5 Quick Ways to be a Better Programmer

1. Take Advantage of the Debugger

If you are still using message boxes and Console.WriteLine statements to determine what is going on inside your program than stop now. You don't have to be an expert at the debugger to take advantage of the debugger.

2. Ask Someone for Help When You are Stuck

If you are the lone programmer type you may find it difficult to ask others for help. There is nothing more valuable than having other developers give insight into your problem. If you are using 3rd party libraries than you should take advantage of user support.

3. Don't be a Yes Man

Don't blindly follow management when it comes to creating software. This is the sign of a more senior developer and will help your company a great deal. Always be tactful and respectful to your non-technical boss but remember that they could not begin to understand the problems you are facing. Its up to you to give them guidance when it comes to making technical decisions. 

4. Use a Code Standard

A coding standard is one of the easiest ways you can improve your code without knowing any engineering or studying any complex theories on development methodologies. You don't need to re-invent the wheal here. Microsoft along with other large software companies publish their coding standards online. 

5. Take the Initiative

If you see bugs in the software or see areas in the code that need fixing than you should correct them. The "If it ain't broke don't fix it." mentality does not suite most projects. Don't wait for your project manager, QA or customers to report the bugs. Remember you are the first like in development. Buts that you catch and correct save the company lots of time, effort and money.

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How do you program when you can't?

I woke up this morning with no desire to program a computer. Have you been there before? It's scary when you lose your job and find yourself unable to work on even the smallest task. I began to think that I would never write a program again. When you begin to feel that way it makes you feel worthless. That is how I felt because programming has been my only means to support my family.

After dedicating nearly three years of my life to a company that I love I was unexpectedly laid-off due to unforeseen medical circumstances. The lay off was coming, this was known for weeks, though I was not expecting that I would be let go.

My reaction has been to focus on my wife and our kids. If only I can build them up and make them stronger then I can, through their strength, bring our family back on top.
So all day I worked to balance my wife's needs with our kids' needs. We have had a good day, talking at length about writing a book, making plans that will help bring our family back together. Our highest priorities are to heal our kids' hearts and also heal their biological Mom's heart.

I am blessed to have my wife at my side because together we can do anything. We can not afford to lose focus. I can't keep feeling as though I am pushing with all my heart, only to find myself friendless and jobless without a dime to my name.
It's time to pull-up, defend our families' honor and rise above the world to achieve God's plan.

I Knew a Programmer that Went Completely Insane