[AdamSpeight2008]

We all can point out a great programmer, a few can be found on this forum.

But what is it that marks them out as one?

Discuss.

This post has been edited by AdamSpeight2008: 13 January 2011 - 05:56 PM

[CharlieMay]

I guess to me a good programmer is someone that hears and understands the end result and knows the solution. Not necessarily the code it takes to achieve it but at least the direction needed to solve the problem. There are a lot of "programmers" I've had discussions with that don't really have an understanding of direction in solving a problem. They know syntax and how things work, they just go about writing the code in what I consider a long and arduous journey to the finish line. I also believe that when working with other programmers, your code should be clear enough for others to follow so that they understand your direction. Lot's of comments. A lot of people feel it is a waste of their time to explain to anyone else reading the code what a routine is doing. But I have realized that going back into code that I wrote a couple of years ago may not be a clear when I have to go back to make a change. Especially when It was new to me and I figured it out and made it work. If it's something I don't do a lot, it's like a whole new learning curve just to go in and make a change without having proper comments explaining what I did.

[NeoTifa]

Their username is usually NeoTifa.

[nooblet]

In addition to what CharlieMay said, it's also about how fast their learning curve is and several other things. How good are you at picking up new languages and being good at it. Knowing a language doesn't mean you know the ins and outs of a language. Also how well you innovate in the code and well as what purpose the code serves. Some programmers do exactly as told. Others think of ways to improve the code they work on and the entire system. They often optimize for more than just readability but also for speed and security when possible, and figure out better ways to structure things. Code is also about design and usability and ease of expansion from what is already written. I'm sure these are merely a vague number of things that go into determine a really good coder vs a great coder vs a bad coder.

[Locke]

NeoTifa, on 13 January 2011 - 08:52 PM, said:

Their username is usually NeoTifa.

I think you may have stumbled into the wrong thread. How can I direct you?

[NeoTifa]

Well you can start by directing your mom off my- never mind wrong forum.

I think a great programmer can find a problem, think of a bunch of different ways to go about it, completely think out the best possible solution, then write it eloquently, and isn't afraid to admit that they need help. Also, doing tons of research on their own indicates they're passionate about their field and usually know their way around and IDE (much like your mom know her way around my- oh wait, never mind).

[ShaneK]

Their name is usually ShaneK. Oh, has this joke been done? Sorry.

On a serious note, I believe a good programmer should love their field, know their language (very well), and be able to figure out the basic path to solving a task just by taking the time to think it through. They should also be a master of patience. (Because God knows customers are incredibly difficult to please.)

Yours,
Shane~

[Shane Hudson]

A good programmer can (and I remember someone on here saying this a few weeks ago but I forget who) be given a job and be able to work in whatever language is best for the job, even if they do not know it.

Of course they are also able to write without an IDE (and even without a computer), but most programmers should be able to do that.

[KingCuddles]

ShaneK, on 14 January 2011 - 05:51 AM, said:

Their name is usually ShaneK. Oh, has this joke been done? Sorry.

On a serious note, I believe a good programmer should love their field, know their language (very well), and be able to figure out the basic path to solving a task just by taking the time to think it through. They should also be a master of patience. (Because God knows customers are incredibly difficult to please.)

Yours,
Shane~

I think Shane has summed it up perfectly, I believe it is always about passion and loving what you do, you may not be the best programmer in the world but if you love what you do, one day you will be a great programmer.

[hookiethe1]

I think a great programmer will always find the most elegant solution. In my mind, a lot of programming problems have some obvious solutions, but many also have some less obvious, more abstract solutions. A great programmer will find these solutions and maybe take 100 lines to do what a good or average programmer might do in 300.
I still consider myself a learner in the field, I'm a pretty confident coder in a few languages, but there's still plenty I don't know, and many people here who I'm sure are light years ahead of me. But I know that for myself, the strongest "I'm a great programmer" feeling comes from when I spot a big chunk of code that I've written and realize that I can replace it with a much smaller piece that's just as functional.

This post has been edited by hookiethe1: 14 January 2011 - 06:06 AM

[m-e-g-a-z]

Worst Programmer How do you define one?

Quote

giv meh teh codezzzzzzz

Really, I think a Great Programmer is someone who has different solutions to a problem and can identify the most suitable one. Someone who just dosen't look at one way of doing stuff but multiple ways. Someone who shares knowledge and gives advice to other programmers. I really don't think a great programmer is just someone who can write the best code, it's someone who can have a good balance, work well with others and excels.

This post has been edited by m-e-g-a-z: 14 January 2011 - 07:06 AM

[mojo666]

hookiethe1, on 14 January 2011 - 05:05 AM, said:

A great programmer will find these solutions and maybe take 100 lines to do what a good or average programmer might do in 300.

A greate programmer knows that the number of lines does not indicate anything. Often, longer solutions with more checks can save cpu cycles, or the built in function that takes one line to execute does not address your particular problem in an optimal way.

[Jstall]

Something not yet mentioned - communication skills. Being able to brainstorm and problem solve within a group can be an extremely useful skill. Getting a few programmers together with a white board to bounce ideas around and problem solve can be a great,effective way to find creative solutions.

[creativecoding]

A great programmer can compile in his/her head and find all errors in a piece of code. Then provide the solutions. Of course, they also have to be able to problem solve. Not just in programming, but in the real world.

[Craig328]

I'm going to be facing a situation either later today or in the next few days that I like to think has elements of what makes a great programmer.

I have a friend of the wife who wants to start her own business (I don't know what that is yet but prolly selling homemade knick-knack crap) and her husband leave me a VM on my cell asking if they could speak with me about "building a website" for this venture. I IM'd him back yesterday about it to ask him to get me on the phone so we could figure out what it is that he thinks they need.

Chances are, I'll be directing them to a GoDaddy custom template or Yahoo Storefront or something like that. Not because I can't build them a site because I can. But more because the kind of solution they need has already been done sufficiently elsewhere and for a cost much less than I would charge.

Sometimes, one of the handier qualities of a great programmer is to know when not to program at all but simply rely on tools that already exist. No need to constantly reinvent the wheel.