After the first post on the general importance of programming in the earth sciences today I will start with this post to go into more detail of techniques. In general there are two simple paradigms, which help me through the most problems in programming and work in general: The first is KISS – Keep It Simple, Stupid (one of the many common extensions of this abbreviation). First roots of this principle can be found in design, but it can be applied within many different sorts of applications. To keep things simple helps a lot within programming, since at one point everybody has to revisit their own code after some sort of break. A quick understanding of it is essential to enhance its functionality, reuse debugged snippets or finding errors. Using simple solutions also helps to interact with co-workers and others. Especially when scientists have to expect to interact with other disciplines, simple ways are often the only way forward. Continue reading
More than just data 