Do Not Imitate! 10 Bad Habits of a Programmer

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Computer programming is crucial in today’s world. It allows humans to interact with machines more efficiently and accurately. But beware! Here are 10 Bad Habits of a Programmer that Mamang will discuss below—make sure not to follow them!

Programmers & Their Work, Computer programmers use various programming languages to write code that enables applications to function effectively, efficiently, and optimally.

To be successful, programmers need to develop habits that boost their productivity. Unfortunately, some develop bad habits that negatively affect their performance.

They work long hours, fail to seek ideas from other programmers, or even copy other developers’ work. If you want to excel and become an expert in coding, you must avoid these 10 bad habits of a programmer.

It’s not a bad thing to learn multiple programming languages—it can actually help you become more experienced in coding.

However, the biggest challenge is the vast number of programming languages used by developers. Trying to learn all of them is extremely difficult, and as a result, you may end up mastering none.

A good programmer focuses on one language and learns it in depth. After that, you can think about adding a second or third language. This way, you become more productive and start writing better code by combining multiple languages.

Overworking leads to lower productivity, and you should avoid it at all costs. The main consequence is burnout, which can cause serious issues.

You become physically and mentally exhausted, and the number of mistakes you make increases. Your stress levels rise, and soon, your body starts to suffer.

Slow-performing computers often lead to the need for overtime work. To avoid this, optimize your workspace and devices. A great idea is to check if you have enough disk space on your computer and ensure your coding software runs smoothly.

When you enter the tech industry, you’ll quickly realize that collaboration is essential.

It’s okay to lock yourself in a room to focus on coding, but you still need to connect with and collaborate with other programmers.

These could be your teammates at work or other like-minded developers in the coding community. The goal isn’t to share your entire code structure, but to exchange ideas and get inspiration to improve your work.

Developers should always focus on creating original code and applications. Copying is a serious offense that can lead to conflicts between programmers and may even end up in court.

To ensure your code is original, follow these steps :

• Get inspiration from other developers’ code, but use that inspiration to create your own original code.
• Avoid copy-pasting code when developing a program.
• Spend 80% of your time on development and only 20% on actual coding.
• Use a code plagiarism checker to verify the originality of your work.

Coding takes time, and every developer should understand this. You may work with clients who expect quick results, but rushing often leads to poor-quality code.

If you’re working on a coding task, you might feel pressured due to time constraints. However, there are ways to develop coding discipline to avoid rushing :

• Whenever you receive a coding project, give yourself sufficient time to complete it.
• Don’t wait until the deadline is near to start coding.
• Keep communicating with your clients about the progress and status of the project.
• If you estimate a coding task will take two weeks, add an extra week as a buffer for unforeseen issues.

You should not let your emotions control you every time you start coding. Emotions often lead to hasty decisions, which can result in poorly designed applications.

Focus your full attention on the program you are developing. Also, avoid being influenced by emotions and instead, let logic and reasoning guide your decisions.

Having confidence in your work is great—it helps you overcome self-doubt and believe in your abilities.

However, there’s a fine line between confidence and overconfidence. Once you cross that line, ego starts to take over, often leading to reduced productivity.

You can’t be productive in coding if you constantly delay your projects. The tech world evolves rapidly, and every moment new advancements emerge.

If you spend days stuck on the same piece of code, you risk falling behind and creating outdated programs that no longer meet current needs.

Additionally, clients may grow impatient and look for other developers who can deliver results faster while keeping up with the latest trends.

No programmer succeeds alone. Connecting with other developers helps you gain fresh ideas that inspire your next steps. One major issue with refusing to ask for help is that it makes you more likely to give up too soon.

Highly productive programmers keep trying, even if it takes hundreds of attempts, until they finally get the right code that meets the project’s needs.

A developer’s goal is not just to use any available code, but to fully understand how it works before implementing it.

If you use code without understanding it, your clients might assume that you simply copied it from somewhere else.

No developer learns everything in a single day. Learning happens progressively, but you must develop the discipline of a good programmer. Do not let ego take over and make you think you have all the knowledge needed in coding.

Make an effort to consult with other developers or programmers when necessary. Learn to create original code to avoid copying from others. Test your code using a plagiarism checker to ensure its originality.

That’s the explanation of Do Not Imitate! 10 Bad Habits of a Programmer that Mangcoding can share. Hopefully, this article is useful and provides new insights for you. If you have constructive feedback or suggestions, feel free to leave a comment or contact us via email and Mangcoding’s social media.

Source : wearedevelopers.com