No, you cannot use your computer to plan out this sketch.  Unless of course again the rule stretches to fit you.  Can you throw around a few Smart Guides in Photoshop or (guides in) The GIMP and quickly achieve the desired box layout?  Can you then immediately throw a few organic compounds into place so your layout starts to flesh out?  Can you then immediately match color schemes to the different components of the layouts?

If you can, the rule does not apply.  If you cannot, then please, understand one thing…

The design process MUST start with paper.

Whether designing an application’s layout or GUI; defining the different components of a Web template; redesigning a company brochure; or creating a flyer for your favorite non-profit or church starting out on paper is a must.

One final tip (as if you could not guess) is if you begin the actual finalization of your layout by taking it from paper to its medium (computer, print, audio, whatever…) and you encounter problems or additional layout concerns then head immediately back to paper.

Going through this process is as much a learning experience as it is developing a work flow that suits your behaviors.

For example: http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/

Visit this URL while on a mobile device, or using a mobile browser, or even with spoofed user agent settings and you can see that it immediately asks you the type of connection you are on and whether or not you would like the full user experience or a limited one (for those with obvious broadband deficiencies).

Now, let’s be honest.  No one needs to provide everyone anything.  That is, if I have a commercial site or a site that generates revenue in any fashion — it is simply NOT my responsibility to provide for users that have not enlisted my services.

So for them to be aware of this situation and then develop their site accordingly is a very unique, far too uncommon practice.  I would not be surprised if they had an R&D person or two.

Think about these things when you develop your applications or sites.  After all, giving a bear a taste of honey is not a way to scare him off.

Often I read a tutorial on JavaScript or some advanced Photoshop tutorial and I am left thinking, “What the hell did I just read?”

I know it can be difficult because you may think, “Who do I ask when I do not understand?” The answer is not at all clear, but you can help yourself in a number of ways.

• IRC – Yep, Internet Relay Chat.  You can search for channels (chat rooms) that contain listings such as “programming,” “javascript,” or even “love” — and find someone, somewhere who is willing to deal with your issues.

  Just make sure you obey the laws of netiquette and you should be fine.  In addition, make sure to obey the laws of the given medium.  If IRC, then how to behave on IRC.  If newsgroups, then how to behave on newsgroups, et cetera.

• School
• Internet
• Socially accepted mediums – Twitter, Facebook, Slashdot, Digg, hell, even MySpace.

Woah, woah… the Internet?  Twitter?

What the hell am I talking about you say?

The thing is, that beyond the scope of the millions and millions of blog users out there — you have the “socially accepted mediums.”

These are the sites, chat rooms, blogs, forums, et cetera where like-minded people share and trade ideas, wisdom, and other semi-useful information.

Twitter for example exclaims, “What are you doing?”  Well, I am currently writing this post.  However, it means what are you doing (for the day)!?  Are you studying?  Skiing?  Flirting?

Does it not make sense to ask others who are doing the same thing as you for their opinion?

Seriously.  Whether it is a StumbleUpon’d site or someone who happens to share a few of the same interests as you, it is always wise to let others know that you value their opinion and have a desire to digest the information that only they (or someone just like them) can provide.

Did the Internet response floor you?  Why!?

How many times a day do you Google information?  How many times a day do you fire up a browser just to look up a reference at Mozilla or Microsoft?  How many times a day do you review DevGuru’s CSS reference?  How often do you visit Programmer’s Heaven?

Um… hello!?  That is the Internet!  Every time you seek information that is not included in a software program’s help resource or visit a “reference” site, you are referring to the Internet.

Trust in it, just do not be led astray by it.  Much like Wikipedia.  I do not give two cents for what others think — Wikipedia is an excellent resource!  However, you need to be smart enough to discern the multitudes of shite from the grade “A” fertilizer.

This has 2 primary benefits, possible others:

1. You learn to properly comment your code.
2. Your code explains itself to other programmers.

And anything that increases your efficiency and aptitude in something you enjoy either as a hobbyist or as a professional can only result in positive learning — the best kind.

Wikipedia’s comparison of documentation generators can be found here. This lists the majority of those I could possibly think to show you, so make sure to research the language you code with.

These tools generate API documentation based on your properly formatted comments.

The ones I keep in mind are:

• JSDoc for JavaScript
• Apydia for Python
• GTK-Doc for C
• phpDocumentor for PHP
• See “best for last” at the bottom of the page for PHP, C#, and Python.

Otherwise, I have not used any others, but I have heard that:

• Doc-O-Matic
• ROBODoc
• TwinText
• Universal Report

Are the most robust.  And the article I provided earlier illustrates that same assumption.

I believe I saved the best for last, and that is Doxygen.  As far as I know, Doxygen can automatically generate well-formatted API documentation for several languages and is by far the most robust*.  If it currently had deep support for JavaScript and/or ASM (assembler or assembly) I would tentatively call it the ultimate and only tool necessary.

* Please let me know if there is a more robust or preferred tool — either by industry or by popularity.