Conversations like this give programmers a bad name

[AccruedExpenditure]

'Question starts- I have no programming experience, answer: Learn how to program'

Thoughts?

 

[vshah]

I don't see anything wrong...?

 

[BurnItDwn]

That doesn't give programmers a bad name. The programmer was very helpful and accommodating. The guy who isn't a programmer who's asking "how" to do it is just fvcking lazy.

 

[CrackRabbit]

Originally posted by: AccruedExpenditure
'Question starts- I have no programming experience, answer: Learn how to program'

Thoughts?

Well it is the correct answer.

 

[Nik]

Neither do I. Dude asks if it's possible, his first reply is "yes it is." Dude even goes on to explain how.

What's the problem

 

[effowe]

Originally posted by: BurnItDwn
That doesn't give programmers a bad name. The programmer was very helpful and accommodating. The guy who isn't a programmer who's asking "how" to do it is just fvcking lazy.

Indeed, his last reply of "blah" makes it clear that he just wants a program to do it automatically for him. If your needs aren't met by any program out there, you are going to need to do it yourself.

 

[Chronoshock]

I feel the guy's response was entirely appropriate. He pointed out a way to solve it, suggested a language, offered his assistance in working with the output.

Even from the most nonprogrammer-centric perspective, any program that someone would write for the OP would surely miss a requirement, either present or future.

 

[Kirby]

Originally posted by: AccruedExpenditure


Thoughts?

None.

 

[RedArmy]

Originally posted by: effowe

Originally posted by: BurnItDwn
That doesn't give programmers a bad name. The programmer was very helpful and accommodating. The guy who isn't a programmer who's asking "how" to do it is just fvcking lazy.

Indeed, his last reply of "blah" makes it clear that he just wants a program to do it automatically for him. If your needs aren't met by any program out there, you are going to need to do it yourself.

That was a completely different person, you probably looked at the avatar and assumed it was the same poster.

 

[Evadman]

I'm sorry, I seriously don't see a problem. The programmer explained clearly several different options that the poster could take. The issue seems to be that the poster thinks he could wave a wand and it would be done, or that knowledge could be transfered though osmosis or something.

Howabout we put a different twist on this. An equivelent example is if someone posted on a medical forum 'how do I replace a kidney? I have no medical knowledge at all.'. Then a helpful doctor pointed out that you need to learn basic medical knowledge and to start with picking a university. The doctor pointed out several universities with good medical programs.

Does that give doctor's a bad name? Of course not. What gives programs a bad name is that stupid people are stupid.

 

[effowe]

Originally posted by: RedArmy

Originally posted by: effowe

Originally posted by: BurnItDwn
That doesn't give programmers a bad name. The programmer was very helpful and accommodating. The guy who isn't a programmer who's asking "how" to do it is just fvcking lazy.

Indeed, his last reply of "blah" makes it clear that he just wants a program to do it automatically for him. If your needs aren't met by any program out there, you are going to need to do it yourself.

That was a completely different person, you probably looked at the avatar and assumed it was the same poster.

Sure did, my bad.

 

[dighn]

I agree with the other posters. The answer might seem full of jargon but there comes a point where trying to simplify it further would lose meaning. If he doesn't want to get his hands dirty then he should pay/ask someone to do it for him.

 

[halik]

Originally posted by: AccruedExpenditure
'Question starts- I have no programming experience, answer: Learn how to program'

Thoughts?

Err where is the issue here? There won't be a simple "how to" solution to get that done - you'll need to do some xslt or write something to manually grab the data.

More importantly: He's asking a question in a Beginning Programing forum. How would you not expect an answer that involves some sort of programming is beyond me...

 

[funkymatt]

Originally posted by: RedArmy

Originally posted by: effowe

Originally posted by: BurnItDwn
That doesn't give programmers a bad name. The programmer was very helpful and accommodating. The guy who isn't a programmer who's asking "how" to do it is just fvcking lazy.

Indeed, his last reply of "blah" makes it clear that he just wants a program to do it automatically for him. If your needs aren't met by any program out there, you are going to need to do it yourself.

That was a completely different person, you probably looked at the avatar and assumed it was the same poster.

lol OPwned

 

[AccruedExpenditure]

Originally posted by: Evadman
I'm sorry, I seriously don't see a problem. The programmer explained clearly several different options that the poster could take. The issue seems to be that the poster thinks he could wave a wand and it would be done, or that knowledge could be transfered though osmosis or something.

Howabout we put a different twist on this. An equivelent example is if someone posted on a medical forum 'how do I replace a kidney? I have no medical knowledge at all.'. Then a helpful doctor pointed out that you need to learn basic medical knowledge and to start with picking a university. The doctor pointed out several universities with good medical programs.

Does that give doctor's a bad name? Of course not. What gives programs a bad name is that stupid people are stupid.

The question the guy is asking is 'my kidney hurts and I don't know how to make it stop' and the doctor telling him to learn basic medical knowledge instead of telling to go see a specialist.

I agree that a developer's forum probably isn't the best place to ask a question like that, but where else would you ask? Yahoo Answers?

 

[halik]

Originally posted by: AccruedExpenditure

Originally posted by: Evadman
I'm sorry, I seriously don't see a problem. The programmer explained clearly several different options that the poster could take. The issue seems to be that the poster thinks he could wave a wand and it would be done, or that knowledge could be transfered though osmosis or something.

Howabout we put a different twist on this. An equivelent example is if someone posted on a medical forum 'how do I replace a kidney? I have no medical knowledge at all.'. Then a helpful doctor pointed out that you need to learn basic medical knowledge and to start with picking a university. The doctor pointed out several universities with good medical programs.

Does that give doctor's a bad name? Of course not. What gives programs a bad name is that stupid people are stupid.

The question the guy is asking is 'my kidney hurts and I don't know how to make it stop' and the doctor telling him to learn basic medical knowledge instead of telling to go see a specialist.

I agree that a developer's forum probably isn't the best place to ask a question like that, but where else would you ask? Yahoo Answers?

Yeah, if you're looking for out of the box solution that doesn't exist.

I understand you're an accountant of some sort, so you may or may not see the issue. You can't readily convert hierarchical data (xml) into flat format (CSV), especially assuming the CSV has to follow some sort of a format also.

Are you the o/p in the forum?

 

[DaveSimmons]

I see the guy posted into a "Beginner Programming" forum, not "how to do stuff automatic-like but without programming" so:

<Nik> WRONG FORUM! </Nik>

 

[AccruedExpenditure]

Originally posted by: halik
Yeah, if you're looking for out of the box solution that doesn't exist.

I understand you're an account of some sort, so you may or may not see the issue. You can't readily convert hierarchical data (xml) into flat format (CSV), especially assuming the CSV has to follow some sort of a format also.

Are you the o/p in the forum?

I'm not the OP on that forum but looking for the solution for the same problem ;-)

 

[dighn]

Originally posted by: AccruedExpenditure
The question the guy is asking is 'my kidney hurts and I don't know how to make it stop' and the doctor telling him to learn basic medical knowledge instead of telling to go see a specialist.

I agree that a developer's forum probably isn't the best place to ask a question like that, but where else would you ask? Yahoo Answers?

It doesn't matter where he asks the question. I doubt anyone would the time to teach him the basics of everything and show him step by step how to do it. It'd be faster to just write the damn thing for him, which is what he should ask for if that's what he wants. I'm sure somebody might oblige him even for free.

 

[PieIsAwesome]

Reminds me of when I use google to help solve what seems like a simple problem I encounter in Ubuntu or Fedora only to be presented with more complicated questions.

Q: "I can haz video drivers?"

A: "Yes, you need to gbkabgkieubkagbkabvblabva.falbgabgklwabgla abg kwbglk bkgealkngoeangndnv,ckdklg be ogepg/'hh'heihbgkle938 bekjbeflGLg ehl. . ."

 

[halik]

Originally posted by: AccruedExpenditure

Originally posted by: halik
Yeah, if you're looking for out of the box solution that doesn't exist.

I understand you're an account of some sort, so you may or may not see the issue. You can't readily convert hierarchical data (xml) into flat format (CSV), especially assuming the CSV has to follow some sort of a format also.

Are you the o/p in the forum?

I'm not the OP on that forum but looking for the solution for the same problem ;-)

go through this


Make a simple XSLT template where nodes are delimited by commas, open the xml file in firefox/safari and it will show as CSV. Now you can just copy & paste the CSV into whatever.

Edit: Actually this is the important page:
anyone with 3 digit IQ should be able to modify it for their use


My CS degree is a gift that keeps on giving

 

[Evadman]

Originally posted by: AccruedExpenditure
I'm not the OP on that forum but looking for the solution for the same problem ;-)

XSLT is a really good starting point then. Like halik stated, there really isn't a simple way to turn hierarchical XML into flat CSV.

State the actual problem in the programming forum, not what you think the solution is. For example, you want to convert XML to CSV, but that makes no sense as the full issue. No human uses CSV, the CSV is going somewhere else, like into a database or excel workbook or program or something. Just because you (with none or little experience) chose to do a XML to CSV conversion doesn't make that solution the best fit to the problem.

 

[AccruedExpenditure]

Originally posted by: halik

Make a simple XSLT template where nodes are delimited by commas, open the xml file in firefox/safari and it will show as CSV. Now you can just copy & paste the CSV into whatever.

Thanks halik! For the record though I'm not an accountant and do have a bit of dev experience... just wanted to avoid having to learn and write something for a task I'm only going to have to do once
-AE

 

[AccruedExpenditure]

The style sheet conversion is awesome... the file i'm dealing with is 8 megs but I think this should do it!

 

[halik]

Originally posted by: AccruedExpenditure

Originally posted by: halik

Make a simple XSLT template where nodes are delimited by commas, open the xml file in firefox/safari and it will show as CSV. Now you can just copy & paste the CSV into whatever.

Thanks halik! For the record though I'm not an accountant and do have a bit of dev experience... just wanted to avoid having to learn and write something for a task I'm only going to have to do once
-AE

No Problem.

CS degree is a fantastic tool, regardless of what you do for living. It's how I got a job on wall street first time around as an Econ guy