What makes a good programmer?

[Shari]

>Maybe I'm just a bad programmer...

Ben,

We are all at different levels of knowledge :-)  Doesn't make you a 
BAD programmer.  You just hit upon something you haven't learned yet.

You can program for 20 years, and still be learning new things.

I know I ask a lot of questions on the list that may seem "dumb" to 
some, but I consider myself a good programmer.  I am learning a new 
environment with Metacard, hence the many questions.

What is the definition of a "good programmer"?

The desire and willingness to learn what you don't yet know.  The 
desire to create a quality program.  The diligence to actively seek 
out bugs and squish them before release.  It's rare to put forth a 
program that is 100% free of bugs, but I do have programs out there 
still at version 1.0.

When I created Blackjack Royale, I downloaded every single blackjack 
game I could find, and played them.  And came up with a list of 
things those programs lacked that I wished were there.  Things those 
programs did that annoyed me.  I created a "wish list".  And 
incorporated that into my game.

I'm about to release a new blackjack game, that blows Royale out of 
the water.  I did extensive research into the game of blackjack, and 
incorporated the new knowledge into this game.  Where Royale was 
strictly for fun, the new game will be for fun, and serious players 
alike.

What makes a good programmer?

You look for holes in your code, and plug them.  When testing, you 
actively try to break the program, mess it up in some way.  And if 
you succeed, fix that code.

You've apparently found a hole.  The desire to fix it, the desire to 
learn what broke it, THAT is what makes a good programmer.

A bad programmer is one who shrugs their shoulders and sends it out 
into the world, uncaring.

What makes a good programmer?

LOTS of testing.  I tested this program extensively, every single 
link, every menu item, every button, every combination of options, 
before compiling.  Then, I compiled it.  And started testing ALL OVER 
AGAIN.  Every single last detail.  And found bugs.  Things that work 
differently in the compiled program, versus the stack.  And now I'm 
squishing them.

Never assume the standalone version will work exactly as the stack 
version.  Always test it!

I will be surprised if my beta testers give it a go ahead with no 
bugs.  There is so much in this program.  But once sent to them, I 
can honestly say I've tested the hell out of it.  The goal is to send 
your beta testers a version that is already bug free.  A lofty goal 
:-)
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