How do you motivate yourself?

[Eddy Van Esch]

I recognise myself in many of the posts in this thread.
Programming is not my day job, although I write software tools to support me in my day job.
Programming has been my hobby-that-got-out-of-hand for years 
I wrote an encryption library (HIME) that I sell commercially. When that was 'finished', I started programming an arbitrary precision floating point math library. That went fine until I started struggling with some programming problem. I kept dwelling on it for so long until suddenly I found myself tired of programming ...
I started doing something else in my spare time. My interest went to ... the stock market ..
I started programming a tool in FF related to stock trading. Still in my spare time so progress is very slow (to put it mildly).
But I am in no hurry and programming is fun again. My floating point math lib remains 80% finished though 

So my advice in two words: If you are tired of programming, try something else for a while and after a while you will become  attracted to programming again. If you are a professional programmer it is not so easy, but maybe you can try to start another project. That is often refreshing (in whatever profession).

Specific to your concerns, Paul. If ever something would happen to PowerBASIC, would it be thinkable to convert FireFly so it can use another compiler, such as PureBasic? Or would that be a gigantic undertaking?
Anyway, PowerBASIC will remain useable for many years, I'm sure. Look at how many people are still using VB6.

PS. Maybe Paul has already found himself an additional hobby ...   http://www.paulsquires.com/

Kind regards

[Paul Squires]

    I've been trying to get that PaulSquires.com domain name for years. There was one time when he was close to having the domain expire but he renewed it at the last possible moment.

FireFly can use other compilers - it would just be a matter of creating a generic backend. Maybe generate xml code that represents the various important pieces of infomation needed during the compile process. Anyone would then be able to write a program in the language of their choice that would read the XML and then generate the final code to be compiled. That's the easy part. The problem part is that the code editor built into FireFly is very PB specific. It would be probably require that FireFly read some type of ini files that define the various procedure handlers (WM_COMMAND, CUSTOM, etc) and also how FireFly would parse to determine the Subs/Functions, Type structures, variables, etc. I have created a FreeBasic version of FireFly but FreeBasic somewhat closely resembles PowerBasic so the conversion is a little easier. If it were C/C++ or similar then it would be harder.

[Paul Squires]

I am getting more and more motivated by coding the new FireFly dot syntax: http://www.planetsquires.com/protect/forum/index.php?topic=3354.0

The general framework is in place and is operating very well. Just need to continue working on adding all of the properties and methods for all of the different forms, controls, menus, statusbars, etc...

[Marc van Cauwenberghe]

Yes, Yes, Yes!!! 
Paul is back.

[James Fuller]

I have created a FreeBasic version of FireFly but FreeBasic somewhat closely resembles PowerBasic so the conversion is a little easier. If it were C/C++ or similar then it would be harder.

Paul,
  You could achieve c/c++ with support for bc9Basic/BCX.
http://bc9.bcxbasic.com/
I am close to posting an update( this week?)
James

[Jim Dunn]

... c/c++ with bc9Basic/BCX ... http://bc9.bcxbasic.com/ ...

James... I've become intrigued by the idea of BC9... what C++ compiler is the *best* for use with it?

[James Fuller]

Jim,
  Well it depends
I have tested a number of them in both 32 and 64 bit.
If you can live without 64 bit and full c++11 compliance this one is probably the best.
http://nuwen.net/mingw.html
Ver 10.4 (32 bit only)
A number of external libraries included (pcre3 is the biggie here for me).
His latest is a 64 bit but I have not tried it.

While a bit behind (there is a message as to why) this was the one I used for quite some time.
It will compile both 32 and 64 bit with just a -m32 or -m64 on the command line.
http://tdm-gcc.tdragon.net/
It is a bit behind on some c++11 items but is still a good choice for both 32 and 64 bit support.


I have switched to this MinGW project (a fork of the official MinGW project ?)
http://sourceforge.net/projects/mingwbuilds/files/host-windows/releases/4.8.1/
It is not supported by the current bc9Basic with batch files but I will be releasing a new bc9Basic shortly.


The bc9Basic package also supports the free Borland c++ and the Visual C++ from the Win7 SDK.

James

[Brice Manuel]

What do you guys do to motivate yourself to do programming?

I used to program for hours every day but for almost a year now I have a very hard time igniting that passion that drove me create so many applications that you guys have seen and other ones that I used at my job. With Bob passing and PB in a state of limbo, I think that has just compounded my lack of interest (not sure if "lack of interest" are the right words).

Over the past few years, I have struggled with motivation when it comes to programming.  I recently looked back over the past few years an asked myself what programming did I do during this time that I truly enjoyed and brought me pleasure?  The answer was pretty easy for me, programming for homebrew systems.  I was the only one who used these programs that were written and I enjoyed them a lot.  I liked programming just for me.  It certainly beats contract work which is often mind-numbingly boring.

What I am doing to motivate myself, is strictly work on some software for myself, that I like and would enjoy using and put it out there and hope others will like it, too.  I am concentrating on pleasing myself instead of others with my programming.  It will help keep the skills up and hopefully it can generate some income.

Of course coming back to PB after a hiatus of a couple of years, it seems I have forgotten so much.

[Haakon Birkeland]

I'd say it's a combination of being worn out a bit and the lack of hope. See to people with strong believes and how they sometimes endure a lifetime of shit in belief of a "reward" â€" a promise of something better to come.

Been there, done that. I've spent a lot of time with and about webOS since 2009 and although I'm not clinging to a false hope of resurrection anymore, some still are. Without the hope, we very often loose our drive â€" unless we're so boring that routine is our climax.

Although I fall out in periods sometimes, I luckily get to code a little at work and I always seem to enjoy it. It's got to have something to do with the challenge and the creative part of starting with an idea and building something people will appreciate. â€" As long as it's not completely overwhelming or an outright boring project.
And look to John's snug comment â€" that's where my motivation to get stuff done went. Next time I'm touching Battlefield, I'll round 800 hours ... 8o/

... but with the failure of Windows 8

Fill me in, cause I seem to be one of the very few that likes w8 as much as I loath w7 and it's instability and other issues. I've even invested in a Surface Pro, and w8 makes perfect sense on it.

[Theo Gottwald]

You should try to get into a project that is used by customers.
And then your motivatiuon should be to make them say "WOW" at the next update.
That works for me.
Bwsides that,
- "making better algo's",
- finding a "new way to do something"
- not only "exploring technologies that others have developed" like Jose, but
- developing new things myself (like Jose's CWindow Class" and like your "Object Framework".

There is in fact no such large difference WHAT you really work - as long as its good for society (means other people).
Ehatever you do, you will be motivated by making others happy and having them talk about that what you did to make them beeing fine.

Take any Job, if its a bussiness job, you will always try to
- "making better algo's",
- finding a "new way to do something"
- make something "people like and feel love"

Even if you go to politics that would be your natural Job,
to do unless you are corrupt and paid like actual politicians ...
If you have a Job where you can not get this feeling,
be ready to feel unhappy every day, and be ready to live from "weekend to weekend"
which is not the way I want to live.

[Paul Squires]

This new little program has me feeling more motivated: http://www.planetsquires.com/protect/forum/index.php?topic=3411

[Eddy Van Esch]

Paul, I am excited about this debugger!
And very glad that you again have fun in programming!
I am experiencing that same feeling with my own new little project!