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Survey Results

Are you a top-down or bottom-up programmer?   [Edit]

Survey period: 28 Jun 2004 to 4 Jul 2004

Do you code starting with the big picture logic and move down, or start coding in smaller operational modules and grow your application up?

OptionVotes% 
I generally work top-down31022.17
Combination: Top-down for logic and bottom-up for operational54338.84
I generally work bottom-up30621.89
Not sure / I'm inconsistent / It depends23917.10



 
GeneralGet the work done Pin
Code Lover3-Jul-04 9:55
Code Lover3-Jul-04 9:55 
GeneralI try top-down, Pin
Keith Ackermann2-Jul-04 10:57
Keith Ackermann2-Jul-04 10:57 
GeneralWhere to start? Pin
Jon Harley30-Jun-04 14:54
Jon Harley30-Jun-04 14:54 
GeneralRe: Where to start? Pin
Weiye Chen30-Jun-04 20:05
Weiye Chen30-Jun-04 20:05 
GeneralRe: Where to start? Pin
ColinDavies2-Jul-04 2:25
ColinDavies2-Jul-04 2:25 
GeneralRe: Where to start? Pin
fabulous1-Jul-04 23:49
fabulous1-Jul-04 23:49 
GeneralRe: Where to start? Pin
Shams Mukhtar2-Jul-04 3:55
Shams Mukhtar2-Jul-04 3:55 
GeneralRe: Where to start? Pin
Jon Harley2-Jul-04 18:07
Jon Harley2-Jul-04 18:07 
GeneralLike any bad programmer, I'm inconsistent. Pin
Nick Seng29-Jun-04 15:15
Nick Seng29-Jun-04 15:15 
GeneralRe: Like any bad programmer, I'm inconsistent. Pin
devvvy30-Jun-04 6:49
devvvy30-Jun-04 6:49 
GeneralRe: Like any bad programmer, I'm inconsistent. Pin
Weiye Chen30-Jun-04 19:57
Weiye Chen30-Jun-04 19:57 
GeneralRe: Like any bad programmer, I'm inconsistent. Pin
WillemM1-Jul-04 6:35
WillemM1-Jul-04 6:35 
GeneralRe: Like any bad programmer, I'm inconsistent. Pin
Mohammed Derbashi2-Jul-04 19:50
professionalMohammed Derbashi2-Jul-04 19:50 
GeneralDepends Pin
ian mariano29-Jun-04 11:22
ian mariano29-Jun-04 11:22 
GeneralLike any truly cool programmer, I do both! Pin
Gary Wheeler29-Jun-04 5:00
Gary Wheeler29-Jun-04 5:00 
GeneralIt's quiet. Too quiet. (sound of crickets chirping) Pin
Gary Wheeler29-Jun-04 9:26
Gary Wheeler29-Jun-04 9:26 
GeneralRe: Like any truly cool programmer, I do both! Pin
WillemM1-Jul-04 6:36
WillemM1-Jul-04 6:36 
GeneralCombo Pin
Bamaco229-Jun-04 5:00
Bamaco229-Jun-04 5:00 
GeneralRe: Combo Pin
Don Clugston29-Jun-04 15:00
Don Clugston29-Jun-04 15:00 
- "Take any problem of any size, and try to cut it into smaller chunks, then cut down those chunks into smaller chunks and so on until you end up with small, managable chunks."

I was told that too, and I would call it top-down, but it seems very naive to me. Top-down implies that you already understand the problem. In reality, I always find you don't understand your problem until you've tried to solve it. I think refactoring is inevitable except in trivial cases.

I usually start with 'proof of concept'. I'm not sure if that's bottom-up or top-down.
GeneralIt depends Pin
John R. Shaw28-Jun-04 18:01
John R. Shaw28-Jun-04 18:01 
GeneralNone of the above Pin
Marc Clifton28-Jun-04 10:55
mvaMarc Clifton28-Jun-04 10:55 
GeneralRe: None of the above Pin
David Stone28-Jun-04 11:00
sitebuilderDavid Stone28-Jun-04 11:00 
GeneralRe: None of the above Pin
Marc Clifton28-Jun-04 11:35
mvaMarc Clifton28-Jun-04 11:35 
GeneralRe: None of the above Pin
David Stone28-Jun-04 12:40
sitebuilderDavid Stone28-Jun-04 12:40 
GeneralBrainstorm Pin
Daniel Turini28-Jun-04 10:48
Daniel Turini28-Jun-04 10:48 

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