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Thursday, December 30, 2010

Transiting from a beginner to an intermediate computer programmer

Many programming authors are not interested in the intermediate level or class of programmers as many literature focus on both beginners and advance programming skills. This article will suggest tips that can help in transiting from beginner to intermediate cadre.

1. Learning another programming language
The type of language you learn doesn't matter but any other language will do you good and make you a better programmer. This can be significantly beneficial if you learn a language that is totally different from the ones you use on regular basis. The more programming language you learn the more your ability towards becoming a programming guru.

2. Develop your search techniques
To become a good programmer is a function of your ability to finding information or references that will assist you in your programming tasks.In order to get quality information online from your favourite search engine you need to acquire advance search techniques. Your approach to a particular search and knowing what to look for is another skill to be developed by any programmer that may be researching the Internet for references for his or her programming tasks; while the search engine to be adopted for a better result is also necessary. References or information that can help in making you a better programmer are readily available online all you need is the required skills to access them.

3. Assist Others
As you help others by teaching them on the best programming practices you are indirectly launching yourself into programming limelight as it is very difficult for someone to teach what he or she does not understand. It is also good to share what you have learnt from others with another set of audience as no one can be regarded as an island of knowledge. The more you teach others in a field the more proficient you will be in that area of human endeavours be it programming or non-programming.

4. Practice make Perfection
Rome they say was not built in a day; to become an expert in programming is not a day job. Research has shown that it takes about ten (10) years or ten (10) to twenty (20) thousand hours of constant practice to become an expert. This will entails a lot of time and energy dedicated to reading, coding & debugging and practicing in your spare time. It is like an investment that will translate into a lot of profit as you keep the pace as you grow in your programming career.

5. Respect the Opinion of others
As a beginner never claim opinions of others to be yours, so as not to be the tool of your set back as you advance in your career as a programmer. Relate well with experts and obtain seasoned information that can help your career growth and guide against following instructions from some experts who really don't know what they are doing.

6. Become an authority in one area of programming development
Even if you are a beginner in application development using a programming language of your choice try to become proficient in at least one aspect in the development cycle. It may be in user interface design, database design or coding. This will easily get you into intermediate cadre and leading you into being an expert.

7. Learn the fundamentals of your language
If you study the rudiments of your programming language you will be in the best position to explain why your codes are working the way they do and this will also assist you in identifying errors when things go wrong. For instance, if you use database tools, take a look at the underlying SQL it generates.

8. Study Codes written by experts
If you have senior colleagues in your place of work or you have access to the code of experts in open source projects; examine their mode or style of writing code in order to build yourself up. It is good to be very careful not to blindly adopt bad practice as you embark on this advise.The wisdom here is not to just imitate the expert but to learn how things works and how you can also apply them in your own way to get even better result.

9. Learn International best practice in programming
Every profession have its code of conduct or ethics, so it is in programming parlance. Endeavour to learn all internationally accepted best practice in programming that will portray you a better programmer rather than an unserious or a care free coder due to lack of following lay down guides in a particular programming language.

10. Your interest matters
In any human endeavours interest is very essential in achieving the required goal. For you to enjoy your job as a programmer your interest in this field is very important as lack of interest on your part will make the work look boring and tiring. If you don't like your work as a beginner it will be very difficult to transit to intermediate level while on the other hand if you love what you are doing; getting to the top of the ladder in programming field is very possible as you will be a better programmer, it is just a matter of time.


With these above highlighted suggestion you can transit from a beginner programmer to an intermediate towards being a computer programming guru.


Olufemi
Nigeria