[Efficient programmer series] 1. Good horse and good saddle-a comfortable working environment

This article is a bit of a complaint. If your work environment is uncomfortable, please complain with me. Otherwise, you can skip this article.

What are the fruits of software developers? Software. To be specific, it is code. How is code generated? It is the method we have thought about to solve the problem, and then the file is generated by hitting the keyboard and clicking the mouse. Therefore, code is just a form of expression. The most important thing is the way we think about the problem. This article will discuss how to spend more time thinking, verifying, and correcting the methods to solve the problem, rather than focusing on other external activities without thinking.

Let's take a look at our daily work methods, view the requirements and design documents, and then think about how to solve the problems, including querying information online, coding, testing and correction, and finally generating the correct code. What external conditions do we depend on in this process? Office, office furniture, computer, network, power ...... The following describes these external conditions one by one.

1. Office

This is the most basic condition and one of the factors of production. The Office can be an independent room, a space separated by a partition, or an open, contiguous seat. Regardless of the form of the office, you must ensure the following:

(1) Enough personal space: no one is willing to squeeze in with others. It will be uncomfortable if they will bump into each other in the toilet.

(2) adequate light: although the computer screen is luminous, but with the addition of external light can be less eye-catching, otherwise long time facing the screen, the eyes are easy to fatigue.

(3) good ventilation: the current office is basically sealed. Many people are in a room, even if they do not appreciate it, they will be flustered after a long time. The fresh air is so refreshing that it will not be depressing to work. In addition, smoking is prohibited in the office. Although many software developers have a habit of refreshing smoking, not everyone can accept it.

(4) suitable temperature: summer sweating or freezing in winter, no one can work with peace of mind, which is self-evident.

(5) Quiet work environment: when people are in a quiet environment, they are most likely to concentrate, which is the most efficient at this time. If the noise is loud, they will naturally not be able to devote themselves to work. When the noise comes from outside the office and cannot be avoided, you can close the doors and windows. However, sometimes noise occurs in the office room, such as talking about problems, making phone calls, eating snacks, Fan sound from old computers, or even hitting the keyboard. Although some voices are not noise-sensitive for some people, some people are sensitive to noise. If possible, minimize or avoid noise.

2. Office Furniture

There are no special requirements on the desk, and enough space is enough. However, if there is a shelter under the table and you cannot stretch your legs and feet, it will inevitably get tired after a long time. If the company is relatively large, we recommend that you assign a number to each seat and divide the area into numbers. For example, the Department abbreviation is used as the prefix and then numbered by the horizontal and vertical coordinates of the seat. In this way, even people you don't know can easily locate them. In actual work, it is difficult to describe your seats, especially for new employees who are not familiar with the company's environment. For example, maintenance personnel are required to handle a computer problem. When a phone call is called, he asks you where you are and you don't know how to answer it. You can only give a relative location. If a coordinate is given, it can be quickly located without the need to ask others. Even if you are not familiar with the company, you can easily find the specified location.

Compared to a table, a chair is closely connected to our body, and its comfort is even more important. Our bodies are not designed to sit for a long time, but modern life requires us to sit and work most of the time, so a good chair plays a role in health. A good chair must be able to adjust the height and angle, because each person's body is different, the comfort height and angle requirements are different. The Chair must also have a back-to-back and handrails. Otherwise, the arm and back are not supported and it will be very tired after a long time. The researchers used an instrument to measure the pressure on the back of different sitting posture, and found that when sitting down, a slight backward, the body and thigh into a 135 ° angle, is the best sitting posture. Compared with other staff in the Office, software developers need to pay more attention to sitting posture. In many cases, we have been sitting in front of the computer for more than ten hours or longer, this leads to a common chronic disease in the lumbar spine. Don't start to pay attention to maintenance when you get older and have problems. If you make more money today, you won't be able to change your health.

3. Computers

Computers are essential production tools for software developers and are also controversial. In particular, when I graduated, I often discuss with my colleagues how the company configured the computer. Some companies buy new laptops directly, while others arrange antique hosts. What software developers need to do is to express the problem-solving ideas in code, which is always faster than writing code. If the company refuses to configure a high-performance computer for software developers, it is to pick up sesame seeds and drop the watermelon. The current electronic products have been updated in just a few months, and the price is getting cheaper. At present, a high-performance computer does not cost much. The annual profit it brings to the company is n times its own price, but some companies still keep their machines many years ago. I have to sigh: the company's cost is not so low, and the children's shoes using antique machines cannot afford to hurt ......

(1) CPU & memory

These two are the core components that determine the performance of a computer. It takes several minutes for you to start the computer, or a minute or two to open the programming software. Once compilation starts, the whole machine will die there or the mouse will float ...... Do you have a hard time working? Today's programming software has higher and higher requirements on system performance. We will often open several large programming software, and possibly open virtual machines. In the era of dual-core mobile phones, if the company configures a single-core CPU for software developers, what is the reason for employees to work efficiently?

In terms of memory, compared with the previous few years, the current memory can be said to be the price of cabbage, 2 GB memory is even less than 100 yuan, and 4 GB memory is not more than 200 yuan. Therefore, we recommend that you configure 4G or larger memory. Even if the 32-bit system only uses 3G, the remaining 1g can be used as a virtual hard disk to accelerate system operation.

(2) Hard Disk

The current hard disk is the same as the memory, it is also the price of cabbage, unless it is crazy to download a movie, it will not be used up. However, some companies may find that the hard disk is too small, resulting in slow system operation or insufficient database space. A 300 GB hard drive costs less than RMB. I really don't know why some companies make so much money, but even hundreds of disks are not willing to spend.

(3) display

This is a problem that is basically ignored. Most people think that the display can display the content normally and there is no requirement. However, some companies have to mention the impact of their work on their monitors. CRT display can be said to be antique-level, unless the image processing staff, the General Staff will use LCD display, small space, less power consumption, no screen flash, the price is getting cheaper. Of course, the larger the size, the larger the area, the larger the workspace, can avoid frequent scrolling. For a new computer, we recommend that you set the minimum size to 19 inches. The display effects of various brands of various models on the market are different. Some of them are not flattering. The display effect is tested using test software and almost half of the color is invisible. During normal development, if the background or border is dimmed, it is simply a whiteboard. The layout problem will not be found until the launch, and the workload will be wasted to modify it. If the display results lead to rework, it means the company is suffering, but it is affected by the development of children's shoes ......

(4) mouse and keyboard

Although the mouse and keyboard are widgets, they are the closest devices to people. Under normal circumstances, the power button on the chassis is pressed once a day, the power button of the monitor is pressed twice or even not, but the mouse and keyboard do not know how many times to be clicked. When a poor keyboard is pressed, it does not have a feel or card, and some may make a lot of noise. The mouse is more prone to problems, and the mouse will be clicked or double-clicked after a poor mouse takes a long time, or the click can be triggered only by pressing it hard. A set of 30 or 40 cheaper mouse keys is even cheaper, but there is a problem after a period of time, but it affects the work, and updating is also costly. A set of high-quality mouse keys, although dozens of expensive, can be used for a longer time, making it easier to use. In contrast, high-quality mouse keys can bring greater benefits. Why?

(5) Fan

Apart from hard disks, fans are the only computer component that can produce noise. Hard Disk noise can be ignored, but the fan is exposed, high temperature, dust erosion, a little longer, noise can not be ignored. Once some computers are started, people around them are shocked. After the shutdown, people around the world will think that the world can be so clean. Unfortunately, this issue is basically ignored and has never been taken seriously.

(6) maintenance

After talking about the fan, I had to talk about maintenance. Some companies are willing to spend money to perform health checks for their employees, but never want to perform health checks on their computers. In other industries, regular inspection of labor tools is essential, and some may even be hard-coded. If the labor tools in those industries are not well maintained, they will cause damage to the quality of work and even personal safety. However, computers cannot enjoy similar benefits. The first problem is that users can solve the problem by themselves. Unless they cannot use it, they will use it. Internet cafes often clean up computer dust and upgrade configurations so that consumers can have a good experience. Software companies should learn Internet cafes and create a good working environment for their employees.

4. Network

(1) network hardware

Networks are also essential for software developers. The first is to ensure that employees have enough network ports, but sometimes this is more difficult to guarantee, especially when working on the customer's side. Generally, only one network port is installed under a desk, but not necessarily only one computer is installed on a desk. Sometimes the customer is working on a temporary basis, and the customer may not be able to provide enough Network Ports. The current router is very cheap. I bought a D-Link Wireless route for 90 yuan a while ago. In addition, many employees use laptops. Wireless routing can also reduce network cables to avoid the problem of insufficient network connections. It is recommended that the company allocate more wireless routes, so do not wait for urgent use. We also recommend that you regularly check fixed network cables. If you solve the problem of large-scale network interruptions, you will waste a lot of time. If you have an urgent task to handle, you cannot start work when the network is disconnected. Do you have to worry about it.

It is best to install a protective cover for the crystal head of the network cable. The above snap-on is easily broken. Although the protective cover cannot completely protect it, it has at least a certain protective effect. The network port is usually installed under the desk. If the clip spring of the crystal head is disconnected and then connected to the network port, the network may be disconnected at any time, and it will be annoying if the number of times increases.

(2) network speed and stability

When software developers work, they often need to check information online. If the network speed is not fast enough, it will take a long time to open the web page, which is a waste of productivity. At present, Guangzhou Telecom's 2 m home broadband can reach kb/s, and it only takes several minutes to download dozens of M files. However, the company's network speed generally does not exceed kb/s, especially when you are resting at noon. Fortunately, it takes half a minute to open the web page without slowing down. It is acceptable.

The stability of the network is also very important, because most of the time you need to work online, once the network is disconnected, the entire work cannot proceed. When many people wait together, the waste of time is not a few minutes.

5. Power supply

Generally, companies install network cable ports, telephone line ports, and power outlets under their desks. This poses a major drawback. When employees stretch their legs, they will be kicked by these interfaces accidentally. In particular, when the interface is not strong enough, the computer will be shut down, making people very depressed. If possible, it is recommended that you do not install it in the front of the employee's seat. Otherwise, one day you stretch your legs and legs. If the display is black, the chassis lights will not turn on, and you will be depressed!

Using a desktop requires at least two power outlets. It is better to directly install two or more power outlets. We recommend that you use high-quality mobile sockets. If you encounter a power failure accidentally, it will be depressing.

I wonder if you have had some sad experiences. The above is not only a requirement for the company, but also a good suggestion for the company. When employees are comfortable in the company, they are happy to use the company's various devices to make them more efficient. This is also the voice of our programmers.