Writing computer programs again

[Reverend Conehead]

I've missed coding! I used to write freeware in MS Visual BASIC 6, but I haven't done that in a while, and that language is obsolete today. However, I've been rewriting an app I wrote some years back. This time I'm writing it in Python with Qt for creating the GUI. I'm really liking it so far. A couple of years back, I tried learning Python and using a GUI creator named Tkinter, but that system seemed shockingly limited. I was used to Visual BASIC where you can just drag and drop controls on a form to make your GUI. Qt is way, way better than Tkinter. It's not even close. There's also a third GUI option named GTK, which I've never used.

I've been using some of my old freeware by running it under WINE in Linux. That works, but I've always wanted my programs I wrote to be able to run natively in Linux. I'll also be able to compile them for Mac and Windows if I want to.

It's confirmed. I'm a total nerd because I've missed this. It's an intellectual challenge to figure out how to code something that's useful. And I DON'T want AI to do my coding for me. It will be a sad day if humans stop writing computer programs, opting instead to have an AI bot do it. It's sad because ChatGPT is actually a great tool for learning. If some code I've written isn't working, ChatGPT can usually tell me why. But that's the secret. You'll learn if you try to do it yourself, fail, and have to figure it out. If you use an AI bot, it's best to have them as a tutor to help you learn rather than something that will just spoon-feed you the answer.

Anyway, these apps I'm rewriting for modern OSes are for my own use, but I might release them at some point like I did with my old VB/Windows freeware. I'd bet I'm not the only one here who has done some coding, either professionally or as a hobby. If you want, tell us about what you've programmed. There's something special about using software that you've written yourself.

 

[NorthoftheRedRiver]

Goodness. I was a hobbiest programmer many many years ago. BASIC, VB, C.

 

[Creeper]

Goodness. I was a hobbiest programmer many many years ago. BASIC, VB, C.

Same. I still use some of the stuff I wrote, mostly utilities for my own use. I used Visual Studio Express and a bunch of add ons for DB etc. I hate Microsoft in general but Visual Studio express is free to use. If you can tolerate the bugs that pop up from time to time it works pretty well.

 

[Reality]

I would share my programming history but it would take multiple posts and likely bore everyone to death

 

[Reality]

It is inevitable that AI will eventually replace programmers, at least in the sense of what they are and have been for decades.

The next evolution of programming languages will shift from people-centric languages that we have today to AI-centric languages that are designed specifically for AI optimization so even if people wanted to do it manually it will no longer be possible or at least not very easy to do.

While there are already some conceptual AI-based programming languages, they are still early concept attempts and not being featured by any of the major tech companies.

My guess is that Google, Microsoft and other tech companies are already working on their AI languages they hope to one day become the industry standard or at least one of them.

 

[Reality]

I've missed coding! I used to write freeware in MS Visual BASIC 6, but I haven't done that in a while, and that language is obsolete today. However, I've been rewriting an app I wrote some years back. This time I'm writing it in Python with Qt for creating the GUI. I'm really liking it so far. A couple of years back, I tried learning Python and using a GUI creator named Tkinter, but that system seemed shockingly limited. I was used to Visual BASIC where you can just drag and drop controls on a form to make your GUI. Qt is way, way better than Tkinter. It's not even close. There's also a third GUI option named GTK, which I've never used.

I've been using some of my old freeware by running it under WINE in Linux. That works, but I've always wanted my programs I wrote to be able to run natively in Linux. I'll also be able to compile them for Mac and Windows if I want to.

It's confirmed. I'm a total nerd because I've missed this. It's an intellectual challenge to figure out how to code something that's useful. And I DON'T want AI to do my coding for me. It will be a sad day if humans stop writing computer programs, opting instead to have an AI bot do it. It's sad because ChatGPT is actually a great tool for learning. If some code I've written isn't working, ChatGPT can usually tell me why. But that's the secret. You'll learn if you try to do it yourself, fail, and have to figure it out. If you use an AI bot, it's best to have them as a tutor to help you learn rather than something that will just spoon-feed you the answer.

Anyway, these apps I'm rewriting for modern OSes are for my own use, but I might release them at some point like I did with my old VB/Windows freeware. I'd bet I'm not the only one here who has done some coding, either professionally or as a hobby. If you want, tell us about what you've programmed. There's something special about using software that you've written yourself.

I have only worked with python in some situations but it was all command-line focused.

I know that @YosemiteSam was big into python in the past so he might be able to share some advice with it.

 

[Reverend Conehead]

I have only worked with python in some situations but it was all command-line focused.

I know that @YosemiteSam was big into python in the past so he might be able to share some advice with it.

The only thing that gave me pause about Python was the way they normally do variables, which is not to declare them, but to just use them on the fly when you need them, and then Python figures out the data type. I don't like that. However, it is possible, if you choose to, to go ahead and declare your variables at the beginning of the sub, specifying their data types. I'm going to still do it that way, just like I did in Visual BASIC and realBASIC. If I want it to be a string, an integer, a float, or whatever, I want to decide that for myself right away rather than leaving it up to Python to determine what it is. People write code that works by basically doing variables as variants, but I don't feel comfortable doing it that way. I want whatever datatype is used to be my deliberate choice.

 

[YosemiteSam]

I've written an enormous amount of python.

In the 7th grade computer literacy class, I learned GW Basic and was hooked. Later on I learned C on Borland Turbo C with a friend of mine and that took me to C++ with Borlands Turbo C++. Then I learned bash scripting when Slackware came out in 1994 as we were trying to run DOOM shareware on it. (got it out of a magazine)

About that same time (1994) I started learning JavaScript as I was working at one of the very first dialup ISPs (FlashNet) in Fort Worth and started writing technical documentation website using a JavaScript library that did some very slick stuff for the day.

That led to PHP which I was not only writing websites, but using php-cli to automate Linux stuff and in 1999 the my life became one with the world when I found Python.

I've written all kinds of applications and automation for work with it, but I've also written a ton of games. Mostly MUD (Multi-User Dungeons) style text-based games as even to this day I'm a MUD freak. I have a new one I'm writing called Kingdoms of Avarice, but it's not Python. It is written in NodeJS with TerminalJS so you can play it in a web browser, yet still be as if you telnetted to the server.

I haven't opened the source for it yet (repo is still private). It's playable but far from polished and currently it doesn't have an enormous about of content. (700+ rooms, a few items and a few monsters to fight) Mainly the main town, starting town, and a large sewer to dungeon crawl under the city. It has combat, stealth, merchants, quests, etc. It has a ton, it's just not polished or fully balanced gameplay yet.

Here is a screenshot. (edit, updated screenshot with the stat of the character)

 

[YosemiteSam]

The only thing that gave me pause about Python was the way they normally do variables, which is not to declare them, but to just use them on the fly when you need them, and then Python figures out the data type. I don't like that. However, it is possible, if you choose to, to go ahead and declare your variables at the beginning of the sub, specifying their data types. I'm going to still do it that way, just like I did in Visual BASIC and realBASIC. If I want it to be a string, an integer, a float, or whatever, I want to decide that for myself right away rather than leaving it up to Python to determine what it is. People write code that works by basically doing variables as variants, but I don't feel comfortable doing it that way. I want whatever datatype is used to be my deliberate choice.

Look into pydantic. While you can't change Python fundamentally, pydantic library brings the benefits of static typing, type safety, and data validation to Python even though it's a dynamic language.