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What makes a great developer?

Thursday, April 16th, 2009

Simplicity

This is what it all comes down to. A lot of developers tend to write complex code. I think it is a result of the ad-hoc nature of programming. The truth is that it is much more difficult to write simple code. I think there are two facets to writing simple code. One is experience, and the other is patience. Experienced developers are better prepared to write simple code from the start. However, simplicity is ultimately achieved by continuously refactoring the code.

Elegance

The code may be simple, but is it elegant? Elegant code is a sure sign of a great developer. It is no longer about efficiency or effectiveness. It is about pride.

Balance

In order to achieve simplicity and elegance, a developer needs to find the right balance between framework/libraries and code. A lot of developers assume that when a framework/library can be used, it should be. Others insist on writing code without the use of any frameworks/libraries. It is all about finding the right balance between the two.

Cleanliness

If the code is simple, elegant, and balanced then there is no reason why it shouldn’t be clean. It should be formatted and follow the proper naming conventions.

Learning Curve

The breadth and depth of knowledge is not nearly as important as a developers ability and desire to learn. As a matter of fact, I’d say that a significant amount of breadth or depth may be detrimental. It may indicate a lack or awareness or flexibility. It is not about knowing X and Y for years. It is about being able to learn Z in days.

Domination

A great developer dominates the entire code base. While some developers may be comfortable in their area of responsibility, great developers have a need to know and understand the entire code base.

Vision

It is important to consider aspects such as maintainability when developing code. The focus should not just be on whether it is functional or not. A great developer considers the long term consequences in addition to the short term goals.

Well, this is my option anyways. I’d welcome any thoughts and/or suggestions.

So until next time, good fight, good night.

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I purchased a cloud. Did you? Wait. What is a cloud?

Tuesday, April 14th, 2009

Reality Television Shows

Buzzwords are a lot like reality television shows. Every time one is canceled, two more take its place. You know what else they have in common? They lack originality. They are just putting on a new face.

Zombie Viruses

Actually, buzzwords are a lot like zombie viruses too. Somewhere in a secret lab, a vendor and a research analyst are splicing buzzwords looking to create a more perfect buzzword. Then they go to a conference and discretely drop the buzzword. Next thing you know, you’re holed up in bar with a Winchester picking off evangelists one at a time.

For me, it is being holed up in an IRC channel along with my friends/colleagues and other prominent members of the Java community. I thought I was safe. Then, I see that some of them have actually been infected. The Winchester will suffice for now, but I may need to go sawed off, double barrel style soon.

I guess that means a buzzword is a lot like a reality television show featuring zombies.

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Upcoming Posts

Monday, February 18th, 2008

I have a few drafts in progress for upcoming posts. Here is a preview of what is to come.

  • Alfresco – Custom Regex Metadata Extractor
  • Alfresco – Custom Association Extractor
  • Alfresco – Custom XSL Transformer
  • Alfresco – Custom FOP Transformer
  • Alfresco – Custom XPath Metadata Extractor
  • Day Communique – ClassLoaders, ClassCastExceptions, & Properties Files

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Coming soon…

Thursday, January 17th, 2008

Well, I suppose I need to start participating in the whole blog scene now. I am pleased to say that I was invited to speak at this year’s TheServerSide Java Symposium. It is a wonderful opportunity and I’m looking forward to it with great enthusiasm. While I plan to share some insights on my presentation soon, you can view the abstract here. I have a few drafts prepared on topics revolving around Alfresco and Day Communique, and I will be publishing them over the next week or so.

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