Measuring Your Progress in Programming Skills: A Practical Guide
As you develop your programming skills, it is important to have clear benchmarks to gauge your progress. One of the most satisfying milestones is being able to find the necessary information quickly on a simple Google search. Another crucial indicator could be recognizing the improvements in your own code, such as thinking ‘eww, why did I do it that way now?' and implementing better versions.
Understanding and Grasping the Fundamentals
Your skills will naturally improve when you shift your mindset from coding to programming. It is vital to grasp the foundational principles of programming, which will act as a solid base to build upon.
The Importance of Open Source Projects
If you ever feel that coding or programming is not your cup of tea, consider sticking to open-source projects. Open sourcing your code not only contributes to the community but also encourages transparency, collaboration, and feedback, which can significantly enhance your skills. You can even document your journey, and who knows, perhaps hackers will have to suffer for their actions. Imagine the satisfaction of contributing to projects that aim to bring justice, and even changing legislation to support cybersecurity and data protection.
Objective-Based Measuring of Programming Skills
One of the most effective ways to evaluate your improvement in programming skills is by comparing your current performance with your initial capabilities. It's essential to keep a record of your growth. For instance, if you use a programming platform like CodePen, you can track the evolution of your code over time. Here's an inspiring example based on personal experience: I started writing simple JavaScript applications over a decade ago, initially to automate some basic tasks, and gradually moved to more complex operations. My code grew from around 75 KB to 450 KB. Such growth is a strong indicator of your skills progressing over time.
Utilizing Automated Testing for Better Code Quality
Automated testing plays a crucial role in measuring the effectiveness of your improvements. While proving that none of your code breaks might seem like a good measure, it is not always the most effective way to find bugs. A tester who knows what to look for can identify more issues. Therefore, consider using a framework like Jest to write automated tests for your code. This not only helps in identifying and fixing bugs more efficiently but also ensures that your codebase is robust and reliable.
Learning from Colleagues and Observing Mistakes
Another valuable approach is to observe your colleagues and learn from their mistakes. If you work in an open office space with other programmers, you can pick up a lot just by watching them. And even if you're not directly observing them, their mistakes can still teach you a lot. Many programmers agree that observing how others code is one of the best ways to learn and refine your own coding skills. This observation-based learning strategy helps you to identify patterns, best practices, and common pitfalls, thus making your coding process more efficient and effective.
Consistency Is Key
Improvements in programming skills often take time, sometimes up to a year of consistent practice to see noticeable results. It's important not to get discouraged if you don’t see progress as fast as you’d like. Keep practicing and working at it, and soon you will be able to impress everyone with your coding skills. However, keep in mind that the learning process can be influenced by factors like switching programming languages, which might require more time to adapt and master. But once you do, you will be producing better code and the results will reflect in your projects.
Conclusion
Measuring your progress in programming is a multifaceted process. It involves comparing your current skills with past capabilities, utilizing automated testing, observing colleagues, and maintaining consistent practice. By following these guidelines, you can not only improve your coding skills but also contribute to a stronger and more secure digital world.