Close
  • Latest News
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
Read Down
Sign in
Close
Welcome!Log into your account
Forgot your password?
Read Down
Password recovery
Recover your password
Close
Search
Logo
Logo
  • Latest News
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
More
    Home Applications
    • Applications
    • Development
    • IT Management
    • Networking

    How to Talk Like a Programmer

    By
    Darryl K. Taft
    -
    May 24, 2010
    Share
    Facebook
    Twitter
    Linkedin

      As the profession of computer programming continues to evolve, so does the jargon that typifies the daily life of a coder.

      Programming is alternately referred to as coding, hacking, developing and software engineering, among other things. And the age old debate over whether software development should be considered a creative endeavor or simply a rote, technical one. Whatever the case, it’s clear that among the legions of folks who are professional programmers are some of the most intelligent and creative people in our society. That creativity is not lost on nifty mobile apps or money-making enterprise apps or complex technical computing apps, or even on catchy code names whose significance to the program might be three layers deep. Often the creativity of the modern programmer lies in the jargon of the day. Programming has lent several terms to the lexicon of popular speak, including spaghetti code, Easter eggs, bugs, wizards, widgets and a lot more.

      However, today in 2010, a whole new crop of programmer slang has emerged. Thanks to the folks at Stack Overflow, who prompted developers to share their programming terminology, and Joey Devilla at the Global Nerdly blog (who was good enough to package it and help popularize it), we have a slew of new terms, such as “Unicorny,” which is used as an adjective to describe a feature that is so early in the planning stages that it might as well be imaginary. Or Bugfoot, which refers to a bug that is not reproducible and has been sighted by only one person. This is similar to the Loch Ness Monster Bug.

      Meanwhile, the concept of a bug report has spawned several new terms. There is the Drug Report, used to describe a bug report so utterly incomprehensible that whoever submitted it must have been smoking crack. The lesser version is a Chug Report, where the submitter is thought have had one too many. And then there is the Smug Report, which describes a bug submitted by a user who thinks he knows a lot more about the system’s design than he really does. Filled with irrelevant technical details and one or more suggestions (always wrong) about what he thinks is causing the problem and how we should fix it. Finally, there’s the Shrug Report, which is a bug report with no error message or repro steps and only a vague description of the problem. Usually contains the phrase “doesn’t work.”

      Other interesting programming terms originate in relationships. For instance, there is the Common Law Feature: A bug in the application that has existed so long that it is now part of the expected functionality, and user support is required to actually fix it. And there also is the Mad Girlfriend Bug, which occurs when a developer sees something strange happening, but when he inquires about it it will just say that everything is fine.

      Another term that is indicative of the way many programmers work is Code Slush, as opposed to Code Freeze, Code Slush is a term for the date after which no changes will be accepted, except, of course, all the changes that management will ask for at the last minute. It is like Code Freeze, but accepting of the fact that some changes will still get in.

      Meanwhile, I’m sure my friend Rod Johnson and the folks over at the SpringSource division of VMware would like this one: Lethal Dependency Injection, when a programmer uses too much Spring XML wiring to configure a handful of classes.

      Mostly, you don’t want to be considered an Impediphile – Someone who codes in such a manner as to constantly cause impediments to others work.

      Are you a nerd? What are some of the unique programming terms in your shop?

      Darryl K. Taft
      Darryl K. Taft covers the development tools and developer-related issues beat from his office in Baltimore. He has more than 10 years of experience in the business and is always looking for the next scoop. Taft is a member of the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) and was named 'one of the most active middleware reporters in the world' by The Middleware Co. He also has his own card in the 'Who's Who in Enterprise Java' deck.

      MOST POPULAR ARTICLES

      Big Data and Analytics

      Alteryx’s Suresh Vittal on the Democratization of...

      James Maguire - May 31, 2022 0
      I spoke with Suresh Vittal, Chief Product Officer at Alteryx, about the industry mega-shift toward making data analytics tools accessible to a company’s complete...
      Read more
      Cybersecurity

      Visa’s Michael Jabbara on Cybersecurity and Digital...

      James Maguire - May 17, 2022 0
      I spoke with Michael Jabbara, VP and Global Head of Fraud Services at Visa, about the cybersecurity technology used to ensure the safe transfer...
      Read more
      Applications

      Cisco’s Thimaya Subaiya on Customer Experience in...

      James Maguire - May 10, 2022 0
      I spoke with Thimaya Subaiya, SVP and GM of Global Customer Experience at Cisco, about the factors that create good customer experience – and...
      Read more
      Cloud

      IGEL CEO Jed Ayres on Edge and...

      James Maguire - June 14, 2022 0
      I spoke with Jed Ayres, CEO of IGEL, about the endpoint sector, and an open source OS for the cloud; we also spoke about...
      Read more
      Big Data and Analytics

      GoodData CEO Roman Stanek on Business Intelligence...

      James Maguire - May 4, 2022 0
      I spoke with Roman Stanek, CEO of GoodData, about business intelligence, data as a service, and the frustration that many executives have with data...
      Read more
      Logo

      eWeek has the latest technology news and analysis, buying guides, and product reviews for IT professionals and technology buyers. The site’s focus is on innovative solutions and covering in-depth technical content. eWeek stays on the cutting edge of technology news and IT trends through interviews and expert analysis. Gain insight from top innovators and thought leaders in the fields of IT, business, enterprise software, startups, and more.

      Facebook
      Linkedin
      RSS
      Twitter
      Youtube

      Advertisers

      Advertise with TechnologyAdvice on eWeek and our other IT-focused platforms.

      Advertise with Us

      Menu

      • About eWeek
      • Subscribe to our Newsletter
      • Latest News

      Our Brands

      • Privacy Policy
      • Terms
      • About
      • Contact
      • Advertise
      • Sitemap
      • California – Do Not Sell My Information

      Property of TechnologyAdvice.
      © 2022 TechnologyAdvice. All Rights Reserved

      Advertiser Disclosure: Some of the products that appear on this site are from companies from which TechnologyAdvice receives compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site including, for example, the order in which they appear. TechnologyAdvice does not include all companies or all types of products available in the marketplace.

      ×