Since code is similar to natural language, we can apply the same techniques that we use to understand text to understand a piece of code. A great way is to try to summarize the piece of code in words, which helps you understand it better and can serve as documentation.

Understanding Code

One of the things I take away from this book is that confusion and feeling cognitively overwhelmed is fine, and is part of life and learning. Before I knew all I know about cognition, I used to get upset with myself for not being smart enough to read complicated papers or explore unfamiliar code; now I can be kinder to myself and say, “Well, maybe you have too much cognitive load.”

It is pretty obvious that the names of variables matter. But oftentimes when we are in the middle of a hard problem, thinking about the name of a variable is too much for our cognitive capacity, so we just choose the first thing that comes to mind.But we can increase our naming abilities while reviewing other people’s code. When you see one of their variables for the first time, take a few seconds to try to predict what it will be used for, and later evaluate how accurate its name was. Overtime, this should increase your intuition about good variable names.

Naming Variables

Active elaboration is the process of thinking about similar things when learning a new concept. This helps strengthen the concept in memory.In the context of programming, you can think about similar concepts in another programming language or if the concept fits a certain paradigm, framework, or domain.

Active Elaboration

The way the chess experiment applies to programming is that we should aim to split our code into chunks that make it more readable and easier to remember.We can achieve this by using design patterns and comments. If a function’s name is enough to describe what it does, then a comment is not necessary. But sometimes a comment is needed to increase code readability.

Chunking Code

In an experiment, both chess masters and average players were asked to memorize a chess board configuration, and the chess masters did way better. That was because the experts had previously seen something similar, and they only had to store a few items in their STM, such as “Sicilian opening with a knight moved to D4”. The average players were trying to memorize the whole board. Research showed that we can only hold around 7 items in our STM.When they ran the experiment with a configuration with pieces arranged completely random, the chess masters did just as bad as the average players.

A Chess Experiment

A good name must fit the natural language the variables are defined in. For example, since in English you would say “the maximum number of points”, it makes more sense to choose the name max_points over points_max.Also, the aim should be to use 2-4 words per variable (apart from the common 1 word names).

Choosing A Good Name

We use 3 cognitive processes while programming or reading code:<ul><li>Long-term memory (LTM) is similar to the hard drive of the brain. It stores the things that we have learned in the past, such as syntax or an algorithm.</li><li>Short-term memory (STM) is like the RAM or cache memory. We use it to remember the things we have just seen, such as the type of a variable or a function name.</li><li>Working memory is the CPU of the brain. This is what we use for thoughts, ideas, and coming up with solutions while programming.</li></ul>

Cognitive Processes 

Since we can only hold a few things at once in our memory, this can slow us down while programming or while reading code. There are 2 strategies we can use.<ol><li>Automatization: Practice a concept so much that it becomes second nature. If you’ve been programming for a while, you never think about the syntax of a for-loop, so that does not take almost any brain power while writing code.</li><li>Making models: a model is an abstraction you make to reduce your cognitive load, such as a diagram about a complicated codebase that helps you understand it better.</li></ol>

Using Memory To Your Advantage

"A great book with deep insights into the bridge between programming and the human mind." - Mike Taylor, CGI Your brain responds in a predictable way when it encounters new or difficult tasks. This unique book teaches you concrete techniques rooted in cognitive science that will improve the way you learn and think about code. In The Programmer’s Brain: What every programmer needs to know about cognition you will learn: Fast and effective ways to master new programming languages Speed reading skills to quickly comprehend new code Techniques to unravel the meaning of complex code Ways to learn new syntax and keep it memorized Writing code that is easy for others to read Picking the right names for your variables Making your codebase more understandable to newcomers Onboarding new developers to your team Learn how to optimize your brain’s natural cognitive processes to read code more easily, write code faster, and pick up new languages in much less time. This book will help you through the confusion you feel when faced with strange and complex code, and explain a codebase in ways that can make a new team member productive in days! Foreword by Jon Skeet. About the technology Take advantage of your brain’s natural processes to be a better programmer. Techniques based in cognitive science make it possible to learn new languages faster, improve productivity, reduce the need for code rewrites, and more. This unique book will help you achieve these gains. About the book The Programmer’s Brain unlocks the way we think about code. It offers scientifically sound techniques that can radically improve the way you master new technology, comprehend code, and memorize syntax. You’ll learn how to benefit from productive struggle and turn confusion into a learning tool. Along the way, you’ll discover how to create study resources as you become an expert at teaching yourself and bringing new colleagues up to speed. What's inside Understand how your brain sees code Speed reading skills to learn code quickly Techniques to unravel complex code Tips for making codebases understandable About the reader For programmers who have experience working in more than one language. About the author Dr. Felienne Hermans is an associate professor at Leiden University in the Netherlands. She has spent the last decade researching programming, how to learn and how to teach it. Table of Contents PART 1 ON READING CODE BETTER 1 Decoding your confusion while coding 2 Speed reading for code 3 How to learn programming syntax quickly 4 How to read complex code PART 2 ON THINKING ABOUT CODE 5 Reaching a deeper understanding of code 6 Getting better at solving programming problems 7 Misconceptions: Bugs in thinking PART 3 ON WRITING BETTER CODE 8 How to get better at naming things 9 Avoiding bad code and cognitive load: Two frameworks 10 Getting better at solving complex problems PART 4 ON COLLABORATING ON CODE 11 The act of writing code 12 Designing and improving larger systems 13 How to onboard new developers

FELIENNE HERMANS