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User Interface Developers: Please Have Mercy on Your Poor Users!

Woman screaming in rage,

This blog post is for any software engineers who are involved in programming or designing a user interface.

If someone performs a user interface action that should result in an instantaneous and clearly visible response they will only wait patiently for that response for a brief period of time.

If after a five second delay they do not see the expected clearly visible response they will perform the user interface action again, perhaps multiple times if the delay continues for another five seconds or so.

If for some reason there is a delay that prevents the expected instantaneous and clearly visible response, please, for the love of whatever deity or great power you follow, DO NOT PERFORM THE RESPONSE MULTIPLE TIMES.

The multiple user interface actions were not in any way a request to perform the response multiple times. They were multiple increasingly desperate attempts to get the response a single time.

For example, if the user is pressing enter on a desktop icon that starts a program that displays a message box before the main function is even called, they will press enter on the desktop icon multiple times if for some reason it takes between five and sixty seconds to start the application when it normally starts in far less than a second.

Trust me. The user has already started screaming at you by the time they have to hit enter on the desktop icon a third time because the message box still has not been displayed in response to the request to start the application that was made fifteen seconds earlier.

If you then start that application one time for each time they pressed the enter key on the desktop icon when your badly broken operating system finally realizes the user is desperately trying to start it the poor user might end up having a stroke because of the rage they are now experiencing!

Another example is opening a menu such as the start menu or an application menu. Normally this is a very quick operation that takes less than a second. So if five seconds after they pressed the key to open the menu the user does not see the menu, they will press the key to open it again. On the rare occasions when something delays the opening of the menu they may have pressed the open menu key four or five times before it is opened.

That does not mean they want the menu to be opened, then closed, then opened, then closed…

The multiple presses of the key to open the menu were multiple increasingly desperate attempts to open the menu once. By the second attempt the poor user is screaming at you. If you do the open menu, close menu, open menu, close menu, … foolishness it is very likely that the poor user might end up have a stroke because of the rage they are now experiencing!

These are problems I experience very often with Microsoft Windows. To be fair I have seen it with Linux and Mac OSX as well, but no where near as often as I see in in Windows.

Fuck you very much Microsoft for the wonderful user experience of Windows and every single Microsoft product I have every used! If I believed in hell I would wish for everyone responsible for these wonderful user experiences to suffer eternal torment in the hottest and most fiery section of hell!

Thank you for listening to me vent. I feel much better now.

Here is a song that expresses my heartfelt feelings towards Microsoft. Enjoy.

… you very much Microsoft
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On the benefits of taking a course over learning by doing.

I am a self taught software engineer. It is something I take a great deal of pride in.

I started learning C programming language back in 1997. If I remember correctly I started by reading Sams Teach Yourself C in 21 Days and perhaps also C Programming Language by Brian W. Kernighan and Dennis M. Ritchie.

Then on January 5, 1999 I got a job working for Henter-Joyce (now Freedom Scientific) as an Associate Software Engineer. My responsibilities included writing code in the JAWS Scripting Language which a proprietary programming language that is used by the JAWS screen reader.

I quickly decided that I was not content with just writing code in the JAWS Scripting Language; I wanted to be able to modify the JAWS internals.

At that time almost all of the JAWS internal code was in the C++ programming language. Therefore I decided to teach myself C++.

To learn C++ I did the following.

  • I bought a copy of Sams Teach Yourself C++ in 21 Days and began reading it.
  • I wrote an application called SysInfo in C++ as a aid to our technical support department. SysInfo would gather information such as Video Card information, OS, memory, and send it to technical support via email. SysInfo was very similar to the current Microsoft System Information Tool.

This plan was so successful that I was promoted to Software Engineer in January 2000. I have used C++ as my primary programming language since then.

I never stopped learning. I have tried to keep up to date with new language standards and new technologies since then. But I always learned by doing. If the task I was working on required that I learn something new I would use Google and Stack Overflow and get the job done.

This has been my preferred method of gaining new knowledge until very recently.

On August 1, 2021 my knowledge of JavaScript was minimal. The last time I needed to use JavaScript as part of my job it took me two weeks to fix a bug that required that I change fewer than 10 lines of code.

Then I realized that there are some serious flaws with a browser extension for Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox released by my employer that I am currently responsible for maintaining that necessitated a complete rewrite of the extension. I tried to make the necessary changes and found much to my horror that I could not even get started.

I had previously bought a lifetime membership to Eduonix and some courses on Udemy with the vague idea of taking the courses some day. However, I had made very minimal use of these educational resources.

I let my employer know what was going on and I was given permission to spend some time when I would normally be working on taking courses in JavaScript. I then spent every day for the next two weeks learning JavaScript.

In just four hours this Monday I rewrote one quarter of the Browser Extension. There is only one reason I did not finish the project; I was temporarily reassigned to another project.

I am not claiming that my knowledge of JavaScript is anywhere near my knowledge of C++. However, after just two weeks my knowledge of JavaScript is roughly equivalent to my knowledge of C++ back in 2001.

Looking back, I find myself wishing that I had followed a more structured approach to learning C++ back in the halcyon days of yore.

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JAWS Scripting Tip: Optional Parameters

JAWS is a screen reader developed by Freedom Scientific. It includes a scripting language that allows users to customize the behavior of JAWS.

Many programming languages such as C++, C#, and Modern JavaScript support the concept of optional function parameters for which you supply a default value for the parameter. In C++ this might be done as follows.

std::wstring GetFavoriteNumberMessage(int64_t number = 42)
{
    std::wstringstream message;
    message
        << L"Hello. My favorite number is "
        << number
        << L". What is your favorite number?\n";
    return message.str();
}

See source on godbolt.org.

The JAWS scripting language supports optional parameters using the optional keyword, as follows.


string function GetFavoriteNumberMessage(optional int number)
  var string message = FormatString(
    "Hello. My favorite number is %1. What is your favorite number?",
     number)
  return message
endFunction

However, there is no direct method of assigning a default value for the optional parameter. If you were to call the function is as without specifying a value for the number parameter the number will be inserted into the returned message as an empty string. This is most likely not the desired behavior.

When the caller does not specify the value of an optional parameter, it does not resolve to 0 or false within the function; this is a common misconception. Instead the unspecified parameter resolves to nullptr. The misconception that the unspecified parameter resolves to 0 or false is a result of the fact that when nullptr is typecast to an int the result is 0 or false. However, if the unspecified parameter is typecast to a string the result is an empty string. This is why in the above example the number will be inserted into the returned message as an empty string; the number parameter is typecast to a string by the FormatString function. If the unspecified parameter did resolve to 0 or false within the function it would be inserted to the returned message as 0!

This problem can be resolved as follows.

string function GetFavoriteNumberMessage(optional int number)
    if (!DidCallerSpecifyTheValueOfTheParameter(number))
      number = 42
    endIf
    var string message = FormatString(
      "Hello. My favorite number is %1. What is your favorite number?",
      number)
    return message
endFunction

Unfortunately, there is no DidCallerSpecifyTheValueOfTheParameter function in the JAWS scripting language, so do not bother looking it up. However, there is a function that can achieve the same goal.

Behind the scenes all variables in the JAWS scripting language are VARIANTs (yes we are aware that there are modern alternatives that are vastly superior but the JAWS scripting language is very old; it has its roots in the JAWS macro language that was included in JAWS for DOS). One benefit of a VARIANT is it supports the concept of a VARTYPE or variant type. Furthermore, there is a VT_EMPTY variant type. Finally, there is a rarely used GetVariantType built-in script function that “determines the type of a variable”.

Thus, it is possible to assign a default value for an optional parameter as follows.

string function GetFavoriteNumberMessage(optional int number)
    if (GetVariantType(number) == VT_EMPTY)
      number = 42
    endIf
    var string message = FormatString(
      "Hello. My favorite number is %1. What is your favorite number?",
      number)
    return message
endFunction

Note that some people may think this is unnecessary because it is enough to rely on the perceived unspecified parameter resolves to 0 or false behavior. This is wrong for two reasons.

  • As I have already pointed this perceived behavior is not what is actually happening. The unspecified parameter actually resolves to nullptr.
  • In many cases, even if the perceived unspecified parameter resolves to 0 or false behavior may not be what is desired.

Every other programming language that supports the concept of optional parameters; such as C++, C#, and Modern JavaScript ; allows the value of the optional parameters to be explicitly defined. The purpose of the following code block is to add the same capabilities to optional parameters in the JAWS Scripting Language.

if (GetVariantType(number) == VT_EMPTY)
  number = 42
endIf

This is the only way to assign a non nullptr value for an optional parameter in the JAWS Scripting Language. You should consider doing this even for parameters where the default value is 0 or nullptr because explicitly specifying the value of your default parameters rather that making people who read your code guess what the behavior will be is just being polite.

Note that using this technique is absolutely necessary when overriding a built-in script function such as the SayObjectTypeAndText function in your scripts. The default value of the includeContainerName is true, not false. Failure to do this when overriding the SayObjectTypeAndText function will change the behavior of your function from the default resulting in hard to find bugs.

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More advice on how to organize an article

The Upcoming changes to Google Drive sync clients page is another excellent example of how not to organize an article.

The section How Backup and Sync users can start using Drive for desktop begins as follows: “To get started with Drive for desktop, you can move your accounts and settings from Backup and Sync to Google Drive for desktop”. At this point the more impatient readers will have already started screaming at the author of this page because no information at all on how to get started was provided. Just above this paragraph is a link to “download Drive for Desktop” so you can assume that by the time your reader gets to this point on the page they have downloaded the software and they are continuing to read the page in order to find out what to do next.

To be more precise, at this point the reader has two questions that they are eager to learn the answer to.

  1. Do I uninstall Backup and Sync first?
  2. Or do I just install Drive for Desktop without first uninstalling Backup and Sync?

In the sentence “To get started with Drive for desktop, you can move your accounts and settings from Backup and Sync to Google Drive for desktop” you have not provided an answer to that question. You have instead annoyed the hell out of your reader. The reader is now screaming “But exactly how do I get started” at the top of their lungs.

The second sentence does not make matters any better: “During the process, you’ll review and confirm the settings for the folders on your computer you’re backing up and syncing with the cloud through Backup and Sync”. The reader is now two thirds of the way through the paragraph and they still have no idea what the answers to the above two questions are.

The final sentence does provide an answer to the question but only indirectly: “Backup and Sync will be automatically uninstalled after you’ve moved your accounts to Drive for desktop”. This sentence implies the answers to the two questions are as follows.

  1. Do I uninstall Backup and Sync first?: No
  2. Or do I just install Drive for Desktop without first uninstalling Backup and Sync?: Yes

The problem is that the impatient reader may have rage quit reading the page before getting this fare because of the issues with the first two sentences in the paragraph. I know that the first time I read this page, while I did manage to restrain myself from screaming, I did rage quit reading the page before I got to this critical sentence. It was not until I returned to the page the following day that I was able to answer my questions.

If a single sentence were added to the start of this paragraph things would be much better for the impatient reader: “You do not need to uninstall Backup and Sync before installing Drive for desktop”.

If the How Backup and Sync users can start using Drive for desktop section were rewritten as follows, this page would be far more useful and far easier to read.

How Backup and Sync users can start using Drive for desktop

You do not need to uninstall Backup and Sync before installing Drive for desktop. To get started with Drive for desktop simply run the Google Drive for desktop installer, GoogleDriveSetup.exe. After the installation of Drive for desktop completes a Move accounts to Drive for desktop form will be displayed to allow you to move your accounts and settings from Backup and Sync to Google Drive for desktop. During the process, you’ll review and confirm the settings for the folders on your computer you’re backing up and syncing with the cloud through Backup and Sync. Backup and Sync will be automatically uninstalled after you’ve moved your accounts to Drive for desktop.

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Advice on how to organize an article

The article What causes the ‘Your Hardware Settings Have Changed’ issue on Windows 10? is very poorly organized.

In the introduction the article explains two possible causes of the issue. This introduction is well written and provides useful, and relevant, information.

After the introduction is a Note heading. The first paragraph in this section begins as follows: “If the given solutions don’t work for you, you will have to stop Windows from updating your device drivers”.

At this point many readers will begin screaming at you in rage because you have not said a single word about how to solve the problem, you just explained what is causing the problem.

Next comes several paragraphs that explain how to “stop Windows from updating your device drivers”.

This Note section ends with the ominous warning: here be dragons. The problem is that the impatient reader who is desperately trying to get their laptop working again may never even get this far because they may have followed the instructions on how to “stop Windows from updating your device drivers” and seeing that the issue has gone away closed the web page.

It is only if you continue scrolling down the page past the ominous warning that you find the solutions. Of course some readers will never see the solution because they stopped reading after following the instructions to “stop Windows from updating your device drivers”.

This article should have been organized as follows.

  1. Causes
  2. Solutions
  3. If the given solutions don’t work for you…

The way the article is presented just pisses the reader off. It may also cause them to try the alternative without ever being aware that the article actually does suggest solutions.

Don’t be like Kevin. Please use a logical order for your articles.

Incompetence at Microsoft

Whoever does user interface design at Microsoft is an incompetent ignorant imbecile.

When an application freezes and you attempt to close the frozen application a dialog box is displayed that asks if the user wants to close the application or wait for it to start responding again. Then after the user confirms that they wish to close the application another dialog box is displayed saying it is sending information to Microsoft and asking the user to wait. The send information to Microsoft dialog box always freezes.

So, let us review what is happening here.

  1. The user is experiencing an application freeze.
  2. The user just forced the frozen application to close so they can restart it and continue with their work. It is very likely they have lost work as a result.
  3. Microsoft adds insult to injury by deliberately causing another application freeze just so that they can be notified about the previous application freeze.

Are you fucking insane? You not do that you fucking assholes!

Worst job

What is the worst job imaginable? What characteristics make a job worse than any others? Are boring meaningless jobs worse than jobs that result in you being covered in filth all the time? If a dirty job provides an essential service does that make it better than a boring meaningless job that does not require you to cope with physical discomfort?

Is there any job in existence that is worse than Redundant Peon at the Redundant Department of Redundancy?

Inquiring minds want to know.

Regnad

There is a fork in the path ahead of you. There are also two signs, telling you where each fork goes. The sign for the right fork reads “Regnad.” The sign for the left fork reads “Shortcut to Regnad.” What should you do? Inquiring minds want to know.

Being a high ranking general must be difficult.

Being a high ranking general must be difficult. One problem you may run into is that you must choose your words very carefully. Otherwise the following might happen…

General: Hands assistant cold food that needs to be reheated. “Nuke this for me.”
Assistant: “What yield of atomic bomb should I use, sir?”
General: “What are you talking about?”
Assistant: “You asked me to nuke this. I need to know what yield of atomic bomb to use.”
General: “You asshole. Nuke is slang for microwave. I want you to heat that up in the microwave for me.”
Assistant: “Sorry sir. What settings should I use?”
General: “Microwave it on high for 1 minute.”
Soldier: Very well sir!

Being a high ranking general must be difficult.

Being a high ranking general must be difficult. One problem you may run into is that you must choose your words very carefully. Otherwise the following might happen…

General: “Nuke it from orbit. It’s the only way to be sure”. Stops paying attention and as a result does not hear the soldier reply.
Soldier: “Very well sir!”

Some time goes by. There is an atomic bomb detonation at the target that was being discussed earlier.

General, shouting at Soldier: “You asshole. It was just a famous quote from a famous movie. It was not an order.”

Hopefully there are many safeguards in place to keep this from happening in all militaries that actually have access to atomic bombs. If not, may god have mercy on us all.

On Idiot Proofing and Future Proofing

You can attempt to idiot proof something by guarding against mistakes typically made by the idiots of today.

You can attempt to future proof something by guarding against foreseeable mistakes that might be made by reasonable people at some point in the future.

However, you cannot future idiot proof anything. Idiots keep getting more idiotic. There is no way to predict what mistakes the idiots of tomorrow might make.

I curse you.

This is my message to the following people.

  • Anyone who is anti-LGBTQ+.
  • Anyone who is anti-immigrant.
  • Anyone who is anti-abortion.
  • So many others.

I curse you. I cast upon you the greatest curse I have the power to cast.

May you live a long and pointless life. And many years from now when you are laying on your death bed, may you find yourself alone instead of being surrounded by friends, family, and loved ones because you have driven them all away through your evil, hateful acts. And may you, on the day you die, finally realize and accept just how evil you are. And may your last thought in this life be as follows. “What awaits me? Will it be a reward? Will it be rest, peace, and forgiveness? Or will it be a well deserved punishment?”

The Carbon Programming Language is not a legitimate successor to the C++ Programming Language.

The Carbon Programming Language was recently announced as an experimental successor to C++. In my opinion the Carbon Programming Language is not a legitimate successor to the C++ Programming Language.

If you create a new programming language that is meant to be a successor of an existing programming language, do not break every single rule of the original language.

In C, C++, C#, and many simular languages data types are on the left and variable names are on the right. Anyone who has any experience in these programming languages expects any programming language that claims to be a successor to follow this most basic of syntax rules. This rule is such a basic rule of the language you should not even consider breaking it for a so called successor language.

The Carbon Programming Language breaks that rule.

Maybe people who have not ever used C and C++ will be willing to learn the Carbon Programming Language, but people with 20+ years of experience will hesitate because the code is too different.

This should be obvious.

Putting the variable name on the left and the data type on the right may make parsing easier, but millions of people who have experience in C or C++ or C# expect the data type to be on the left. Google, by going against these expectations is greatly limiting the adoption of the Carbon Programming Language.

Why does Visual Studio always do this?

Why does Visual Studio always do the wrong thing when creating a new solution or project file in an existing directory.

Consider the following scenario.

  1. There is source code but no project file in the directory c:\Path\To\ProjectName.
  2. You create a new project file named ProjectName in the directory c:\Path\To\ProjectName. You expect the project file to be directory c:\Path\To\ProjectName\ProjectName.vcxproj because that makes sense.

    Note that ProjectName is already repeated twice in that path.
  3. What Visual Studio actually does is create a directory named ProjectName in the directory c:\Path\To\ProjectName and then places the file ProjectName.vcxproj in that directory so that the full path to the project file becomes c:\Path\To\ProjectName\ProjectName\ProjectName.vcxproj.

    Now you have a path where ProjectName is repeated three times.

Every time this happens I have close the solution file, to go to the directory in Windows Explorer, move the project file up a level, delete the extra ProjectName directory, manually edit the solution file in a text editor, then reopen the solution file in Visual Studio. Please, just put the project file in the specified directory.

Friendly Reminder: If you release a NuGet package please sign all the DLLs.

Please. I am begging you. If you release NuGet packages sign both the Debug and the Release DLLs. Do not just sign the Release DLLs.

I wasted four hours today debugging the following exception: “FileLoadException: A strongly-named assembly is required. (0x80131044)”.

I was debugging the debug build of an application that uses the Titanium.Web.Proxy version 3.1.1397, obtained using NuGet. The Titanium.Web.Proxy uses BouncyCastle.NetCore version 1.8.10.

I have a python script that copies the build output from the output directory to the appropriate location on my test PC where I have the product I am working on installed. This python script replaces the files already present in the application installation directory with the files produced by building the product on my development PC.

The build process, which uses MSBuild, copies the DLLs for BouncyCastle.NetCore and Titanium.Web.Proxy to the output directory. This is useful for release builds because the installer project pulls all DLL and EXE files from the build output directory. My python script previously copied the BouncyCastle.NetCore and Titanium.Web.Proxy files to my test PC in addition to all the DLL and EXE files for the application.

The problem is that the Debug DLLs for BouncyCastle.NetCore and Titanium.Web.Proxy are not signed. When a .NET assembly depends on another assembly and the dependent assembly is not signed .NET will throw a “FileLoadException: A strongly-named assembly is required. (0x80131044)” exception when the first assembly attempts to load the dependent assembly.

It took me four hours to find out why this exception was occurring.