The short answer: Syntax Error.
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I spend a lot of time working with different languages and frameworks. Though my day job is PHP, I've got an itch to make a mobile game.
Since they're not actually written in PHP, I've got to switch to a new language. ObjectiveC for iPhone, Android-Java, or any number of cross platform languages to pick up a third party framework.
On top of that - there's the issues of structure and stuff.
For learning a new language, there's no way to skim.
HOWEVER for something like an A* pathfinding algorythm (an artificial intelligence method of finding the most efficient path from A to Anywhere) - you can get the "Gist" by skimming a paper. I understand what A* is and how it does it ... but if I want to replicate it I still have to go over it line-by-line if I want to get it right though.
So, I think the short answer is "NO" coders can't skim stuff and get the job done right.
Comments
On the other hand, the more you get used to reading math, the more possible it becomes for your eye to skim through math stuff.
I'm at the point where I can sometimes skim through arXiv papers and understand the gist.
(Does it work the same for books with code in them? Legit coders can skim and understand?)
The short answer: Syntax Error. -- I spend a lot of time working with different languages and frameworks. Though my day job is PHP, I've got an itch to make a mobile game.
Since they're not actually written in PHP, I've got to switch to a new language. ObjectiveC for iPhone, Android-Java, or any number of cross platform languages to pick up a third party framework.
On top of that - there's the issues of structure and stuff.
For learning a new language, there's no way to skim.
HOWEVER for something like an A* pathfinding algorythm (an artificial intelligence method of finding the most efficient path from A to Anywhere) - you can get the "Gist" by skimming a paper. I understand what A* is and how it does it ... but if I want to replicate it I still have to go over it line-by-line if I want to get it right though.
So, I think the short answer is "NO" coders can't skim stuff and get the job done right.