
Roughing It Dev Style: Coding Without a Computer - rbanffy
https://dev.to/chznbaum/roughing-it-dev-style-coding-without-a-computer
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williamstein
An iPhone is a computer. When I was younger (the 1970s) I learned to program
with a notepad and simulated running the code, since we couldn't afford a
computer. Grrrr. :-)

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dkersten
I did this too, although it was the late 90’s. I’d be bored in class and come
up with algorithms and program ideas on paper. Sometimes it would be a week or
more before I’d get to try them.

Just the other day I was thinking about limiting my use of the internet and
coding without relying on internet access, like I did when I learned Visual
Basic, C++ and Python twenty years ago...

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Fireman
I do this on transit during my commute, and in some (pointless) meetings.
Lately it has produced some code I am very proud of.

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cameldrv
Coding on a phone is very doable if you have decent eyes. There are a number
of good editors and ssh clients available. The real problem is the input. You
can really get a near laptop level of productivity if you have a good
keyboard. The best, far and away, is the ThinkOutside/iGo Stowaway. Luckily,
even though it's discontinued, over ten years old, and was originally made to
connect to PDAs before the iPhone even existed, the Bluetooth version works
fine with modern phones. You can still find them on Amazon and Ebay.
([https://www.amazon.com/Stowaway-Ultra-Slim-Bluetooth-
Blackbe...](https://www.amazon.com/Stowaway-Ultra-Slim-Bluetooth-Blackberry-
Handhelds/dp/B0002OKCXE?tag=improvtherap-20))

What makes it such a killer product is that it's:

1\. Small and light enough to carry in your pocket, folded 2\. Almost a full
keyboard -- it's got all of the modifier keys, arrows, and symbols you need
for programming. You do need to use a modifier to type numbers, but this is
easy to get used to. 3\. Very comfortable to type on, good sized keys, good
action and travel 4\. Possible to use on your lap. The folding mechanism locks
into place, and there is an attached stand for the phone. Other keyboards are
nearly as good, but have to be placed on a hard surface, or they'll fold up.

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kevinsimper
I really like the idea, I asked about other with experience doing it and had
the exact same experience, really nice app recommendation!

[https://www.reddit.com/r/digitalnomad/comments/6yaktd/experi...](https://www.reddit.com/r/digitalnomad/comments/6yaktd/experience_developing_on_an_iphone/)

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pronoiac
Geez, I thought someone was using _pencil and paper._

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BenjiWiebe
I went to a parochial school and during my spare time in 6th grade (around the
time I learned to program) I would write C programs with pencil and paper, to
test when I got home. Curly braces were fun. :)

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pmoriarty
This reminds me of that Ken Thompson quote:

 _" I've seen [visual] editors like that, but I don't feel a need for them. I
don't want to see the state of the file when I'm editing."_

[https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Ken_Thompson#Quotes](https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Ken_Thompson#Quotes)

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aisofteng
The author is described at the bottom of thr article as a "full stack
developer", and yet writes about learning about binding addresses.

A full stack developer would already have been familiar with binding
addresses, and much more besides.

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jscholes
> A full stack developer would already have been familiar with binding
> addresses, and much more besides.

Yeah, I was with them all the way up until this point. Especially considering
that the decided-upon solution was just to bugger it and make the development
application public. Maybe iOS doesn't support SSH tunnels...

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arcticfox
Wow, I cannot imagine having the motivation to actually want to code on my
phone while riding in a car.

Tethering to a laptop seems like a much better solution if that situation is
required anyways.

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wolco
awd ide for andriod is what I use. It's not bad but the ads are annoying. Only
editor with sftp support without paying.

