The interesting or the easy way?

[Captain Nuss]

Well, I've had a few discussions with a friend of mine. He uses Visual Basic while I myself prefer Java.

The subject of our discussion was the following: Suppose you have to solve a problem. You discover an easy way to solve it, but there's another way which is more complicated but promises the opportunity to learn a few new things. Thus, the more complicated way will surely be the more interesting one.

Now, which way will you choose, given that you don't have limited time to solve the problem?

[Manish Malik]

Originally posted by Captain Nuss
Now, which way will you choose, given that you don't have limited time to solve the problem?

Was that "don't" misplaced or did that question really ask "given no time constraints..."?

Anyway,

If time constraint is not present, one should go for both the methods -- gaining the best learning advantage out of the scenario. One may begin with the easier method, finish it and gain confidence, and then proceed onto the other one. But this has an additional risk of the person bored-down if he's stuck somewhere on the other method (after all, the task has been finished via the easier method, so there's no obligating reason to finish via the interesting method too). So beginning with the complicated method may actually help retain the intellectual curiosity in the project.

Now, if time restraint is present, then decision must be made according to the weight/importance of the project. Does the scenario possess the risk of you messing up the project if the intersting method does not seem to fruit up quickly? If yes, then it may even harm instead of helping you to learn (1. you mess up the project, and 2. you practice the wrong techniques of doing things). This is usually not the case with most seemingly complicated projects in computer science, so it may well be advised to choose the complicated method which is able to hold your interests and make you learn several new techniques in order to accomplish it.

That was my view of it....btw, what was your stance in that discussion?

[Captain Nuss]

Ah, thanks for your interesting reply!

Now, my friend said he'd almost always go for the easy method. Why do something the complicated way if you can do it the easy way? I said I'd always go for the complicated method, or at least give it a try. If it doesn't work I can still try the easy way.

And yes, "given no time constraints" was exactly what I meant. I'm not working in the field yet, and I figured having limited time to solve a problem (which is almost always the case in well-managed projects with schedules and such) would force you to always choose the quicker and easier way. Doesn't it?

[Manish Malik]

Originally posted by Captain Nuss
I'm not working in the field yet, and I figured having limited time to solve a problem (which is almost always the case in well-managed projects with schedules and such) would force you to always choose the quicker and easier way. Doesn't it?

That would certainly depend on a lot of factors. For those working in the field, the (company-work-culture + job-security + impression-over-boss + importance-of-impression-over-boss + intellectual-curiosity + enthusiasm) should decide.

[Elrond]

Another factor that may have its importance is what can be the future of your problem. It that comething that can evolve, be reused, maintained, ... Depending on these questions, it may change things.

The easiest way may not the the one that provides the easiest evolution in the future.

For example, if you have to create a communication between two appplications, you can use files, pipes, messages, OLE interfaces, COM, ... Some can be done easily and quickly, but may not be suitable for an evolution in a more constrained environment that may occur in the future.

I'd say like Manish Malik that if you don't have any time constraint, you learn the more by doing both ways.

Even if you have a time constraint, the hard can sometimes be jutified.

Personnaly, it depends what the problem is. Even without time constrains, I may go sometimes for the easiest, sometimes for the hardest. It depends what technologies are involved adn how much I want to learn about it.
And I'd probably never go both ways, because I'd be bored before starting the second way, except in the case the first solution cannot evolve, and I finally have to do it the second way.