I’ve just read Lars blog post regarding programmers and touch typing. I’ve been meaning to write about this for a while as I’ve read quite a few blog posts and heard quite a few podcasts where programmers insist that touch typing is a must have skill for programmers. Now, before I comment, I have to stress that I’m not a touch typist in the true sense, in that I do not use all my fingers. I probably use around 2 or 3 fingers per hand. My speed is around 70-80 wpm and I only occasionally need to look at the keyboard.
Now for the controversial bit. I think that touch typing is not a must for a programmer. So what if you can touch type at 120 words per minute? Can you think that fast? Can you code in your head that fast? Speed of coding has absolutely nothing to do with speed of typing, but rather the speed at which you can solve problems. As I said above, my typing speed, at full tilt, approaches the 80 wpm, but if you were to count the number of words I type in a whole day of coding, and divide it by the number of hours I worked, you’re unlikely to get anything near 80 wpm. That’s because typing is just the end-result of what we do. It’s the bit that communicates what’s in our heads to our machines. It’s not typing which makes us good at what we do, it’s the brain behind it.
When someone says a programmer must be a touch typist, I assume they are talking about speed. They assume that if you are a touch typist you are fast. And I agree, you are fast. You are fast at typing words. It doesn’t mean you are a fast coder, and it certainly doesn’t mean you are a good coder. It’s a bit like saying an artist must be quick with his brush. Does it make the final painting better?
Lars states that Touch typists are usually able to involve themselves in a discussion about something else, while touch typing. That may be true, but coders need to concentrate. They’re not just typing words, they’re writing code. If you can solve problems whilst whilst holding a discussion with someone about something completely unrelated, then your brain works differently than mine. (Not even women can multi-task where coding is involved!)
(No offence to Lars, I’ve been meaning to write this for a while!)
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