You might be looking for ways to improve your coding skills but don’t know how to go about it. The beauty of being a programmer is that you get to learn something almost on a daily basis. This is not to say that there won’t be challenges along the way. To get better at coding, you need to be disciplined about learning. In this guide, we’re going to share actionable tips that will come in handy if you’re looking to become a better coder.
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Keep Track of How Much You Have to Learn
For you to learn something, you first have to acknowledge that you don’t know it. This might sound too obvious but even seasoned programmers forget there is still a lot to learn and you can never know everything. For you to be really good, you must accept the fact that you will never know everything, no matter the experience. This will keep you hungry and you will see every opportunity to learn something new.
You Don’t Have to Prove Yourself Right
In order to become great at something, you need to learn from experience. You should be careful because the experience can also lead you back to poor habits. Getting the job done is different from doing a good job. You’ve probably met programmers with years of experience making the same patterns of mistakes over and over again. In order to avoid such a situation, you need to be honest with yourself and identify the areas that can be improved. You should not stand in awe of the awesomeness of your code. If it is not functional or useful, then nothing matters. You can take a look at this free API key as an example of what good coding looks like. It is simple and takes care of the basics.
The Work Doesn’t Stop When the Code Starts to Work
Getting the code to work is only half the battle. It is a small victory but there will still be a lot of work to be done for the code to be useful. Average programmers will stop at this point and move to the next project which shouldn’t be the case. You will need to document the code, check for bugs, and look at the areas that can be improved. Part of the big process will be defining what the code means.
Write it More Three Times
A good coder will write code that works. What separates a good from a great coder is writing code that works exceedingly well. The best software is one that is written more than three times. For the first time, the code will be written to prove to yourself or the client that it is actually able to do the job. In most instances, it will be a proof-of-concept. The second process of writing code will be done for fine-tuning purposes. The third time will be all about making the code work right.
The best developers will have a work process and it is imperative that it includes writing code three times.
Read Lots of Code
The only way you can become good at code is by studying code that is not necessarily your own. You want to know what great programmers are doing and what goes into the thought process of writing excellent code. When you start reading code, you start analyzing how you’d have written differently. You also get to borrow ideas that can be used to improve your coding skills.
Write Code That is Useful
Coding shouldn’t just be another assignment. That is why it always encouraged to work on personal programming projects because it provides a sense of duty and direction. You’re not just doing another assignment. One of the greatest advantages of pursuing personal coding projects is that it challenges you to figure out problems on your own. Don’t go for personal projects that are not challenging because you’re not likely to learn anything.
Collaborate With Other Developers
One of the most effective ways of learning is by collaborating with others. You get to see problems in a different light than you’re used to. It is important to pay close attention to the feedback that you’re getting in order to improve. There is a lot to learn from your peers so long as you’re open to criticism.
Learn Techniques
Those who are just starting out on will get stuck on the tools. Such tools will come and go but the techniques will come in handy for every programming project you embark on. Make it a point to master the techniques as it will make your work easier.
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