Most of us start by coding. Over time, we learn that good software is about much more than just making things work. These are a few lessons that helped me move from writing code to actually programming .
1. Programming ≠ Coding
Coding is about making something run. Programming is about solving problems thoughtfully—handling errors, choosing good names, and working around limitations in a clean way.
2. Small Interfaces Make Stronger Abstractions
Classes with too many methods become hard to understand and maintain. Prefer fewer, more general methods over many special-case ones.
3. Sometimes Copying Is Better Than Adding a Dependency
Dependencies come with long-term costs. If you only need a small piece of functionality, copying a few lines can be safer than pulling in an entire package.
4. Errors Are Your Friends
Errors aren’t noise to be ignored. They are signals. Make them clear, meaningful, and helpful—for yourself and for future users.
5. Naming Matters More Than You Think
Good names can act as documentation. Clear, descriptive names often remove the need for excessive comments.
6. Use a Style Guide
You may not like style guides, but consistency helps teams communicate through code. Your future teammates (and future you) will thank you.
7. Choose the Right Language for the Job
Any Turing-complete language can solve problems, but not with the same ease. Productivity, ecosystem, and tooling matter more than theoretical power.
8. Know Your Ignorance
Software development is continuous learning. Understanding what you don’t know—and how to discover it—is a critical professional skill.
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