help remembering what i learn

[imported_ExOdUs]

i wanna know if programmers are suppose to remember everything cause im having a problem rembering some commands that i learned like sizeof conditional operator.....ect. And i wanna know when you go to your jobs and program is it ok to bring some books as a reference to help you if you forget some stuff?

[Smerdyakov]

Memorizing language details is nowhere near as important as learning the problem solving skills that are central to programming. On the other hand, if you are having trouble memorizing language details, then you aren't programming enough, and so you should write more programs!

[imported_ExOdUs]

problem solving skills like what? and if i cant remember a certain syntax should i not move on until i master that syntax or should i move on?

[Smerdyakov]

Problem solving skills like how to turn your goal of what a program should do into an actual working program :-)

I would say you should focus on solving problems with a syntax reference by your side as long as necessary. That shouldn't be long if you keep at it.

[imported_ExOdUs]

But my programs cant do anything that real world programs can do cause all my programs are in DOS.And i read in another forum that for me to make windows programs i have to learn C/C++ .

[Smerdyakov]

I (and most professional programming educators) would advise learning to solve "mathematical-type" problems with programs first. "Real world programs" are just simpler versions of such programs.

[imported_ExOdUs]

Mathematical type problems like what? you mean like calclus and algebra type math?

[inkedmn]

the way to remember any language (programming or natural) is to use it as often as you can.

[Smerdyakov]

ExOdUs, perhaps it would be best if you just found a textbook for an introductory college programming class. It would recommend a learning strategy that might help you focus your plans better. By the imprecise phrase "mathematical-type problems," I mean problems that have nothing to do with input or output, but rather with the process where you compute values based on others.

[DNAunion2000]

ExOdUs: But my programs cant do anything that real world programs can do cause all my programs are in DOS.And i read in another forum that for me to make windows programs i have to learn C/C++ .

/*DNAunion*/ There are simpler ways of programming windows, such as Visual Basic .NET and even C#.

By the way, concerning your original question, I have been programming Visual FoxPro professionally for over 5 years and I haven't memorized all of the commands (but FoxPro has nearly a thousand commands).