After serving in the army, I recovered at the institute for the fourth course. Over the past two years there have been changes in the technology of learning. Previously, in the institute IVC stood computer "Nairi" and "Mir". We gave it a paper with data for calculation, and the next day we received back the results. And it was believed that the course project was calculated using the computer. Now everything has changed. There was an audience in which eight personal computers of the DEK system called DVC were installed. They were nicknamed “Derm Computing Complex” because they were overloaded every time a woman in socks approached them. Therefore, all users have learned to often save their files.

Initially I tried to do without attending this audience, but in the first laboratory work I learned that the calculations in the report should be done on the DVC. Moreover, the program for computing had to be compiled in the same language as "Basic". I decided to challenge this imperative and addressed the teacher:

Dmitry Viktorovich, why do I need to program? I am an engineer, not a programmer.

A new era has arrived. And now an engineer who does not own a personal computer at all, and programming in particular, bamboo!

Why do I need this programming? I can do without a computer.

will not succeed. The era of industrial controllers has come. Very soon, all of the automation will be on microprocessors. A computer will help you independently print letters, form form forms. And the program prepared by you will allow you to automate standard calculations. For example, calculate the voltage drop in the cable line.

It is not difficult to calculate on the calculator.

I agree. What if there are dozens of lines?

There are programmable calculators.

- Yes, but the data obtained on them you will rewrite on a slate, and then you will manually make a table. The program will form a report and print it.

You need to know English for programming.

not necessarily. Remove the operators and all. There are programming languages in Russian. Or similar to Norton Commander.



There was nothing to object and I had to master DOS and Basic. Soon I realized that the teacher was right. Having mastered the standard calculations, I thought about drawing drawings and schemes. But IBM compatible computers then were few, and domestic "APM designers" did not work.



When I was sent to an AutoCAD course at work, I was thrilled! But it never appeared in our factory. It turned out that in addition to a powerful computer, you need to buy a graph-builder and the program itself for very decent money. But the technological calculations were fully computerized. “Lexicon” has eliminated the need to run to the машburo and forget what “first copy” means.



And then it went further – programming of accounting programs: Warehouse, Funding and even an attempt to write a Salary. It was surprising: once I wrote the program, sold it to several organizations, and then with each - a monthly amount for accompaniment. Here is it, happiness! That is capitalism!



But one day I met a professional programmer. He recently graduated from the Institute in Chelyabinsk. It turned out that he mastered four dozen programming languages. After looking at the listing of my program on Paradox, he said, “It’s a good SUBD, but...” I didn’t believe him. Then he rewrote my program. She worked faster than mine. And I realized that the time of self-examination was over...



Recently I heard on the radio: "And the self-taught programmers of the nineties are now working as guards on parking lots." Is it so? I am not working...