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What are the requirements to become a good programmer ?
What are the requirements to become a good programmer ?
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8 answers
Dan Wolf
Retired Electrical/Software Engineer and part-time College Professor (BSEET and MS Engineering Management)
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Dan’s Answer
You must be willing to always be learning new things because this field is always changing.
When designing software you will need to talk with other people in order to identify the software requirements (what it must do) so people skills are necessary. Once the design is complete, the actual coding takes place. The coding itself is normally a solitary task where you must embed yourself into the effort (remove distraction and achieve a sharp mental focus/concentration). A one minute interruption can slow you down for 20-30 minutes as you regain your focus.
As for the technical skills... You will need to be competent in one or more computer languages as well as the application, product, and industry that the software will be for. Software can be commercial (banking and business) or technical (robotics, manufacturing, etc) and may or may not require a knowledge of hardware.
As for training... A four-year university degree is best and is almost always required by most companies. You can go either Computer Science (CS for business) or Computer Engineering (CE for industrial or scientific).
By the way... You can download free software compilers from Microsoft (Visual Basic, C, Java, etc) or use the free Arduino development environment (C language). You can purchase an Arduino Uno from Aliexpress.com and find many coding examples and projects if you Google "Arduino projects". There are other free compilers and tutorials available and it doesn't matter which one you choose - just start learning, coding, and having fun.
It's a lot of fun and very interesting so, if you enjoy software then you will do fine!
When designing software you will need to talk with other people in order to identify the software requirements (what it must do) so people skills are necessary. Once the design is complete, the actual coding takes place. The coding itself is normally a solitary task where you must embed yourself into the effort (remove distraction and achieve a sharp mental focus/concentration). A one minute interruption can slow you down for 20-30 minutes as you regain your focus.
As for the technical skills... You will need to be competent in one or more computer languages as well as the application, product, and industry that the software will be for. Software can be commercial (banking and business) or technical (robotics, manufacturing, etc) and may or may not require a knowledge of hardware.
As for training... A four-year university degree is best and is almost always required by most companies. You can go either Computer Science (CS for business) or Computer Engineering (CE for industrial or scientific).
By the way... You can download free software compilers from Microsoft (Visual Basic, C, Java, etc) or use the free Arduino development environment (C language). You can purchase an Arduino Uno from Aliexpress.com and find many coding examples and projects if you Google "Arduino projects". There are other free compilers and tutorials available and it doesn't matter which one you choose - just start learning, coding, and having fun.
It's a lot of fun and very interesting so, if you enjoy software then you will do fine!
Updated
Rebecca’s Answer
Thank you for your questions. I am glad to know that you are interested to develop your careers in Technology.
Below are my suggestions :
1. Complete a Computer Science degree in the college. This can give you solid background to develop your career to be a developer
2. Have thorough understanding on the syntax and structure of the programming language you would use. Practice makes perfect. Fluency of the programming language is important to program quality.
3. Ensure you have a test plan to ensure the program quality
4. Keep yourself update on the latest technology all the time, e.g. read latest technology news, attend seminars, etc.
Hope this helps! Good Luck!
Below are my suggestions :
1. Complete a Computer Science degree in the college. This can give you solid background to develop your career to be a developer
2. Have thorough understanding on the syntax and structure of the programming language you would use. Practice makes perfect. Fluency of the programming language is important to program quality.
3. Ensure you have a test plan to ensure the program quality
4. Keep yourself update on the latest technology all the time, e.g. read latest technology news, attend seminars, etc.
Hope this helps! Good Luck!
Updated
Arjita’s Answer
To be a great programmer, it's helpful to develop certain skills and meet some requirements. Here are some important aspects to think about:
1. Solid Basics in Programming Concepts: Create a strong understanding of basic programming ideas, like variables, data types, control structures (for example, loops, conditionals), functions, and object-oriented programming rules. This base will help you learn more complex topics and let you write clear and effective code.
2. Skill in Programming Languages: Become really good at one or more programming languages often used in the field, like Python, Java, C++, JavaScript, or Ruby. Know the syntax, features, and best practices of these languages to write useful and easy-to-maintain code.
3. Problem-Solving and Algorithmic Thinking: Grow strong problem-solving abilities and learn to break down hard problems into smaller, easier steps. Understand algorithms and data structures to solve problems well and make code work faster.
4. Keep Learning: Have a growth mindset and promise to learn for your whole life. The tech world changes fast, and new technologies and frameworks come up often. Stay updated with the latest trends, learn new languages or frameworks, and explore different areas to grow your knowledge and stay flexible.
5. Debugging and Troubleshooting: Learn good debugging methods to find and fix issues in your code. Get better at looking at error messages, using debugging tools, and solving problems step by step.
6. Know the Software Development Lifecycle: Learn about the software development lifecycle and methods like Agile or Scrum. Understand how to gather requirements, design, code, test, deploy, and maintain. Get used to version control systems like Git, which are often used when coding with others.
7. Focus on Details and Code Quality: Care about code readability, structure, and organization. Write clean, easy-to-understand, and well-explained code that follows best practices. Always aim for high code quality and easy maintenance.
8. Teamwork and Communication: Grow strong teamwork and communication skills, since programming often involves working with others. Be good at working with others, sharing ideas, and helping the team reach its goals. Clearly explain your thoughts, ask for help when you need it, and listen carefully to others.
9. Knowledge of Problem Domain: Depending on the area you focus on (like web development, machine learning, mobile app development), it's helpful to know about that specific domain. Understand the technologies, frameworks, and best practices related to the area you want to work in.
10. Keep Getting Better: Welcome feedback and look for chances to improve. Regularly check and fix your code to make it work better and be easier to read. Take part in code reviews and learn from more experienced programmers.
Remember, becoming a great programmer is an ongoing journey that needs practice, commitment, and a love for learning. It's important to work on real-world projects, help with open-source projects, and join coding challenges to use your knowledge and get hands-on experience.
1. Solid Basics in Programming Concepts: Create a strong understanding of basic programming ideas, like variables, data types, control structures (for example, loops, conditionals), functions, and object-oriented programming rules. This base will help you learn more complex topics and let you write clear and effective code.
2. Skill in Programming Languages: Become really good at one or more programming languages often used in the field, like Python, Java, C++, JavaScript, or Ruby. Know the syntax, features, and best practices of these languages to write useful and easy-to-maintain code.
3. Problem-Solving and Algorithmic Thinking: Grow strong problem-solving abilities and learn to break down hard problems into smaller, easier steps. Understand algorithms and data structures to solve problems well and make code work faster.
4. Keep Learning: Have a growth mindset and promise to learn for your whole life. The tech world changes fast, and new technologies and frameworks come up often. Stay updated with the latest trends, learn new languages or frameworks, and explore different areas to grow your knowledge and stay flexible.
5. Debugging and Troubleshooting: Learn good debugging methods to find and fix issues in your code. Get better at looking at error messages, using debugging tools, and solving problems step by step.
6. Know the Software Development Lifecycle: Learn about the software development lifecycle and methods like Agile or Scrum. Understand how to gather requirements, design, code, test, deploy, and maintain. Get used to version control systems like Git, which are often used when coding with others.
7. Focus on Details and Code Quality: Care about code readability, structure, and organization. Write clean, easy-to-understand, and well-explained code that follows best practices. Always aim for high code quality and easy maintenance.
8. Teamwork and Communication: Grow strong teamwork and communication skills, since programming often involves working with others. Be good at working with others, sharing ideas, and helping the team reach its goals. Clearly explain your thoughts, ask for help when you need it, and listen carefully to others.
9. Knowledge of Problem Domain: Depending on the area you focus on (like web development, machine learning, mobile app development), it's helpful to know about that specific domain. Understand the technologies, frameworks, and best practices related to the area you want to work in.
10. Keep Getting Better: Welcome feedback and look for chances to improve. Regularly check and fix your code to make it work better and be easier to read. Take part in code reviews and learn from more experienced programmers.
Remember, becoming a great programmer is an ongoing journey that needs practice, commitment, and a love for learning. It's important to work on real-world projects, help with open-source projects, and join coding challenges to use your knowledge and get hands-on experience.
Updated
Shruti’s Answer
- Interest
- Have the patience to be thorough with the theory before jumping on writing code
- Regular Practice of writing code
- Have the patience to be thorough with the theory before jumping on writing code
- Regular Practice of writing code
Updated
swathi’s Answer
*There are Tons of learning platforms available on the internet. You just need to google. Free Code Camp, Code Academy, GeeksforGeeks, Udacity, Udemy etc.
* A good text-editor like Sublime-text, Notepad++, Visual Studio Code, Atom. Personally, I find myself more productive on Sublime Text. It has a lot of plugins and code snippets.
* Getting yourself involved in the programming community through meetups, Codepen, Cloud9.
* More practice on online platforms like Hackerrank, Coding Ninjas and reading about your field of programming.
*A thirst to learn new techniques and libraries for making your code more efficient and readable.
*You also need Patience to stick to the same problem you are unable to compile for the last one hour and search for that error and finally run your program.
*You need to be disciplined to continue learning each day.
* A good text-editor like Sublime-text, Notepad++, Visual Studio Code, Atom. Personally, I find myself more productive on Sublime Text. It has a lot of plugins and code snippets.
* Getting yourself involved in the programming community through meetups, Codepen, Cloud9.
* More practice on online platforms like Hackerrank, Coding Ninjas and reading about your field of programming.
*A thirst to learn new techniques and libraries for making your code more efficient and readable.
*You also need Patience to stick to the same problem you are unable to compile for the last one hour and search for that error and finally run your program.
*You need to be disciplined to continue learning each day.
Updated
Betty’s Answer
Hi Arnab,
Dan's answer was great, and I also want to offer another opinion. My friend didn't start off as a software engineer, and became one by taking coding bootcamps which taught her the skills she needed to land an internship as part of the program after she finished the coding courses. For a period of time she was hired as a contractor at a biotech firm and now independently consults. The traditional path is what Dan suggests, but there are more ways to become a software engineer that now exist. As an example, Google is also offering specialized tracks through their Google certificate programs. It is worth checking out.
https://grow.google/intl/en_my/guide-software-development/?gclid=Cj0KCQjwqoibBhDUARIsAH2OpWj3x4dwMAOLBS3t8DhypLAGNojoTn0nKXbcxjdNhWD8JLU-iyUiBXUaAtqvEALw_wcB
Dan's answer was great, and I also want to offer another opinion. My friend didn't start off as a software engineer, and became one by taking coding bootcamps which taught her the skills she needed to land an internship as part of the program after she finished the coding courses. For a period of time she was hired as a contractor at a biotech firm and now independently consults. The traditional path is what Dan suggests, but there are more ways to become a software engineer that now exist. As an example, Google is also offering specialized tracks through their Google certificate programs. It is worth checking out.
https://grow.google/intl/en_my/guide-software-development/?gclid=Cj0KCQjwqoibBhDUARIsAH2OpWj3x4dwMAOLBS3t8DhypLAGNojoTn0nKXbcxjdNhWD8JLU-iyUiBXUaAtqvEALw_wcB
Updated
PRASANJIT’s Answer
1. Focus on the Fundamentals.
2. Learn to Ask for Help.
3. Put Your Knowledge into Action.
4. Learn How to Code by Hand.
5. Check out Helpful Online Coding Resources.
6. Know When to Step Away and Take a Break from Code Debugging.
7. Do More Than Just Read Sample Code.
2. Learn to Ask for Help.
3. Put Your Knowledge into Action.
4. Learn How to Code by Hand.
5. Check out Helpful Online Coding Resources.
6. Know When to Step Away and Take a Break from Code Debugging.
7. Do More Than Just Read Sample Code.
Updated
Sachin’s Answer
1. Logic is the most important trait to have to become a good programmer.
2. https://www.w3schools.com/ . Try out this site. It has basics of almost all programming languages.
3. Udemy Academy : Take courses..Cost effective courses but amazing ones...will take you to advanced level within no time. (Only with practice)
4. Look out for problems and try solving through codes.
5. Ask for Support when you require it. Don't shy...hundred percent of programmers use other programmer's codes
6. When you find yourself going to Stack Overflow...know that you are on the right track.
7. No ChatGPT until you are comfortable with coding language and can code without any googling.
2. https://www.w3schools.com/ . Try out this site. It has basics of almost all programming languages.
3. Udemy Academy : Take courses..Cost effective courses but amazing ones...will take you to advanced level within no time. (Only with practice)
4. Look out for problems and try solving through codes.
5. Ask for Support when you require it. Don't shy...hundred percent of programmers use other programmer's codes
6. When you find yourself going to Stack Overflow...know that you are on the right track.
7. No ChatGPT until you are comfortable with coding language and can code without any googling.