Old Code, New Tricks: A C++ Coder’s Journey from Vim to Vibes
Old Code, New Tricks:
A C++ Coder’s Journey from Vim to Vibes
60++ coders view of the Gen z coder
Hey there, fellow keyboard warriors! It’s Srini here, your
neighborhood C++ old-timer, ready to spin you a yarn about the coding clashes
of generations. I've been in the trenches long enough to see punch cards go out
of style, and yet here I am, trying to understand why my terminal doesn’t
support emoji.
Let’s dive into the delightful chaos of coding styles, where
the venerable Unix shell meets the snap-and-go ethos of Gen Z. Brace yourself
for a lighthearted romp through code blocks and TikTok clocks!
Chapter 1: Greetings,
System!
Back in my day, we greeted each other with a handshake firm
enough to affirm your C++ credentials. In code? It was no different:
include <iostream>
int main() {
std::cout <<
"Hello, World!" << std::endl;
return 0;
}
But enter Gen Z, and suddenly my "Hello, World!"
looks as ancient as the floppy disks gathering dust in my attic. Here’s how the
new kids might do it:
include <iostream>
using namespace std;
auto main() -> int {
cout <<
"Heyyy 🌍!" << endl;
}
Yes, emojis. In terminal output. Where will they show up
next? Commit messages?
Chapter 2: Comments
and Commitments
Now, let’s talk about commenting. My comments used to be a
meticulous affair, much like crafting a fine watch. Here’s an example:
// Function: Calculate the factorial of a number
// Input: int - The number for which to calculate the
factorial
// Output: long long - The factorial of the number
long long factorial(int n) {
// Base case
if (n == 0) return
1;
// Recursive case
return n *
factorial(n - 1);
}
Fast forward to today, and Gen Z’s comments look like they
were typed with one thumb while skateboarding:
// idk man, it just works 🤷♂️
auto fact(auto n) -> decltype(n) {
return (n < 2)
? 1 : n * fact(n - 1);
}
I mean, who needs detailed comments when you have swagger
and autocorrect?
Chapter 3:
Compilation Showdown
Here’s where it gets interesting. Compiling code in my day
was akin to a sacred ritual. The command line was our altar, and GCC our high
priest. A typical compile command?
g++ -Wall -Werror -O2 -o program program.cpp
Today’s Gen Z coder slaps a Docker container together faster
than I can say “linker error.” And their compile commands? It's all about
shorthand:
g++ -o prog prog.cpp && ./prog
Simple, sleek, and oh, did I mention they run it inside an
Alpine Linux container spun up on their Kubernetes cluster managed through a
cloud IDE? Phew!
Chapter 4:
Optimization Olympics
Optimization? My era was obsessed. We’d spend days squeezing
every bit of performance from our code like it was a lemon on my free salad .
Check out this snippet for calculating primes:
for (int i = 2; i < n; i++) {
bool isPrime =
true;
for (int j = 2; j
* j <= i; j++) {
if (i % j ==
0) {
isPrime =
false;
break;
}
}
if (isPrime)
primes.push_back(i);
}
Cut to Gen Z, and here’s their version, leveraging every
library and framework under the sun:
vector<int> getPrimes(int n) {
vector<bool>
is_prime(n+1, true);
for (int i = 2; i
* i <= n; i++) {
if
(is_prime[i]) {
for (int j
= i * i; j <= n; j += i)
is_prime[j] = false;
}
}
return
vector<int>(is_prime.begin() + 2, is_prime.end());
}
They call it “modern C++.” I call it “Why reinvent the wheel
when there’s Stack Overflow?”
Epilogue: Embracing
the New, Respecting the Old
As much as I poke fun at these young coders, there’s something to be said for the sheer speed and adaptability of Gen Z programmers. They’ve got the tools, the tech, and the TikTok to do things in ways we never dreamed of.
So, whether you’re an old school coder like me or a fresh-faced dev with a penchant for memes, remember: the best code is the code that works. And sometimes, it even has emojis.
Keep coding, and keep laughing, folks! Until next time, this
is Srini signing off. 👋🧑💻
BTW don't compile any of the code here. I have no clue if it even compiles, let alone work. 😀
posted by Srinivas Katharguppe @ 8:56 PM
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