Ten Skills that Novice Programmers Must Have

If you've been having programming experience for a while or are preparing to learn to program, you might be thinking about the following questions: How can I become a good programmer? How do computer science graduates prepare for careers in software development and programming? What are the workplace expectations for junior developers? These are issues that novice programmers close to graduation or entering the workplace pay close attention to.

The following ten skills are not necessary, but they provide a good starting point for what programmers should know for novice programmers. These are the basic skills of a programmer and will accompany your programmer career for a long time. These are things you can learn and improve on to stay competitive If your goal is to work in software development and programming.

1. Data Structure and Algorithms

If you want to be a qualified programmer, you must understand and master data structures and algorithms. This is one of the important topics of any programming job interview. It is impossible to write real-world applications without knowing the basic data structures (such as arrays, linked lists, mappings, collections). Data structure and algorithm are the aspects that can best reflect the basic skills of programmers. Data structure and algorithm are the first contents to be taught in computer majors and training courses.

Students who have participated in the work but have poor knowledge of data structure and algorithms should learn. Don't just be satisfied with learning what tools and frameworks. It is beneficial for programmers to learn basic knowledge.

2. Source Code Management

Source code management is used to store code, and programmers must understand version control tools like Git and SVN. Source code management can reduce the dependence on specific personnel, facilitate code review, and improve the team's overall level.

Source：git

In terms of the general social development trend, distribution is the general trend, and Git adapts. The previous mainstream code management schemes such as CVS and SVN are centralized. Due to the distributed characteristics, it creates higher flexibility and can adapt to more scenarios. Therefore, Git simplifies the market to a certain extent. For beginners, the ultimate version of GitHub: MasterGit, and GitHub is a good start. They also need to be proficient in advanced version control concepts such as branching and merging and the tools of using the command line and GUI.

3. Text Editor

As a programmer, I use a text editor every day. Even for non-programmers and anyone dealing with computers, it is one of the essential tools.

Generally, NotePad is mainly used on windows and VIM on Linux. But there are many options in advanced editors, such as Sublime and NotePad + +, and the latter provide IDE-like functions. Programmers can spend some time learning their favourite editors and keyboard shortcuts to learn some efficiency skills.

4. IDE

Modern IDE is a very important tool for any programmer.

The choice is evident for C, C + +, and C language programmers: Visual Studio. For Python developers, Jupiter Notebook is getting better every day. There are three leading IDEs to choose from for Java programmers: Eclipse, NetBeans, and IntelliJ. For programmers who use "the best language in the world", PHPStorm and Sublime Text are good choices.

5. Database and SQL

SQL allows users to access a large amount of data at a time. The SQL command can retrieve or update thousands of records in multiple tables with a single statement. This avoids a lot of complexity. When you want to process each record, the computer program no longer needs to read a record in a specific order. A task that used to require hundreds of lines of program code to complete is now just a few lines of code.SQL is a classic, and the database is everywhere. Programmers should be familiar with basic database concepts, such as normalization and table design and SQL.

The key is that programmers should be familiar with the database, know how to insert / update/delete data, and write SQL queries to retrieve data. An understanding of advanced concepts like joining aggregate functions will also be meaningful.

6. Unix or Linux

Source: Linux

Like SQL, UNIX has stood the test of time and has existed for more than 30 years. Since most programmers must work on UNIX machines at some point, a good understanding of the Linx command line is helpful.

It allows programmers to work more efficiently, search for files, understand the system by checking its CPU and memory usage, and perform basic and advanced tasks. An introduction & Advanced Guide on GitHub is called "the art of command line," which has won 50000 standard stars. This resource can help novices who are new to the command line and greatly benefit experienced people.

7. Excel

Excel is one of the best tools for programmers, software developers, project managers, traders, and business people. It is spreadsheet software and provides many valuable features and functions to perform complex data analysis.

Programmers can use Excel to track progress, coordinate data, data analysis, data quality inspection, and project planning. That is why every programmer is urged to learn Excel deeply. It's not just copying and pasting data, but also some basic functions like searching, sorting, filtering, and VLOOKUP to compare data.

8. Programming Language

As a programmer, you must go deep into the programming languages: C + +, Java, PHP, Python, JavaScript... and choose based on your interests and circumstances.

PHP is a simple back-end technology programming language, which has the closest relationship with HTML. When you learn HTML and then learn PHP, you will find it easy to learn. The most popular thing for novices is that PHP can be directly embedded into HTML, so it doesn't consider many problems. It's the first choice to choose the background programming language.

9. Network Foundation

Today's world is interconnected. No matter where you go, computer networks are everywhere, starting at home, using Wi-Fi on many devices, to using local area networks (LAN) to schools, companies, and shopping malls with the Internet of everything.

Most applications written by programmers are not independent but client-server-type applications. In this kind of application, the request will be transmitted to the server through the network, and the client will access the application from anywhere in the world. Therefore, programmers must understand the basic knowledge of networks to understand better, develop and support their applications.

10. Scripting Language

The programming language has been mentioned earlier. Can't the same programming language be used as a scripting language?

Of course, some languages are suitable for both object-oriented programming and scripting, such as Python. But if you happen to be learning C / C + + or Java, you can't do something as fast as Python or Perl developers.

Scripting language makes it easy to create tools and scripts to solve common problems in the programming world. If you have a good grasp of a scripting language such as Python, you can easily automate your daily work.

Conclusion

The above ten skills cover the necessary skills for each programmer to enter the industry. I hope to provide a reference for each programmer who reads this article and a new idea for career planning. You are also welcome to share your experience and help novice programmers.