10 technical skills that every software developer needs

10 technical skills that every software developer needs

1. Programming languages ​​and paradigms
A man's gotta have a code . But in which language is it formulated? And maybe help with other languages ? Not to be overwhelmed by the variety of options, Sonmez advises in his text. Developing a deep understanding of a language makes more sense than simply learning as many languages ​​as possible on the surface. He therefore recommends young developers to think in advance about what kind of developer they want to be and to orient themselves accordingly.A not uncontroversial opinion. Markus Sprunck, for example, claims exactly the opposite : more is better. He justifies this especially with regard to the existence of different programming paradigms. Whether object-oriented, procedural, functional or declarative programming - developers should have a language in each paradigm . Of course, it is worth simplifying the matter by relying on a multi-paradigmatic language. Ultimately, Sprunck, like Sonmez, prefers skilful selection over an overly wide range of languages. To this end, he also recommends creating a personal top 10 of the programming languages , of which in turn the first three should be studied more intensively and applied regularly.

2. Code structure
By reading crude strings, the observer sees the final product in his mind's eye: what was a matter of course for deaf Beethoven, of course, does not have such perfect correspondence in the code. But the idea can be taken to heart. Because well-written and well-structured code gives the skilled viewer quite a preview of the finished software. Accurate planning in advance helps  according to Tim Evko  .But that should not be done by detailed commentary, especially since this is rarely maintained later  . Rather, the code has to speak for itself. He should be clear, understandable and concise. A successful code structure already transports its meaning. This not only proves his skills, but also facilitates the teammates and any successors work. The best way to do this is to keep the code as compact and clean as possible.

3. Architecture and system design
Object Oriented Design (OOD) is one of the most popular design paradigms today. In particular, because it reduces the complexity of large programs, Sonmez emphasizes the importance of OOD knowledge. In general, system design and architecture have become critical areas in the IT industry. According to a survey by Computerworld , IT architecture is considered the most sought-after tech skill this year.

Accordingly, it is also recommended for beginners, at least rudimentary to master such an integral part of modern software production. Applicants most effectively train their skills in building architectures and systems in a timely, cost-efficient, scalable and flexible manner, by the way, by constantly working on projects .

4. Algorithms and Data Structures
Although there are now many libraries of standard implementations, it makes sense to be familiar with some algorithms. Once an individual solution has to be found, it may be enough to quickly write a variation of an algorithm. Otherwise, you break your brain over a problem that already has a - perhaps more elegant - solution.

The more algorithms a developer knows, the more problems he can solve. The same is true of data structures, as this post by Happy Bear Software underlines . If you familiarize yourself with the various data structures, such as arrays, linked lists, stacks or queues, you better understand how your computer works.

5. Development platforms, frameworks, stacks and tools
Let's take a look at the means of production of the developer , his factory halls, machines and tools. If you want to work as a programmer, you must be familiar with them and be able to combine them skillfully. Frameworks, for example, exist for certain platforms and as part of particular stacks that allow apps to evolve from beginning to end. Solid knowledge of the tools available for a particular area of ​​software development should also be available to ITlers.

Granted, this point negotiates many important aspects at once; In addition, there is, for example, controversial what qualifies as a platform. But as in point 1, this is more about making decisions. On the one hand: the assortment is big. But on the other hand, it is impossible to master every platform, every framework, all stacks and tools. So a choice has to be made. This should be smart and well thought out.

6. Databases
Not only because of the  big data  and machine learning hype, developers should at least gain a basic understanding of databases, but also because application data is still stored in databases. There are two types, relational and document databases. At least you should have heard of relational databases before and know how they work. How is data queried, inserted, updated or deleted? How are records combined? It is important to know about it.

7. Version management
Version management systems have become an integral part of modern software production. Since almost all software projects today are handled in teams, developers should be able to handle at least one source control system. Understanding how code can be checked in and out, and how changes can be combined with different origins is now required.

8. Build and Deployment systems
Automated build and deployment systems have also become standard in IT projects. A build system compiles the code, checking if there are no errors. Some of these systems also perform unit or user tests, subject the code to a quality check, and issue reports. A deployment system, on the other hand, delivers the code to a server and / or a test environment. As with databases, you do not have to be an expert here, but you should understand what's going on.

9. Testing and debugging
Although the border between testing and development is slowly but surely tearing down,  the logics behind these two concepts collide . John Sonmez, however, is right when he says :

Quality has really become the responsibility of the entire team-I'd argue that it always has been.

Accordingly, the current testing methods should be adopted early on. This also applies to debugging, an activity that already takes the lion's share of the development effort anyway. Learning efficient debugging methods not only helps me, but also my colleagues who may be working with my code.

10. Methods
Whether Agile , Waterfall or Rational Unified Process - there are many process models in software production and most teams at least pretend to use one of them. Although you do not have to be intimately familiar with each of the models, it helps to have a say. Meaning: at least the idea behind Agile and Co. should be known to developers, not to be rejected at the door. Better, you can make it plausible that the methods of a team are already known.

Conclusion
Well, a lot has come together now. Illusory it would be well to assume that from now on any of the above skills would be learned. But practice makes the software developer, even if it takes a long time. Those who are not discouraged will be rewarded with the privilege of being able to get involved in the productive center of industry.