Dear new developer, I wrote a post about learning SQL a while back. I posted the link in Lobste.rs, an online community, which generated some interesting comments. One of them was that sqlite was a better way to learn SQL than using PostgreSQL or MySQL. This is due to the fact that there are some … Continue reading Learn SQL with sqlite
Month: December 2019
The care and feeding of developers
Dear new developer, I thought this post from 2012, about what software developers want, was penetrating and relevant. This passage resonated for me: And here’s the real crux of the problem: software engineers aren’t builders. Software engineers are creators. Building is what you do when you buy a piece of furniture from Ikea and get … Continue reading The care and feeding of developers
No choice is permanent
Dear new developer, Sometimes when you are thinking about a new job or shifting to a new position in a company, it can feel overwhelming. What if I make the wrong choice? At least, I've often felt that way. Every choice you make has effects. When you choose to study ruby, you can't also study … Continue reading No choice is permanent
Cultivate the Skill of Undivided Attention, or “Deep Work”
This is a guest post from Josh Thompson. Enjoy. Dear New Developer, You know that there's a chasm between your skill level and that of the mythical "senior software developer". If you build a list of topics you encounter on your job that, if learned to a deep enough level, would put you on the … Continue reading Cultivate the Skill of Undivided Attention, or “Deep Work”
Types of companies that use software
Dear new developer, In my experience, four types of companies use software. Software is as prevalent as accounting, so every company uses it in some way. Those that sell software to help build software, software product companies. Examples from my career: Oracle. Those that sell software, often called product companies. Examples from my career: The … Continue reading Types of companies that use software
Web APIs for new developers
Dear new developer, Chances are high that you'll be working with other code as a developer. I remember when I was first starting out and saw the acronym API everywhere. I had no idea what it stood for. In case you are in the same boat, it means Appliciation Programming Interface. What that means is … Continue reading Web APIs for new developers
Learn to type quickly
Dear new developer, Coding is so much more than typing into a computer. Other things that matter: knowing who to talk to what to build when to discuss high and low level concepts other processes like testing and documentation communicating progress course correcting when a project goes awry These are all skills you need to … Continue reading Learn to type quickly
Talk first, code later
Dear new developer, The more experienced I get, the more I realize that the hard part of software development (for the kinds of software development I do, primarily business web applications) is not the coding. It's the communication. You need to communicate, often among shifting parties over weeks, months or years: why you are building … Continue reading Talk first, code later
Listen to podcasts
Dear new developer, Depending on what your life looks like, you may have some time where your body is occupied, but your mind is not. At least not 100%. Tasks like doing the dishes, running and driving all fall into that category. In this extra time, you may want to listen to podcasts. Most smartphones … Continue reading Listen to podcasts
Letters To A New Developer 