Mastering Programming

http://raonyguimaraes.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/newbie-coder-tips-intro-644x250.jpgFrom years of watching master programmers, I have observed certain common patterns in their workflows. From years of coaching skilled journeyman programmers, I have observed the absence of those patterns. I have seen what a difference introducing the patterns can make.
Here are ways effective programmers get the most out of their precious 3e9 seconds on the planet.
The theme here is scaling your brain. The journeyman learns to solve bigger problems by solving more problems at once. The master learns to solve even bigger problems than that by solving fewer problems at once. Part of the wisdom is subdividing so that integrating the separate solutions will be a smaller problem than just solving them together.

Time

  • Slicing. Take a big project, cut it into thin slices, and rearrange the slices to suit your context. I can always slice projects finer and I can always find new permutations of the slices that meet different needs.
  • One thing at a time. We’re so focused on efficiency that we reduce the number of feedback cycles in an attempt to reduce overhead. This leads to difficult debugging situations whose expected cost is greater than the cycle overhead we avoided.
  • Make it run, make it right, make it fast. (Example of One Thing at a Time, Slicing, and Easy Changes)
  • Easy changes. When faced with a hard change, first make it easy (warning, this may be hard), then make the easy change. (e.g. slicing, one thing at a time, concentration, isolation). Example of slicing.
  • Concentration. If you need to change several elements, first rearrange the code so the change only needs to happen in one element.
  • Isolation. If you only need to change a part of an element, extract that part so the whole subelement changes.
  • Baseline Measurement. Start projects by measuring the current state of the world. This goes against our engineering instincts to start fixing things, but when you measure the baseline you will actually know whether you are fixing things.

Source: Mastering Programming

 

Raony Guimaraes