Algorithm Design Course Assignment: Sort a hexadecimal string using 4 different sorting algorithms, and display each pass on a webpage. Easy enough yeah? Oh wait. Boomer professor wants us to use a canvas based javascript library called P5.js

Why the fuck. would you enforce some random ass boomer ass javascript library on the class, rather than let students choose something they're more comfortable with so they can focus on the core of the project. IMPLEMENTING ALGORITHMS. OR AT LEAST PROVIDE BOILERPLATE CODE?? GAH!!!!!!!!

Because what you want to use, may not be available for you to use in the real world.

Adapt, overcome, improvise!!

Ye shall overcome.

p5.js is not a Boomer library. I agree that he should not force to use that, but correct yourself.

It's not BOOMER.

I get the thing to adapt but christ, this software is really not the tool for the job. it's like using a hammer to blow up a beach ball.

@theabbie

im doubling down bro. its double boomer now :^)

I feel you but I honestly like it that profs enforce libs or IDEs (as in Unity, not as in IDEA, VSC, ...) because if you're not self-employed, you won't really have a choice what to work with.

What's really tested here is your ability to learn and use APIs. Sorting algos are already written in every goddamn language, there is no challenge in implementing them per se.

@energy-vampire How do you define Boomer? It's not some old outdated library.

If you want something else, just ask your professor. He is not an evil guy.

@theabbie

It just seems like.. not something anyone would use really. Thats what this professor is all about. He uses software i have never seen in my entire life. Mostly random open source stuff. Instead of Zoom, he uses jitsi. Instead of powerpoint to show us slides, he uses gThumb. To write text on the screen he uses leafpad...

ironically hes on windows 10. but strange man nonetheless. He has tainted p5 in my mind.

@nitwhiz Yeah i get that. I'd rather just use a tool that's more intended for this type of job. I'm already doing it twice with P5 as required, and then I'm writing it on a Sapper web page just for fun, cause ive really wanted to learn it. Perhaps i can ask just to use that.

It's just odd because P5 is something that updates on a timer. Sure i block the timer using some sort of approach similar to using semaphores, but id rather just not lol.

@energy-vampire That's because he has seen more of this world. I completely admire him for using Jitsi instead of Zoom, Zoom is not safe, that's a Fact. Jitsi is open-source. Almost everything you said about him proves he is a wise man.

As I said, ask him if you want to use something else, tell him why it would be better, He will definitely give you a reason of his decision.

He is Not A BOOMER.

@theabbie I feel like you’re making a lot of assumptions here. 1) Not every professor will give you an alternative if you ask 2) Not every professor will explain their reasoning about, well, anything. 3) How do you know he’s _not_ a boomer?

@AmyShackles Nothing wrong in asking though

I don't think he's forcing him to use p5.js, He must have said,

"Hey guys, make [this] on a web application and use p5.js"

You can simply say, "Sir, I think it would be better if we use [this] library instead of p5.js, it would be more suitable and we will be learning more things"

to which, he will say, either of following,

"Okay, let me check, I will let you know if it is possible",

or say,

"No, I want it this way, I have seen it's possible, just do as I said"

If he says the former, problem solved.

If he says the latter, Come here and Rant about it, I will definitely call him a Boomer in that case.

He is not a Boomer because he is wise, Boomer is a state where you just want to prove that you are correct and younger generation is wrong. That is not even Remotely correct in this case.

Bruh, your professor is good at it, he isn't even dependent on PowerPoint and Zoom bs. I call it a progress rather than being a boomer.

The advantage for you to use tool that professor issued is to learn something new and get hint from groupmates when stuck.

@AmyShackles, well, it doesn't hurt to ask for other tool, but then student must make everything without his or anybody's help in group, obviously.

He may be a boomer, but as someone who used Processing (what P5.js emulates) and who attend meetups where Jit.si is used, there's nothing wrong in him (or anyone) using those two tools.

For an algorithm assignment, it indeed seems odd, but I'm sure he has a reason for getting you to use p5.js.
Without seeing the curriculum, module objectives and such, it's hard to see if that choice was justified or reasonable.

Unless you (or a classmate) already did, it's on you to ask about using other tools or just not using p5.js (which can be particularly useful for specific use cases).

@Berkmann18

i think his reasoning is he knows it. judging by the way he spoke about web development in this class, he knows less than the bare minimum. he couldn't even explain what his 1 element css file did - which leads me to believe he had a colleague make him the boilerplate code for the last project.

nonetheless, i'm going to ask to use svelte. it's a tiny little web 'framework' that allows you to write code more reactively/declaritively. this way i can just straight up render text on the screen using css grid (he wants us to display columns for each algorithm, and display a new row for each 'pass' of each algorithm on a string of text), instead of fumbling around with some sort of p5 canvas.