fnc>
shift        <shf>
caps lock    <CAP>

Lower left corner-
brand A                | brand B
<ctl>                  | <CAP>
<fnc>  <shf>           | <shf>
<CAP>                  | <ctl> <fnc>

Similar differences exist for the backslash and pipe characters as well
as others. So I blame the keyborad manufaturers for my bad typing 8^)

actually I'm fairly fast for a self-taught typist, faster than two
fingers, more like about six fingers. Thank goodness for onscreen
editting.

HTH
  ed

.