developers[]: Knut Johnson

Knut has been programming in Pascal since the 80’s, starting with UCSD Pascal and MT+ . He’s been using Turbo Pascal since Version 3 and has used almost all versions from Borland up until today. He’s interested in low level programming, operating systems, and compiler design.

Twitter: @ Knujohn4

What is your favorite programming language and why?

Pascal. I know the language well and can do almost anything in Pascal. If I’m not coding in Pascal, I’m using assembler.

What one piece of advice would you give to a rookie developer?

Find a challenge you really want to solve and stick to it. Exercises in books quickly get too simple.

What is the most difficult programming challenge you’ve ever encountered?

Converting a project from LotusScript to Excel VBA around the year 2000. The object model created unsolvable challenges at the time.

What would you say to the developer that was you five years ago?

Start using OOP!

What is the worst advice that you commonly hear given to developers?

Learn C++

Describe your favorite or most memorable “aha!” moment that you’ve had as a developer.

As a beginner when finally understanding file handling. 🙂

What is one weird or unusual thing you always do when you code?

I stay up too late when I get in “The Zone”.

What have you done as a developer of which you are most proud?

I changed a task that took four hours to five minutes on a PC after making a small system for my colleagues that imported from an IBM AS/400 instead of manually processing a huge stack of printouts.

Bonus Question: What is the answer to the one question that I should have asked you?

Pizza.