Tag: Good software engineer

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What are the Top 5 things that can say a lot about a software engineer or programmer’s quality?

When it comes to the quality of a software engineer or programmer, there are a few key things that can give you a good indication. First, take a look at their code quality. A good software engineer will take pride in their work and produce clean, well-organized code. They will also be able to explain their code concisely and confidently. Another thing to look for is whether they are up-to-date on the latest coding technologies and trends. A good programmer will always be learning and keeping up with the latest industry developments. Finally, pay attention to how they handle difficult problems. A good software engineer will be able to think creatively and come up with innovative solutions to complex issues. If you see these qualities in a software engineer or programmer, chances are they are of high quality.

Below are the top 5 things can say a lot about a software engineer/ programmer’s quality?

1. The number of possible paths through the code (branch points) is minimized. Top quality code tends to be much more straight line than poor code. As a result, the author can design, code and test very quickly and is often looked at as a programming guru. In addition this code is far more resilient in Production.
2. The code clearly matches the underlying business requirements and can therefore be understood very quickly by new resources. As a result there is much less tendency for a maintenance programmer to break the basic design as opposed to spaghetti code where small changes can have catastrophic effects.
3. There is an overall sense of pride in the source code itself. If the enterprise has clear written standards, these are followed to the letter. If not, the code is internally consistent in terms of procedure/object, function/method or variable/attribute naming. Also indentation and continuations are universally consistent throughout. Last but not least, the majority of code blocks are self-evident to the requirements and where not the case, adequate purpose focused documentation is provided.
   
   In general, I have seen two types of programs provided for initial Production deployment. One looks like it was just written moments ago and the other looks like it has had 20 years of maintenance performed on it. Unfortunately, the authors of the second type cannot generally see the difference so it is a lost cause and we just have to continue to deal with the problems.
4. In today’s programming environment, a project may span many platforms, languages etc. A simple web page may invoke an API which in turn accesses a database. For this example lets say JavaScript – Rest API – C# – SQL – RDBMS. The programmer can basically embed logic anywhere in this chain, but needs to be aware of reuse, performance and maintenance issues. For instance, if a part of the process requires access to three database tables, it is both faster and clearer to allow the DBMS engine return a single query than compare the tables in the API code. Similarly every business rule coded in the client side reduces re-usability potential.
   Top quality developers understand these issues and can optimize their designs to take advantages of the strengths of the component technologies.
5. The ability to stay current with new trends and technologies. Technology is constantly evolving, and a good software engineer or programmer should be able to stay up-to-date on the latest trends and technologies in order to be able to create the best possible products.

To conclude:

Below are other things to consider when hiring good software engineers or programmers:

1. The ability to write clean, well-organized code. This is a key indicator of a good software engineer or programmer. The ability to write code that is easy to read and understand is essential for creating high-quality software.
2. The ability to test and debug code. A good coder should be able to test their code thoroughly and identify and fix any errors that may exist.
3. The ability to write efficient code. Software engineering is all about creating efficient solutions to problems. A good software engineer or programmer will be able to write code that is efficient and effective.
4. The ability to work well with others. Software engineering is typically a team-based effort. A good software engineer or programmer should be able to work well with others in order to create the best possible product.
5. The ability to stay current with new trends and technologies.