How Senior Programmers ACTUALLY Write Code

Summary

The video script emphasizes the importance of writing high-quality code for professional growth and efficient teamwork. It outlines habits such as completing work fully, adhering to coding standards, documenting coding patterns, and avoiding micromanagement through proper estimation. It also stresses the value of incremental refactoring and the necessity of including time for documentation to ensure code longevity and maintain a professional standard.

Takeaways

• 🔒 Writing good code is crucial for being perceived as a senior programmer, as it allows other developers to easily understand and appreciate your work.
• 🛠 Good code writing practices reduce the time spent supporting and explaining code to others, thus increasing efficiency and productivity.
• 🔄 Writing high-quality code decreases the likelihood of your code being rewritten by others, which can be frustrating and a waste of time.
• 🏁 Completing work before moving on is essential to avoid building up technical debt and to maintain professionalism.
• 📏 Enforcing coding standards through tools or plugins helps maintain consistency in code formatting, making it easier for team members to work together.
• 📝 Documenting coding patterns and decisions is vital for team collaboration and for maintaining a high standard of code quality.
• 🔍 Reviewing and getting feedback on new coding patterns before fully implementing them can prevent potential issues and gain team support.
• 🚫 Avoid creating separate tasks for refactoring, as this can lead to management pulling out these tasks, potentially harming the project.
• 🔄 Incremental refactoring, spread across multiple features, is a valuable skill that helps in maintaining code quality without large, disruptive changes.
• ⏰ Estimating work should include extra time for unexpected design meetings and documentation, ensuring that commitments can be met without compromising code quality.
• 🗣️ Communication with the development team about refactoring needs and plans is key to spreading the effort and preventing management from making uninformed decisions.

Q & A

Why might a developer feel micromanaged when adding a new user story for a document?

A developer might feel micromanaged because they have to report back to a project manager or scrum master for approval, which can be seen as an interruption to their workflow and an unnecessary oversight on tasks that should be within their autonomy.

What is the importance of writing good code according to the script?

Writing good code is important for several reasons: it allows other developers to understand the codebase easily, reduces the time spent on supporting and explaining the code to others, and decreases the likelihood of someone rewriting your code due to misunderstanding or preference.

How does writing good code affect a developer's perception among their peers?

Writing good code can elevate a developer's status from a junior to a senior programmer, as it demonstrates an understanding of best practices, consideration for others who will work with the code, and a professional approach to software development.

What is the first habit suggested for writing code like a senior programmer?

The first habit suggested is to complete your work before moving on, avoiding the accumulation of technical debt and ensuring that the code is finished to a standard that can be presented to others.

Why is it beneficial to enforce coding standards?

Enforcing coding standards ensures consistency across the codebase, making it easier for developers to understand each other's code and reducing the cognitive load when switching between different parts of the project.

What is the role of documentation in maintaining coding patterns?

Documentation serves to communicate agreed-upon coding patterns to the team, providing a reference point for consistency and understanding, and ensuring that new team members can quickly get up to speed with the project's standards.

Why should a developer avoid creating a separate task for refactoring?

Creating a separate task for refactoring can lead to management potentially removing it to meet deadlines or other priorities, undermining the quality of the code. Instead, developers should integrate refactoring efforts incrementally within new feature development.

What is the advantage of incremental refactoring over a complete overhaul?

Incremental refactoring allows for a more manageable approach to improving the codebase, spreading the effort across the team and reducing the risk of introducing new bugs or issues that can come with a complete overhaul.

How should a developer handle unexpected design meetings or the need for additional documentation?

A developer should account for such uncertainties by adding extra time to their estimates for work, ensuring that they can meet their commitments without compromising on the quality of the code or the thoroughness of the documentation.

What is the significance of self-discipline in the context of writing code like a senior programmer?

Self-discipline is crucial for maintaining personal and professional integrity in code development. It involves taking pride in one's work, ensuring thoroughness, and completing tasks to a high standard before moving on to new tasks.

How can a developer demonstrate maturity and professionalism in their coding practices?

A developer can demonstrate maturity and professionalism by rejecting the notion that code should be self-documenting, instead taking the time to document patterns and decisions made during the project, and actively seeking feedback and collaboration with the team.