Programmers everywhere still squirm when they remember this scene from Hackers
It was Hollywood’s pathetic attempt to make programming look cool … And it was groan inducing scene.
Over the years my wife and I have taken a certain perverse pleasure in inspecting what code is used on-screen. And over time we have found that the code has gone from nonsense, to recognizable constructs, to valid but irrelevant programs.
The Holy Grail was software on-screen that was correct and relevant.
We have found our Grail. In Revolution, a TV show we like, a character approaches a biometric terminal. On the terminal is code.
And the code is correct and relevant code. It’s software using code from the open biometrics initiative … And just in case the apocalypse does happen you and need some code … here’s the github repo.
My only thought was in the apocalypse, we will have no shortage of C++ programmers because C++, C++ is the correct answer.
on the other hand, I found it stupid and childish when I saw it on tv: why in the world should anyone show source code on a biometric terminal?
i think the writers just wanted something that looked techy and geeky, and those indented line they once saw in the computer lab looked fine.