On the quality and complexity of software within FRC

[AlexanderTheOK]

The one thing people harping about code efficiency and big O functions need to hear is this:

The most important resource isn't CPU time, or even the money to run a team. It's time. There are only so many man hours a person can spend doing something. (obviously varying from person to person) Money can be acquired through time. (People can spend time fundraising) CPU time can be bought with money (Just buy another onboard computer for the second camera.)

If it's going to take 50 hours of work to get your vision tracking program optimally threaded for all 4 cores, for the sake of saving 200 dollars on an onboard computer, you are literally working for less than minimum wage.

Now if you're writing code for mass produced industrial equipment, you're no longer looking at 200 dollars, likely 200,000 dollars, or 2,000,000 dollars. Then it would be worth it.

You might also want to learn how to write threaded code well. In that case, it becomes worth it for the educational value.


FRC robots are not mass produced, and most FRC programmers are still worried about getting EVERYTHING working in the several hours they have with the robot.

Out of all the ways FRC programmers can spend their time, code efficiency is the least efficient way to spend it.