CS371g Summer 2021 #2: Matt Lang
What did you do this past week?
This week was fairly simple. I went to lecture, I got confused, I asked questions and I received answers to those questions. While I am not entirely experienced in C++, Gitlab (version control in general) was the heaviest in terms of learning something new. I have used git in internships and in a few classes, but I have otherwise neglected to really learn it. I’m going to take this semester as an opportunity to change that.
What’s in your way?
I do not think there is anything besides working on getting disciplined. As long as I routinely schedule my work for this class and avoid putting things off, I do not think there are any problems.
What will you do next week?
Going to lecture, getting confused, asking questions, and finding answers to those questions! I commend Professor Downing for creating an environment primed for discussion, where it feels okay to be confused.
If you read it, what did you think of the Paper #2: makefile?
I do not know where to start after reading through this paper. Although I have not created a makefile as well-written and expansive as this one, everything seems pretty straightforward. I am having trouble finding how to extrapolate and add my own input to something that seems to fully explain itself. I really resonated with Carter Boclair’s comments in his post regarding the makefile; that I have to try and actively misunderstand it in order to annotate.
What was your experience of assertions, unit tests, coverage, and IsPrime?
I really enjoyed the content this week due to its practicality. I have not had much experience writing my own tests. Most of my classes have written tests for me, and I would simply run them and turn my assignment in. I’m relatively weak in this area, and I feel that the lectures have done an excellent job in how to test and how to test well.
What made you happy this week?
I particularly enjoyed our first exercise in the breakout rooms. I had fun breaking out in these smaller groups and coming up with a solution as a team. I am looking forward to this aspect of the class the most.
What’s your pick-of-the-week or tip-of-the-week?
I have been reading CppCoreGuidelines found on the class Resources page. I often know what to write, but not how to write. I do not think people are born writing beautiful code. I highly recommend looking through this page, especially in the context of this class.
