6 useful tips from 11-year experienced programmers

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The author of this article is Aman Gautam , currently co-founder of Elpis Design. With 11 years of experience in programming and making products, Gautam has shared ideas to improve the thinking of many young programmers and experienced programmers.

I have been programming for nearly 11 years. One thing that I am absolutely sure is to become a good programmer that just knowing code is never enough. You need to do more or simply a few small changes (not easy).

Here are 6 helpful tips to help you become a better programmer in the future.

1. Write code for others to read

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When writing code, you should be mindful that there will be a junior developer two years later (less than 2 years of programming experience) fixing your code. So:

1. Name functions and variables explicitly
2. Explain the feature of the code with inline comments (inline comments)
3. Clearly commit messages
4. Write documents like README with installation instructions and code to make it easy for new people to catch
5. Think of documentation as an important part of base code that needs to be reviewed and restructured continuously.

Imagine that you are writing code for some "idiot" who will be immersed in your code in the future. Write to them, do not write riddles!

Optimizing code is important but making it easier to understand is necessary. Remember!

2. Write a test case

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The best products I've worked with are more than 85% -95% tested thoroughly. This is like a big commitment, especially for indie developers.

Obviously, you can't test everything, but at the very least, write test cases for critical parts that easily fail and change in the future.

Writing unit or integration test seems to be something bothersome and expensive, but it is actually cheaper than fixing bugs when delivering products to actual users.

3. Use your tool

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As you know, it will take a long time to try the new tool (like the IDE) until you become familiar. In general, it will take a long time for people and tools to merge.

Yet, there are many developers who change tools, languages ​​or frameworks on a regular basis. Of course, I do not object to this change myself, but do not agree to change too often.

You don't need to be too loyal to a single tool, but don't overdo it with other tools. Believe me guys!

4. What type must be deployed

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I have witnessed so many projects forever in the dark. Most developers have 2 categories:

1. Perfectionist : This character never launches if it is not perfect from beginning to end.
2. Procrastinator (Delayed): This character will always buy time and never finish anything perfect. Don't let these traits appear in you and stop doing it if you don't have a good product. Do not let these things affect you.

5. Follow your rules to the end

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If the doctor often washes his or her hands well before each operation, the programmer should also test the things he / she writes before going out.

Many employers / customers will feel strange when a certain programmer wants to write test cases before writing the actual code. However, please keep following your rules, even if you are blind!

In fact, your customer or boss may not be able to fully understand the technical processing steps required for some products, so you have a responsibility to "disseminate" the problem to them. Help them understand the process of making it, just like a doctor must wash his hands before surgery.

Every individual has their own rules. So if you want to be a good programmer, practice a lot!

6. Learn a new programming language

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Try learning a new programming language every year, someday in the future you will use it. The key issue is not learning more programming skills but it will help you have a new way of thinking.

For example, I myself have a Java and C ++ platform before but it also takes me quite a long time to 'digest' the fact that we can run a program in PHP without the main function.

After working on PHP-Apache based on urls (eg home.php), Python's way of deploying routes and URIs is almost a shock to me. My mind was fully opened. Learn a new language that helps you ask questions against the problems you encounter in the previous language.

Take action! If you want to be a good programmer, you need to change.

Refer to some more articles:

1. 26 useful websites should track if you are a web developer
2. Top 6 qualities of IT employers looking for in 2018
3. If you are a Web Developer, don't miss out on these 67 useful tools, libraries and resources!

Having fun!