5 Easy Tips That Will Help You Improve As A Programmer

There’s something that will always tell a good coder apart from a bad one: their ability to improve their work.

When starting to work as a programmer, most of the time, their biggest focus is to provide an output that works. If the code is properly working, they consider it done, however, it’s quite reckless to consider that as the epitome of a job well done.

Programmers can work through several techniques to improve their code and become more experienced despite coding differences and privileging code that comes naturally to them.

Here are some five easy tips to help you become a better programmer:

Take Your Time Before Coding

Most programmers quickly go through the requirements and start coding right away, believing that all it takes is coding and everything will magically fall into place. That couldn’t be further from the truth. A good chunk of your time as a programmer should be spent analysing before diving into coding. This will save you time fixing bugs and optimising already written code at the last minute.

So whenever you’re about to start working on something, analyse the already existing code, run and debug the existing functionality and only then, start working on a solution that won’t disrupt the application’s flow. Once you get that right, get started on your code.

SolutionS not Solution

Programmers usually end up looking for the only one solution, moving to the next challenge once they get it done. Yet, the more time programmers spend finding solutions to a problem, the bigger the benefits, from enhancing their logical thinking, to finding out the best solution among several options more intuitively, as well as problem solving approach improvement. By considering several options, they’ll be able to solve problems better, quicker and more efficiently.

Peep Into Others’ Work

Every programmer codes differently but just like everything else, different perspectives will always improve your own work. That’s why it’s so important to pay attention to other people’s code and reading it on a regular basis. These insights are beneficial and you’ll even be able to get familiar with your team’s code and parts of projects that you haven’t worked on before if you practice this early on.

Update The Code and Yourself

We already mentioned that becoming a software developer means always being on top of trends and latest technological features. The main reason why software dies over time is due to negligence on the developers’ side, ignoring to update the code for optimisation. By being updated and on top of best and newest practices, you’ll be able to simplify and optimize your code and program swiftly.

Get A Buddy

You can always try Pair Programming. Pair Programming is used in an agile environment and it only takes two programmers to work together at one workstation. One is the assigned ‘driver’ and writes code, while the other, named ‘observer’ or ‘navigator’, reviews each line as it is typed in. They frequently switch roles so none of them gets stuck to a role exclusively.
It can be challenging but Pair Programming certainly has its advantages. You learn from your colleague, optimize your workflow and cleaner code, while learning from each other’s strengths.

In the end, it’s up to you to decide if you either want to stay stagnant or not. We firmly believe that a professional that always aims to improve is in the path for greater success and fulfilment.
Take these advice and do better!

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As seen feature in Top Software Development Companies of 2020 by Design Rush.