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My Jarvis Ai pt 2

   What’s up readers, hobbyists and experimenters, it’s been a while since my last post. But I’m back and can get these articles and experimentations back rolling.   One of the first updates I’m excited to tell you about, was an update to how I use my “Jarvis” program. From the previous article , I told you I was able to use Jarvis casually, and that was true , however not that effective. Although hands free, any help I wanted from the program had to be given near the computer. The microphone was attached and therefore stationary.  In order to solve this problem I purchased a conference microphone/ speaker. This device would allow me to travel around the house, giving Jarvis a more omnipresent feel. By stationing the conference microphone in the living area I could enjoy a book or movie etc and still have access to basic information.  This feature has come in handy while I read, providing clear and detailed explanations about things I need to understand. For exa...
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Don’t reinvent the wheel



One of the first ideas my professors in computer science tried to get across to us, was that we shouldn’t spend time doing things people have already done(unless  it’s for efficiency innovation of course I.e. the reimagined airless wheel). For example if I’m programming a game that requires physics algorithms etc… before I make anything, I look to see if someone else has an open source (free shareable) implementation of it first. This way, I can just copy any parts I need without having to become a complete expert on one particular component. I build off of the expertise of others before me. 


Copy and paste are two of the most powerful operations a computer can do. Don’t waste that power. Don’t get me wrong, copying and pasting blindly is definitely not advised , but copying with a plan/integration strategy is a priceless skill. 


Copying not only forces you to read how other people write code, but also how to read technical knowledge. Usually before you can even copy code, you have to already know how it works and how you can use it. By doing this research you essentially become a student of the component and in some cases an ambassador. 


Typically developers leave comments that include their name and the purpose of the code their sharing, and when you copy, their only requirement is that you don’t remove the author info. That’s it, and you can copy and use whatever code they provide. 


Conclusion 


Unless there are clear guidelines for why you shouldn’t be copying in your codebase, consider using open sourced code. It’s faster and often times shortens the learning curve.

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