Important info:
Java != Javascript.
Javascript != Java.
Rules:
1. No spoonfeeding. This includes both posting complete working code and asking for such. (Note: It's okay to tell what java file the individual should look in)
2. Be constructive. No stupid shit like "Delete system32". If you don't have anything useful to contribute with, please refrain from answering.
3. As with the rest of the forum; No illegal content. This includes last-login stealers for Minecraft, etc.
4. There is such a thing as stupid questions. Do some research on your problem before asking for help (This includes reading the stickied posts!).
Posting guidelines:
Post relevant code to your specific problem.
This does not mean you should copy-paste your entire project into your post. Just post the method/function where the error occurs.
Post your error.
We need to know exactly what the error is in order to help you. "It doesn't work" goesn't give us any information as to where your problem might be.
Research your problem before asking for help.
Doing a little research into your problem will save both parties a lot of time, and you might even be able to figure out the problem entierly on your own. As WhoopiGoldberg so nicely put it:
WhoopiGoldberg, on 05 February 2012 - 06:26 AM, said:
Myself and the rest of the programming section do not have the will or patience to help someone who obviously isn't helping themselves.
Add tags to your post to help categorise them.
[Showcase] - Showing off something you've made
[Help] - Asking a help question
[Solved] - Add to the start of your [Help] topic once the solution has been found
[Discussion] - Asking questions about other people's opinions and other debate-type stuff
[Tutorial] - Explaining how to solve certain problems or to achieve certain tasks (Note: No spoonfeeding still applies here!).
How to ask questions:
Asking a question is easy, but asking a question in a manner that makes people actually want to help you, that's an art on its own.
Please take the time to read this guide, I guarantee you won't regret it: How To Ask Questions The Smart Way.
If you're not getting the response you want, this might be the reason why:
Quote
The first thing to understand is that hackers actually like hard problems and good, thought-provoking questions about them. If we didn't, we wouldn't be here. If you give us an interesting question to chew on we'll be grateful to you; good questions are a stimulus and a gift. Good questions help us develop our understanding, and often reveal problems we might not have noticed or thought about otherwise. Among hackers, "Good question!" is a strong and sincere compliment.
Despite this, hackers have a reputation for meeting simple questions with what looks like hostility or arrogance. It sometimes looks like we're reflexively rude to newbies and the ignorant. But this isn't really true.
What we are, unapologetically, is hostile to people who seem to be unwilling to think or to do their own homework before asking questions. People like that are time sinks they take without giving back, and they waste time we could have spent on another question more interesting and another person more worthy of an answer. We call people like this "losers". [Sirenfal: Skiddies generally fall in this category as well]
We realize that there are many people who just want to use the software we write, and who have no interest in learning technical details. For most people, a computer is merely a tool, a means to an end; they have more important things to do and lives to live. We acknowledge that, and don't expect everyone to take an interest in the technical matters that fascinate us. Nevertheless, our style of answering questions is tuned for people who do take such an interest and are willing to be active participants in problem-solving. That's not going to change. Nor should it; if it did, we would become less effective at the things we do best.
We're (largely) volunteers. We take time out of busy lives to answer questions, and at times we're overwhelmed with them. So we filter ruthlessly. In particular, we throw away questions from people who appear to be losers in order to spend our question-answering time more efficiently, on winners.
If you find this attitude obnoxious, condescending, or arrogant, check your assumptions. We're not asking you to genuflect to us in fact, most of us would love nothing more than to deal with you as an equal and welcome you into our culture, if you put in the effort required to make that possible. But it's simply not efficient for us to try to help people who are not willing to help themselves. It's OK to be ignorant; it's not OK to play stupid.
So, while it isn't necessary to already be technically competent to get attention from us, it is necessary to demonstrate the kind of attitude that leads to competence alert, thoughtful, observant, willing to be an active partner in developing a solution. If you can't live with this sort of discrimination, we suggest you pay somebody for a commercial support contract instead of asking hackers to personally donate help to you.
Despite this, hackers have a reputation for meeting simple questions with what looks like hostility or arrogance. It sometimes looks like we're reflexively rude to newbies and the ignorant. But this isn't really true.
What we are, unapologetically, is hostile to people who seem to be unwilling to think or to do their own homework before asking questions. People like that are time sinks they take without giving back, and they waste time we could have spent on another question more interesting and another person more worthy of an answer. We call people like this "losers". [Sirenfal: Skiddies generally fall in this category as well]
We realize that there are many people who just want to use the software we write, and who have no interest in learning technical details. For most people, a computer is merely a tool, a means to an end; they have more important things to do and lives to live. We acknowledge that, and don't expect everyone to take an interest in the technical matters that fascinate us. Nevertheless, our style of answering questions is tuned for people who do take such an interest and are willing to be active participants in problem-solving. That's not going to change. Nor should it; if it did, we would become less effective at the things we do best.
We're (largely) volunteers. We take time out of busy lives to answer questions, and at times we're overwhelmed with them. So we filter ruthlessly. In particular, we throw away questions from people who appear to be losers in order to spend our question-answering time more efficiently, on winners.
If you find this attitude obnoxious, condescending, or arrogant, check your assumptions. We're not asking you to genuflect to us in fact, most of us would love nothing more than to deal with you as an equal and welcome you into our culture, if you put in the effort required to make that possible. But it's simply not efficient for us to try to help people who are not willing to help themselves. It's OK to be ignorant; it's not OK to play stupid.
So, while it isn't necessary to already be technically competent to get attention from us, it is necessary to demonstrate the kind of attitude that leads to competence alert, thoughtful, observant, willing to be an active partner in developing a solution. If you can't live with this sort of discrimination, we suggest you pay somebody for a commercial support contract instead of asking hackers to personally donate help to you.
IRC channel for quicker response:
As we've gotten ourselves an IRC server, we also have gotten ourselves a programming channel!
Help and ideas can be given in #Programming on irc.teamavolition.com:6667, feel free to join us!
All forum rules applies on the IRC as well!
What is spoonfeeding?
It has become a theme in this section to include "Hope this isn't spoonfeeding", "I don't want spoonfeeding", "Please tell me if this is spoonfeeding"... Etc.
How ironic isn't it that we have to spoonfeed you with what spoonfeeding is?
spoon-feeding
Variant of spoon-feed
transitive verb spoon-fed, spoon-feeding
to feed with a spoon
to pamper; coddle
to treat, instruct, or inform in a manner that destroys initiative or curbs independent thought and action
You should avoid asking questions that lead to spoonfeeding, as well as avoid answering in a manner destroys independent thought and action. Posting fully working code as an answer cripples the individuals capacity to think out the solution to their problem themselves, and this will only lead to them asking for more spoonfeeding. We're not a coding think-tank that produces code on demand; We're here to help others become programmers as well!
The only time it's acceptable to post fully working code is if the individual is an experienced coder, or if you in details explain the inner workings of the code as to help the individual understand the basics of programming.
If you don't care about your independent thought and action being destroyed, then maybe HackForums is the place for you?
Useful resources:
Threads:
What to do if you're "new to programming?"
Bitwise operations
A List of FREE Programming Books/Sites
Books:
C:
C Primer Plus (5th Edition) by Stephen Prata (Dec 3, 2004)
C++:
Ivor Horton's Beginning Visual C++ 2010 (Wrox Programmer to Programmer) by Ivor Horton (Apr 12, 2010)
Java:
Ivor Horton's Beginning Java (Wrox Programmer to Programmer) by Ivor Horton (Sep 27, 2011)
Game programming:
Game Coding Complete, Fourth Edition by Mike McShaffry (Mar 6, 2012)
Game Engine Architecture by Jason Gregory (Jul 10, 2009)
Graphics:
Learning Modern 3D Graphics Programming by Jason L. McKesson (2011) (Free OpenGL e-book)
If you have anything you'd like to add, please tell!
Edited by Wkter, 25 February 2012 - 12:39 AM.
