I've asked myself this question over and over "what does it take to be a really good programmer?" Do I have the ability to be one of the best? Do i have the dedication to program for 36 hours straight without losing sight of my goal? What makes a good programmer? I just want your input to see what you think makes a good programmer.
`Who are YOU?' said the Caterpillar.
This was not an encouraging opening for a conversation. Alice replied, rather shyly, `I--I hardly know, sir, just at present-- at least I know who I WAS when I got up this morning, but I think I must have been changed several times since then.' - Lewis Caroll's Alice in Wonderland.
-Quick (thinking)
-Able to tolerate a lot of bull relating to stupid bugs
-Able to find, and correct, bugs
-Doesn't reinvent the wheel as a triangle
-Is able to use a search engine
To code is divine
you make it sound so easy..
In my CS1 class.. the very first question on the very first test.. was a fill in the blank..
Quality of a good programmer (and what you will need to pass this class) ________ ____ ________
Attention To Detail.
Last edited by The Brain; 06-20-2005 at 08:24 AM.
- "Problem Solving C++, The Object of Programming" -Walter Savitch
- "Data Structures and Other Objects using C++" -Walter Savitch
- "Assembly Language for Intel-Based Computers" -Kip Irvine
- "Programming Windows, 5th edition" -Charles Petzold
- "Visual C++ MFC Programming by Example" -John E. Swanke
- "Network Programming Windows" -Jones/Ohlund
- "Sams Teach Yourself Game Programming in 24 Hours" -Michael Morrison
- "Mathmatics for 3D Game Programming & Computer Graphics" -Eric Lengyel
Well, obviously, a certain amount of intelligence is required. Past that, passion and the ability to learn on the go is all you need.
{RTFM, KISS}
You have to be able to come up with really witty phrases with which to comment your code.
other than the obious...
To be a good programmer you have to enjoy doing what you do.
Work hard
Originally Posted by Perspective
Agree 100%. You have infinite possibilities with something you enjoy doing.
Boy you stink, go take a shower before you continue to code. Better do your laundry and spray your chair too.
The one and only resource for finding information.
Next version of windows released!!!!
A few more:
- The ability to leap large, dry technical manuals in a single bound
- An ego big enough to handle the fact that you will only be right once, but you can fail many times in the edit-compile-debug cycle
- Friends and family that can handle your absent-mindedness when your head is wrapped around a problem you haven't figured out yet
- The understanding that a deadline is as helpful as it is annoying
HTH,
Will
Work smart
Also, good programmers know much more than just programming. Often domain (business) knowledge is far more important. If all you can do is take a spec and write code, you'll never be the best.
Being able to work smart, and all of that other junk, you will learn over time if you are working hard. Otherwise you'll just remain in a perpetual state of retardation in which you need to ask programmers on an online message board how to 'get good.'
edit:
meh, most of the people here just seem to be amateurs who dont' give a flying horseas5 about business, and the op only really seems to care about programming. I read the slashdot article about how it's increasingly important for coders to know more about the business side of things, but that only applies for coders that actually want a programming job. The path of many here is to have a job outside of programming and keep coding purely as a hobby so it like, you know, remains fun (real programming jobs often aren't).Often domain (business) knowledge is far more important. If all you can do is take a spec and write code, you'll never be the best.
Last edited by BobMcGee123; 06-24-2005 at 08:58 AM.
It seems that the general idea is to love coding and not think about it as a chore. Anyway that is what stands out as the main thought for me. I understand the concept of understanding business but i feels to me as if it perhaps is against the spirit of programming. Jst an opinion. How many hours do you have to code to become good.At this stage Im so green that there isn't much posts i can post on the forums because i dont really have an idea.
`Who are YOU?' said the Caterpillar.
This was not an encouraging opening for a conversation. Alice replied, rather shyly, `I--I hardly know, sir, just at present-- at least I know who I WAS when I got up this morning, but I think I must have been changed several times since then.' - Lewis Caroll's Alice in Wonderland.
When I see people asking "How many hours a day do I need to code to get good" I honestly think they're in the wrong frame of mind. Nobody here does programming all day everyday...the ones that do claim to do that are completely full of crap, and even if you DO manage to code all day everyday for a while (a day or two, a week, maybe a month), you certainly cannot do it forever...I don't care who you are.
What does working hard as a programmer mean? Well, sit down and write programs. When you get confused, seek out resources and be willing to think about the problem at hand and be willing to read the resources you have (whether it be books, online material, or me in an AIM chat conversation).
I can't believe that no one mentioned caffeine..
My Tutorials :
- Bad programming practices in : C
- C\C++ Tips
(constrcutive criticism is very welcome)
- Brain Cell
So it is not quantity but quality...
`Who are YOU?' said the Caterpillar.
This was not an encouraging opening for a conversation. Alice replied, rather shyly, `I--I hardly know, sir, just at present-- at least I know who I WAS when I got up this morning, but I think I must have been changed several times since then.' - Lewis Caroll's Alice in Wonderland.
