My top ten tips for a software developer

I was updating the blog and getting a few advance posts in place for February 2009. Thanks Blogger.com for the neat features of scheduling blogs that you introduced last year. This saves me a lot of hassle in remembering to post pre-written content and also allows for me to have a blog day every now and then.

Anyhow, I was also reading a few "Top Ten" advice lists that were sent to me over the years by a trusted colleague called Jim. I always take the time to read these and he generally only sends over meaningful content and this time was no different.

This did get me thinking a little so I thought I'd write one and see if he agrees.

I have blogged in the past about what I believe makes a good developer.

Today, I'll issue my Top Ten tips for developers covering both work and life. In no particular order apart from number 10.

1. Always be on the look out for the next big thing (in IT) and see if you can get in early enough to actually ride the wave rather than be left behind frantically trying to swim there.

2. If you find something you like doing and the opportunity is there to continue doing it, then continue to do it! Don't be bullied into career progression if it is not for you. My old boss once said to me that there is a difference between earning and dying. Words of wisdom for everyone.

3. Always test your code no matter how trivial the change. You have no come back if you didn't test a change you have made, fullstop.

4. The ten minute tasks always seem to take a day, or two.

5. Never assume anything when it comes to user requirements or management reporting.

6. Never under estimate the desire of the testing team to see you fall on your developer sword.

7. Never code if you are drunk as you will need to recode the next day. Also never ever ever ever ever ever return to the office if you are inebriated. You will start to talk about 'Pink Screen' technology and how one day you will be everyones boss or worst case scenario, you will set off the fire alarm with a toaster and cause an evacuation of a 21 storey building. Again, certainly no come back here, you are on your own. Believe me, these are true stories......

8. Remember good quality applications and systems have corners. You simply can't cut them.

9. Remember it takes 20% of the time to build 80% of what the user sees and interacts with. The remaining 80% is making sure that they don't break anything.

10. Never compile a top ten list and not have a decent one for point number 10.

Thanks for reading.
Lee.