Symbolic logic is the lifeblood of programmers. No matter which programming language you use, the underlying logical framework is a constant. PL/SQL has one particular syntax. The C language uses different keywords and the IF statement looks a little different. The elegance of LISP demands a very different way of building programs. But underneath it all, symbolic logic provides the backbone on which you hang the statements that solve your problems.
The reliance on logical and rational thought in programming is one reason that it is so easy for a developer to learn a new programming language. As long as you can take the statement of a problem and develop a logical solution step by step, the particulars of a language are secondary.
With logic at the core of our being, it amazes me to see how often we programmers abandon this logic and pursue the most irrational path to solving a problem. We engage in wishful thinking and highly superstitious, irrational, or dubious thought processes. Even though we know bettermuch betterwe find ourselves questioning code that conforms to documented functionality, that has worked in the past, and that surely works at that moment. This irrationality almost always involves shifting the blame from oneself to the "other"the computer, the compiler, Joe, the word processor, whatever. Anything and anybody but our own pristine selves!
When you attempt to shift blame, you only put off solving your problem. Computers and compilers may not be intelligent, but they are very fast and very consistent. All they can do is follow rules, and you write the rules in your program. So when you uncover a bug in your code, take responsibility for that error. Assume that you did something wrongdon't blame the PL/SQL compiler or Oracle Forms or the text editor.
If you do find yourself questioning a basic element or rule in the compiler that has always worked for you in the past, it is time to take a break. Better yet, it is time to get someone else to look at your code. It is amazing how another pair of eyes can focus your own analytical powers on the real causes of a problem.
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