Quote Originally Posted by Melanie View Post
For five years I've been shouting DATASHEET at people. In the end it all falls on deaf ears...

How the hell can you program for ANY device if you don't know and don't understand what's in the box? There are MAJOR differences between the A and non-A of this particular PIC. Oh and look... they just happen to affect PortA.3 as well...

If you can't be bothered to do that, take a different class in school, get another hobby, change your job etc...
That's considerably way too harsh! There's four ways we learn.

1. Kinetic (doing / practical hands-on)
2. Visually (charts, diagrams, mental problem solving)
3. Verbally (Usually a person speaking)
4. Reading & writing

You're one very special creature if you're good at all four! Most mortals (including myself) - generally have strength in only about two of the aforementioned list. If you can solve all your problems by skimming over data sheets, then you have a nice strength with reading & writing and possibly also with visual. Most highly introverted people (like myself) tend to have a strength with visual & kinetic. So, to write someone off just because they haven't, or rather can't!!! - follow a data sheet terribly well is absurd!