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New Year's Resolutions

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Each holiday season, as the lights, carols and tastes of Christmas are carried off on winter winds for another year, our thoughts turn to the new year ahead and the exciting possibilities it holds for everyone. For many of us, this is a time of introspection, which inevitably leads to the New Year's Resolution lists which supposedly guide our actions for the next 365-to-366 days.

I must admit that I usually forgo this exercise, preferring to spend that time tackling some more pressing task, and I would imagine I'm not alone in this among the scientific computing community. However, if there were ever a year that begs for more careful consideration of what we do with our time, this is the one. With that in mind, I present one person's Scientific Computing Resolutions for 2002...

... I resolve to write more efficient code. This one is a constant goal of anyone who faces the dilemma of complex requirements to be delivered via limited resources (everyone!). The truth is that it is easy to get complacent about the computing power available today and all of the latest software gadgets and tricks. Because memory is so "cheap" today and because processors are buzzing along at such astounding speed, performance is often times an afterthought, at best, in the software development life cycle.

By the same token, though, software systems are becoming increasingly complex and, in some cases, cumbersome. Put a few of these behemoths together on even some of the fastest systems around and performance suffers, often grinding the entire system to a halt. Nothing like rebooting the system in the middle of some important data updates!

... I resolve to write cleaner, more readable, better documented code. "Modularity" and "reusability" are the nirvana of modern software development. Although true reusability across many enterprises has yet to come to pass and faces some serious obstacles, code sharing within large companies is becoming a fact of life. The cleaner and better documented a piece of software is, the more likely it is to be embraced and understood by others, potentially increasing productivity.

... I resolve to stay abreast of the latest computing technologies. Only through active research and prodding can we stay in touch with the cutting edge, making sure that nothing potentially valuable to our endeavors slips through the cracks.

... Finally, I resolve to turn my computer off at a decent time every evening and spend time with my wife and son.

Happy New Year!!

The copyright of the article New Year's Resolutions in Scientific Computing is owned by Adam Hughes. Permission to republish New Year's Resolutions in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.