Dev Tools · 1h ago
Coding in the 80s: No Stack Overflow, No Autocomplete
A retrospective explores the challenges of programming in the 1980s, when developers relied on printed manuals and memory instead of online resources. The article highlights the absence of modern tools like Stack Overflow and autocomplete, emphasizing the slower, more deliberate pace of development. It contrasts this with today's instant access to solutions and code suggestions.
Meridian48 take
While nostalgic, the piece understates the inefficiency and higher error rates of 80s coding, which modern tools have dramatically reduced.
Read the full reporting
No Stack Overflow, No Autocomplete: What Coding Felt Like in the 80s →
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