programmers – Talent500 Blog

5 essential habits of highly successful programmers

Posted on October 10, 2022November 14, 2022 by seoteam

Software engineers are part of a highly dynamic industry. Millions of people are passionate about software development but often struggle to find the pathway to becoming part of the industry. Developer, programmer, coder, software developer, and software engineer are often used interchangeably but differ a bit. Anyone can be a coder or developer, but you need more than just familiarity with a programming language or syntax to be a good programmer. Being a programmer requires teaching habits that put you on a track to becoming a highly successful software professional.

Here we list the critical programmer habits that can help you develop your skills as a programmer.

1. Be on a path to lifelong learning

Even most experienced programmers never stop learning. As a successful programmer, you must try to learn and be the best you can be. Computer science is a vast field with limitless scope for innovation and creativity. Many new technologies, concepts, and principles appear in the industry every day, and to be at the top of the trade, you have to keep learning. For instance, JavaScript has seen fast-paced development over the last two decades. A JavaScript developer must keep learning the new frameworks like Reach, Angular, Vue, Node, and more to benefit from the new features and capabilities these frameworks offer.

As a successful programmer, you won’t just write code but will also be tasked with helping others through online communities like Stack Overflow and GitHub. You must select some reliable resources that provide news and updates on your chosen tech to keep ahead.

2. Learning and mastering multiple programming languages

As a beginner, a developer can start with a single programming language and work their way up. To be a successful programmer, you must learn and master several programming languages. Programming languages always have different areas for which they are best suited. As an experienced programmer, you will have to use multiple languages within a project to solve various challenges.

For example, Java can be your choice for cross-platform development, and C/C++ may be used for developing much faster systems. For writing a web application, you will have to use PHP, Ajax, ASP, or JavaScript, and for the server-side of things, Perl, Python, or Ruby are best suited. One of the essential programmer tips we want to share is that you must keep exploring more technologies to broaden your horizon. The more familiar you are with multiple programming languages, then your approach will be more holistic.

3. Avoid restricting yourself to a single development environment

Every programmer has their own favorite tools and technologies to be more productive and write better code. Some programmers prefer veteran IEDs like Vi and Notepad, while others go for Emacs and Gedits. Most new-age programmers prefer GUI code editors like VS Code and VC++. There is much debate about what tools a programmer must use to be productive, but successful programmers know that tools don’t matter as long as they provide the ability to write clean and concise code faster.

This is why experienced programmers never limit themselves to a particular development environment. They explore and optimize several environments that allow them to compare several tools and learn which one is best suited for the job. It also helps them develop attention to detail. Being a skillful developer involves learning tools faster and sometimes on the go.

4. Be a good team player

Successful programmers have more than just technical attributes; they are also skilled team players. For programmers, soft skills are as necessary as technical skills. There is hardly any software you can write alone, and if you cannot bring your abilities to a team, it is doubtful that you will ever be a successful programmer.

Team play is a vital habit that separates good software engineers from great programmers. Answer the following honestly:

Do you have the correct manner of communicating with other team members?
Do you communicate regularly to anticipate and welcome their ideas?
Do others enjoy discussing projects with you?
Think outside the work. Are you a great team player in activities?

These are a few questions that will help you understand whether you are a team player or not. Apart from this, there are other mandatory soft skills that developers should have.

5. Turn your work into documentation

A clean and maintainable code has comments. But a well-documented code is the tell-tale sign of an expert programmer. When documentation is available, it helps other developers and team members understand your code. It also makes it much easier to transfer knowledge and conserve the thought process around the code. Make it a habit to always document your code to make it readable and maintainable.

Inculcating these programmer habits will ensure you are successful in your career. To explore better job opportunities as a successful programmer, join Talent500.

4 advanced JavaScript tips & tricks for programmers

Posted on October 10, 2022November 16, 2022 by

JavaScript is responsible for all the interactivity on a webpage. The language enables web browsers to create a dynamic and interactive user experience. Companies use JavaScript to develop robust and highly efficient frameworks and systems.

It is why the demand for JavaScript developers is high. But to be a proficient JavaScript developer, you must learn how to write optimized JavaScript code. Optimized code combines cleverly programmed logic and a few tips and tricks to improve the performance and speed of code execution.

Here are some advanced JavaScript hacks for programmers to optimize and improve the performance of their JS code.

1. Use array filter

In JavaScript, you often need to use arrays. This little hack will allow you to bucket out elements from the array pool based on a preset condition that you pass as a function. You can create a callback function for non-required elements according to the use case.

Here is an example where we separate the null elements from the other aspects of the array.

schema = [“hi”,”Hello World!”,null, null, “goodbye”]

schema = schema.filter(function(n) {

return n

});

Output: [“hi”,” Hello World!”, “goodbye”]

This JavaScript trick will save you time and some lines of code while improving the performance of the code.

2. Using length to delete empty in an array

While you can resize and empty an array, the conventional way of writing a dedicated function works on the array, but there’s a more thoughtful way to achieve this.

You can achieve the same goal by use of array.length.

Here is an example to delete n elements using array.length.

array.length = n

code:

var array = [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6];

console.log(array.length); // 6

array.length = 3;

console.log(array.length); // 3

console.log(array); // [1,2,3]

You can also use the array.length to empty the array using array.length = 0, like this:

Example:

var array = [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6];

array.length = 0;

console.log(array.length); // 0

console.log(array); // []

It is the most preferred way to resize/unset an array, and experienced programmers use it to ensure that their code is optimized and there are no stray elements in the array.

3. Nested ternary operator

We can simplify the use of multiple conditional expressions in our JavaScript code with the use of nested ternary operation.

condition: ? expressionIfTrue : expressionIfFalse

instead of

if else-if else.

The problem with using too many if else-if else in the JS code is that the complicated nesting not only increases the execution time, such code is not clean and is hard to read and maintain.

Let’s understand the nested ternary operator with an example.

Support you have a blog home page where you want to itemsPerPage number of posts per page. Now here are three scenarios that are possible:

If the number of articles is less than the itemsPerPage, the value of the pages variable should be 1.
If the number of articles is more than the itemsPerPage, then the value of our pages variable should be equal to the itemsPerPage.
If the number of articles is less than the itemsPerPage, the value of our pages variable should be the same as the number of pages.

This can be easily implemented with a nested ternary operator like this:

const articles = Array.from({ length: 120 }, (_, index) => index);

const paginate = (items, itemsPerPage = 10) => {

const pages =

itemsPerPage > items.length

? 1

: Math.ceil(items.length / itemsPerPage) > itemsPerPage

? itemsPerPage

: Math.ceil(items.length / itemsPerPage);

return Array.from({ length: pages }, (_, index) => {

const start = index * itemsPerPage;

return items.slice(start, start + itemsPerPage);

});

};

console.log(paginate(articles));

4. Easy way to invert an integer

One of the most commonly asked JavaScript questions in interviews is how you can reverse a positive or negative integer within reasonable limits.

It’s not just a tricky JavaScript question but also has applications in the real world, like in eCommerce and wallet applications.

First, you can check if the input is within the valid limits. If it is, then we take the absolute value of input and divide it by the integer 10 in each loop until the number is zero. We store the last digit of the number in each loop. Then we multiply each value by 10 and add it to the last digit. This is how we reverse the given integer.

Here’s the code:

const reverseInteger = (input) => {

const checkNumber =

input > 2 ** 31 || input < -(2 ** 31) || typeof input !== ‘number’;

if (checkNumber) return 0;

let number = Math.abs(input);

let result = 0;

while (number !== 0) {

let lastDigit = number % 10;

result = result * 10 + lastDigit;

number = Math.floor(number / 10);

}

return input < 0 ? -result : result;

};

console.log(reverseInteger(15345345345534534535334523));

console.log(reverseInteger(-15345345345534534535334523));

console.log(reverseInteger(123));

console.log(reverseInteger(‘123’));

console.log(reverseInteger(-456));

console.log(reverseInteger(0));

But there is an easier way to do the same. We can convert number to string and do all the operations with strong methods, like this:

const reverseInteger = (input) => {

const checkNumber =

input > 2 ** 31 || input < -(2 ** 31) || typeof input !== ‘number’;

if (checkNumber) return 0;

const reversedInteger = parseInt(

Math.abs(input).toString().split(”).reverse().join(”)

);

return input < 0 ? -reversedInteger : reversedInteger;

};

console.log(reverseInteger(15345345345534534535334523));

console.log(reverseInteger(-15345345345534534535334523));

console.log(reverseInteger(123));

console.log(reverseInteger(‘123’));

console.log(reverseInteger(-456));

console.log(reverseInteger(0));

Conclusion

Start improving your JavaScript skills with these optimizations. As you gain experience, you will learn more ways to optimize your code.

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4 habits that keep programmers from becoming senior developers

Posted on October 6, 2022 by seoteam

A career as a software developer ranks as #2 in the best technology jobs. Computing technology is growing exponentially, and we are at the cusp of automation. The US Bureau of Labor and Statistics predicts software developer jobs will grow 17% between 2014 and 2024, a much faster growth rate than any other profession. Still, there is a server shortage of senior developers, and over 40 million technical jobs go unfulfilled due to a lack of skilled talent. One might argue that with so many people passionate about software development, why do they lack the skills to advance in the field?

The problem is a lack of understanding of what makes successful senior developers. Your technical skills and experience can only get you so far. To be a highly successful developer career, you might have to keep away from some of the fairly common developer habits.

Talent500 team evaluated several successful developers and noted their habits and traits. Here are the programmer habits that can keep you from becoming a senior developer.

1. Not making active decisions

As a programmer, you will spend most of your time coding. However, you must work proactively and make operational decisions for career progression. There is no set path to becoming a senior developer. It is not a position that you will be upgraded to automatically after spending a few years as a junior developer. Depending on the competition within your organization, it can take time.

At most IT companies, even with exceptional skills, developers wait a long time to become senior developers. To stay ahead of the competition, you should not depend on your manager to progress your career. Instead, make an effort and take calculated risks based on your skills and experience. If you are stuck in a dead-end job, don’t expect your leaders to rescue you, upskill, seek more responsibilities, and take risks to break free.

2. Incessant complaining about the workplace issues

As a programmer, you are expected to be good at solving problems. But, when it comes to workplace issues, just your coding skills aren’t enough. Suboptimal tools and processes can hinder your productivity and reduce the code quality. Another challenge developers face when working within a team is uncollaborative teammates. When faced with such workplace issues, you have two options: solve them or complain about them.

What do you think senior developers do?

Emotional maturity is another trait of senior developers that employers look for. If you incessantly complain about workplace issues, you lack the maturity to become a senior developer. Senior developers never blame the team or management; instead, they put effort into solving workplace issues to create a healthy work environment.

Complaining and blame-game are programmer habits that prevent developers from growing in their careers. Such professionals are seen as troublemakers by leaders. Therefore, nurture patience and maturity that will earn you the respect of peers. It ultimately contributes to your promotion to a senior level.

3. Assuming the user, or the environment of the product

This comes from the desk of Karen Panetta, IEEE fellow and associate dean of the school of engineering at Tufts University. She explains that a habit that can limit a developer’s career is to assume what’s not specified within the functional requirements of a product. Wrong assumptions can kill the product. As a developer, it is your responsibility to anticipate the needs of the product as often clients are not tech savvy and depend on you to lead the project development. Senior developers are outstanding communicators with presentation skills and the ability to convey a concept to any audience.

Developers who lack the skill to communicate with stakeholders and help them understand the requirements and needs of a product will find it hard to climb up the career ladder.

4. Lacking professional discipline

Professional discipline is a virtue necessary for success in any career. Any programmer aspiring to become a senior developer must have a disciplined approach.

What does professional discipline for software developers encompass?

Developers must possess important discipline elements, among other essential soft skills, including fulfilling commitments at work, meeting deadlines, being collaborative, showing empathy, asking for help when needed, effective delegation, and assisting team growth.

In theory, these traits might sound easy to possess, but on the ground, many software engineers fail to adhere to them. The most common reason for their failure is the lack of understanding or willingness to amp up their performance to become better developers. However, any senior developer will have these attributes, and if you aspire to be one, you must actively work on nurturing them.

Being a senior developer requires working hard to meet deadlines, delivering products under pressure without venting out on the team, guiding the team through challenges, and being fully aware of your capabilities and limitations. If you lack professional discipline, you will become a bottleneck for your growth and the entire team.

Conclusion

These four programmer habits can prove costly to your career growth. To become a senior developer, you proactively need to adjust your technical and soft skills to avoid or overcome these habits.

Talent500 is a platform for developers to find senior roles with global companies. Sign up here to join our elite pool of talent.

Top 13 programmers and developers to follow on Twitter

Posted on September 13, 2021September 13, 2021 by jagriti

Every second, there are around 6,000 tweets going live on Twitter, making it one of the many hotspots on the internet. While social media is a great tool to connect with friends and acquaintances and share experiences, it can be quite a useful tool to educate yourself too. Twitter is an excellent platform to find information, but one of its main benefits is networking. As a programmer or software developer, you can connect with various industry-based experts and gurus via this micro-blogging site.

Whether you’re an aspiring developer, a seasoned programmer, or someone looking to branch out into coding, there’s a world of opportunity here. With the right information, you can hone your skills and follow in the footsteps of industry leaders and trailblazers. If coding, programming, software development, and modern technology excite you, consider following these 13 programming and software development experts on Twitter.

Jason Fried – 289.7K followers

https://twitter.com/jasonfried

Jason is the co-author of the book ‘Rework’, a New York Times bestseller. He has also co-founded 37signals, a web application company that builds tools like Basecamp, Highrise, Backpack, Ta-da List, and Writeboard. He is currently the founder and CEO of Basecamp, the makers of HEY. He identifies himself as a non-serial entrepreneur and a serial author having given a Ted talk on his revolutionary ‘rework’ ideas. Apart from valuable blogs, his tweets contain practical advice for developers.

Jeff Atwood – 281.5K followers

https://twitter.com/codinghorror

Jeff Atwood is an American software developer and co-founder of Discourse, Stack Exchange, and Stack Overflow, an online community for developers to grow. He is also an author, blogger, and entrepreneur. He writes for his popular blog, Coding Horror, where he discusses software programs and their users. His coding anecdotes are insightful, interesting, and quirky, offering a unique perspective of this cutting-edge profession.

Scott Hanselman – 268.1K followers

https://twitter.com/shanselman

Scott Hanselman is a programmer, teacher, and speaker with experience of over two decades in coding. He is an expert in coding, writing, speaking, promoting, braiding, learning, and listening. He’s maintained a blog for over 10 years and continues to spread coding and OSS knowledge. The blog is a treasure chest of information for both novice and expert developers. He works at the Web Platform Team at Microsoft and has been podcasting for the last 5 years. The open web is what interests him the most among his list of other pursuits including community, social equity, media, and entrepreneurship.

Addy Osmani – 264.3K followers

https://twitter.com/addyosmani

An engineering manager at Google Chrome, Addy Osmani works as a leader of the Speed team with an aim to make the web faster. He has created various open-source projects including TodoMVC, Yeoman, and Material Design Lite. He has also authored the book ‘JavaScript Design Patterns’. He shares helpful tips on JavaScript and web development and provides great solutions for improving page speed and web performance.

John Resig – 259.3K followers

https://twitter.com/jeresig

A JavaScript expert, John Resig is the creator of the JavaScript Evangelist for Mozilla, the JQuery JavaScript framework, and the jQuery JavaScript library. He currently works as a Chief Software Architect at Khan Academy and co-authored the book ‘The GraphQL guide’. With over 125 informative talks under his belt since 2006 and an impressive number of followers, he is definitely worth following, especially if you are a budding JavaScript developer. He shares tips and links to resources that can make a big difference in your approach.

Joel Spolsky – 176.9K followers

https://twitter.com/spolsky

Joel Spolsky is currently the CEO and founder of Stack Overflow. He also founded Fog Creek, Trello, Glitch, and HASH. He is the mind behind some of the favorite tools of the developer community. He has been associated with projects including Microsoft Excel, Visual Basic, and Fog Creek Software. Besides authoring ‘Joel on Software’, he shares interesting blogs and links for developers and programmers.

Amanda Rousseau – 159.6K followers

https://twitter.com/malwareunicorn

Amanda Rousseau runs a Twitter account with the name ‘Malware Unicorn’. She is an Offensive Security Professional at the Facebook Red team. She has worked as a Senior Malware Engineer at Endgame, Inc. and has been a speaker at some of the biggest cyber security conferences around the world. Security, malware, reverse engineering, and fashion are the fields that interest her. Her Twitter handle is the account to follow if you’re looking to learn about the growing field of cyber security and reverse engineering tools.

Brendan Eich – 152.3K followers

https://twitter.com/BrendanEich

Brendan Eich is the creator of the famous JavaScript language. He is presently the co-founder and CEO of Brave Software and Basic Attention Token. Besides this, he is the co-founder of Mozilla and Firefox. His experience and contributions to the tech world are reason enough to follow him. There’s a lot to learn from legends like Brendan, so make sure you don’t miss out!

Rasmus Lerdorf – 55.4K followers

https://twitter.com/rasmus

Well-known as the creator of the PHP coding language, Rasmus Lerdorf has affiliations with the eCommerce company, Etsy. He has previously worked at Yahoo! for seven years as an infrastructure architect and contributed to many open-source projects. His tweets are motivating for budding developers, and link back to ground-breaking technology that can easily put you ahead of the rest.

Sara Ownbey Chipps – 49.5K followers

https://twitter.com/SaraJChipps

Sara Ownbey Chipps is a co-founder of ‘Girl Develop It’, a non-profit organization aimed at encouraging and helping women become software developers. She co-founded and was the CEO of Jewelbots, which focuses on and uses hardware to surge the number of girls opting for STEM fields. Having been in the software and open-source community for two decades, she worked as an engineering manager at Stack Overflow, a leading Q&A resource for software developers around the world. A New York-based developer, she now works with LinkedIn and is a role model for women programmers and all those looking to make a difference in the world.

Chris DiBona – 40.2K followers

https://twitter.com/cdibona

Chris DiBona is the director of Open Source and Science Outreach at Google. He also contributed to the game ‘Fractured Veil’. Prior to his stint at Google, he was a writer/editor at Slashdot and had co-founded Damage Studios. He specializes in many fields including open source and related methodologies, C++, Python, game development, marketing, and public relations.

Bryan O’Sullivan – 11.7K followers

https://twitter.com/bos31337

Bryan O’Sullivan is the engineering director leading the Developer Infrastructure team at Facebook. He builds teams by promoting collaboration, team spirit, setting bold goals, and executing them to build responsive and delightful products. He also lectures at Stanford University and has authored a book ‘Real World Haskell’ besides co-authoring in ‘Mercurial: The Definitive Guide’ and ‘The Jini Specification.’

Jennifer Dewalt – 10.9k followers

https://twitter.com/jenniferdewalt

Jennifer Dewalt is the techie who built 180 websites in 180 days – a feat of pure skill and intelligence that very few are equipped to do! She has immense knowledge in coding and is an inspiring personality for any coder. She founded multiple startups including ‘Zube’, a project management platform for agile development teams.

There is no dearth of influential and innovative tech-wizards on Twitter, but these 13 should inspire you to think big. Many of them started small and are now impacting real-world change. Following these frontrunners and learning from them is a proactive approach to growth, which is a necessity to stay ahead of the competition. Another way to give yourself an edge is to achieve your potential with Talent500.

Our skill assessment algorithms align your profile with the right job opportunities at Fortune500 companies across the globe. With our assistance, you can work with the best in the world, contribute to innovation, and maybe someday, even feature on a list like this one! To get #twostepsahead and take control of your career, sign up today.