A software engineer's 6-year summary

Many friends who want to learn electronics think that electronics are very mysterious. In fact, after reading this article, you will feel that the path to learning electronics is much clearer.

"It's graduation time again." Seeing batches of students leaving the ivory tower of life and taking up their respective jobs, I can't help but sigh with emotion when I think about how I was once full of vigor and ambition. This article is a summary of my 6 years of work experience. I hope it will be helpful to all software engineers and help them achieve their life goals as soon as possible. This article is mainly about specific suggestions on how software developers can improve their software professional skills. The previous points are aimed at determining the general direction, which can be regarded as nonsense.

I would like to dedicate this article to the development team that has devoted 3 years of their youth and passion to you. And the team members: PPL, YT, YK, TYF, LGL, CHL, CDY, CB, DPD.

1. Share the first experience: " Education represents the past, ability represents the present, and learning ability represents the future." In fact, this is a research result from the field of education abroad. I believe that friends who have worked for a few years or more than ten years have some understanding of this truth. But I believe this is also very important: "If you understand the important truth too late, you will regret it for the rest of your life!" So I put it in each point so that friends who have just graduated can see it earlier!

2. You must determine your own development direction and make a feasible plan for this purpose. Don't say, "I just graduated and I don't know what I might do in the future?" or "Just follow your feelings and try it first." Because such views will imply through your subconscious that you are doing nothing and doing nothing. Do you keep doing technology and become an expert in the future? Go in the management direction and become a professional manager? Get familiar with the industry and field first and then start your own business? Or stay in the industry first and switch to something else after a few years? This is very important, and it will determine what you are doing in the next few years or ten years. "What is the right thing to do!"

3. In a software development team, technology is not omnipotent, but without technology, it is absolutely impossible ! In a technical team, technology is as important as character. Of course, appearance is also important, especially in a team with more girls. In a software project team, technical level is an important weight to be valued and respected. Whether you are doing management, system analysis, design, coding, or product management, testing, documentation, implementation, maintenance, you must have a technical foundation. I am ignorant, but I have never seen a layman leading a software development team to successfully complete a software development project, even just one. I have seen a "highly educated expert" (non-technical) lead a group of people to complete a project. The day after the project was delivered, the project team members threw down a sentence "I can't stand it anymore!" and broke up and went their separate ways. You can imagine the "success" of that project.

4. Make a detailed plan for learning software development expertise, and make timely corrections and adjustments (software development technology changes too fast). Please remember: "If a software developer has not updated his knowledge in 1 or 2 years, then he no longer belongs to this industry." Don't tell yourself that you don't have time. The famous "38 principle" from the field of time management warns us: How you use the other 8 hours will determine your success or failure in life! Since graduation, I have actually studied for more than 1.5 hours a day on average.

My main study plans and materials in the six years since graduation:

Time Goals Classic Books

2000

Learn C, C++, and Delphi for work

C++ programming ideas, Delphi4 development encyclopedia

2001

Learn the principles of Windows operating system, Windows programming (SDK) knowledge, systematically learn information security, and cryptography knowledge

Open the Windows window, Windows operating system principles, Windows core programming, Windows network programming technology, encryption and decryption, applied cryptography, password encoding and cryptanalysis: principles and methods

2002

Learn software engineering, software system analysis, design, testing, unified software development methods and Rose

UML and pattern application, unified software development, Rose from entry to mastery, software engineering: research methods for practitioners, system analysis and design,

2003

Learn Java language and technology, design patterns,

Design Patterns, JAVA 2 Programming Guide, J2EE Database Development Guide, Master EJB, EJB Application Guide (2nd Edition)

2004 2005

There is no progress in technology due to work

Use a very limited time to learn knowledge in fields such as psychology, sociology, economics, and education

2006

Relearn Java related technologies and software development methodology[page]

Refactoring, Agile Software Development (Principles, Patterns and Practices), Code Collection, Spring In Action, J2EE without EJB, Spring Framework Advanced Programming

5. Books are the ladder of human progress, especially for software developers. Books are the most effective way to learn knowledge. Don't expect too much to meet a "master" at work who will teach you tirelessly. Regarding spending money to buy books, my personal experience is: Don't buy books published by those people in China! I bought books published by those guys, and 100% of them regretted it, without exception. What's even more infuriating is that these books are difficult to sell on the stalls in the second-hand market. "Owning books does not mean having knowledge; owning knowledge does not mean having skills; owning skills does not mean having culture; owning culture does not mean having wisdom." Only when you turn books into your own wisdom can you truly own it.

6. Don't limit yourself to the superficial use of a certain technology, even if you only use it once or twice occasionally. " Not knowing the ins and outs of anything" is a quality that engineers in any industry should not have. Develop Windows applications, look at the design, loading, and execution principles of Windows programs, analyze the PE file format, and try to develop a Windows application from scratch using SDK; use VC++, Delphi, Java, and .Net to develop applications, and spend time studying the framework design or source code of MFC, VCL, J2EE, and .Net; in addition to using excellent open source products or frameworks such as J2EE, JBoss, Spring, and Hibernate, take the time to see how the masters abstract, analyze, design, and implement general solutions to similar problems. Try to do this, and you will encounter fewer problems in your future work that make you confused and at a loss, because you "know the truth and the reason" for many things!

7. Program in one language, but don't let it constrain your thinking. "Code Encyclopedia" says: "Deepen your programming in one language, don't just skim the surface." It is far from enough to develop in one language. Any programming language has its own reasons for existence, so no language is a "panacea" that can "cure all diseases." There are many examples of the influence and constraints of programming languages ​​on the ideas and methods of developers to solve specific problems. My experience is: when using object-oriented tools to develop certain key modules, why can't we learn from the modular encapsulation methods of C, C51, and assembly? When using traditional desktop development tools (currently mainly VC++ and Delphi) to design the system structure, why can't we refer to the IoC and AOP design ideas from the Java community, or even learn from excellent open source frameworks such as Spring, Hibernate, and JBoss? When designing and implementing functions such as real-time communication and data acquisition, why can't we quote excellent system frameworks and patterns from real-time systems and embedded systems? Why must everything be solved based on the traditions or experiences of individuals and teams in natural development languages??? "Here's the stones from other mountains, and you can polish jade."

8. Develop the habit of summarizing and reflecting, and consciously refine the results of daily work to form your own personal source code library, a general system architecture for solving certain types of problems, or even evolve into a framework. As we all know, for software developers, a significant difference between those with and without experience is that those without experience start from scratch when completing any task, while those with experience often solve problems by reorganizing their own reusable modules and class libraries (in fact, this conclusion should not be limited to the field of software development, but can be extended to many aspects). This does not mean that all reusable things must be implemented by yourself. Others' mature and tested results can also be collected, organized, and integrated into your own knowledge base. However, it is better to implement it yourself, so that there are no problems such as intellectual property rights and copyrights. The key is that you can truly master this knowledge point and have this skill after implementing it yourself.

9. Pay equal attention to theory and practice, and cultivate both inside and outside. The connotation of an engineer is to observe and analyze things and the world with the eyes of an engineer. A qualified software engineer is someone who truly understands the essence of software products and the ideological essence of software product development (personal opinion, welcome to discuss). Mastering software development languages, applying language tools to solve specific problems in work, and completing target tasks are the main tasks of software engineers, but from the perspective of software engineers, this is only external things, not important and essential work. Learning and mastering theoretical knowledge of software product development and software development methodology, and understanding and applying the analysis, design, and implementation ideas of software products in practice to solve specific software product development problems are the real work of software engineers. Think, analyze, and solve problems from the perspective of mature theories and reliable methodologies, and verify and correct these ideas and methods in specific practices, and finally form your own theoretical system and practical methodology.

10. The more open your mind is, the broader your vision will be. Don't hold on to your own technology and achievements, and wait until they are outdated and become garbage, and then take them out to embarrass yourself. Please publish your research results in a timely manner: the products you develop, the creative designs or codes, publish them for everyone to communicate or use, so that your achievements will have the opportunity to evolve and sublimate. Think about the Windows system tools you developed in 2000. Today, 5 or 6 years later, they are still the same. Many popular Windows system tools today are later than yours, but they have evolved very well and are used by so many users. In addition, don't keep your own technology and ideas to yourself, communicate and share them with others as much as possible, or pass them on to members of the development team. "After exchanging apples with others, everyone still has only one apple; but after exchanging ideas, everyone has two ideas." Everyone understands the truth, but how many people can really do it?

11. Try to participate in the development of open source projects, or develop some of your own products with friends. Don't give up because there is no money to be made. The Internet is no longer just a "virtual world". There are many open source projects, cooperative development projects, and outsourcing projects on the Internet. These are all great opportunities to learn knowledge outside of work and to make more friends. Don't fail to learn and understand embedded, real-time, communication, network and other technologies just because your job is ERP. The same is true in reverse. If someone comes to you with a contract to cooperate, but you don't know how to do this or that, you will regret it.

12. You will regret not having learned enough when you need it. Don't limit your knowledge to technology. The research results of Professor Simon, the Nobel Prize winner in economics, show that "for a person with a certain foundation, as long as he is willing to work hard, he can master any knowledge within 6 months." The educational psychology community named it the Simon Learning Method to thank Professor Simon for his research results. It can be seen that mastering an unfamiliar knowledge is far less difficult and profound than you think. Learn from many sources and read widely. Try your best to consolidate your circle of influence and expand your circle of attention. Take some time to read the knowledge of finance, economics, taxation, management, etc. when you have time to prepare for a rainy day.

13. Summary and reflection of this article:

A: Don't become a technical expert unless that is your goal. Although this article is about suggestions for improving software development knowledge, I have always disagreed with becoming a technical expert. You can improve your professional knowledge, but only to the point where you are competent for the job.

B: Improving software knowledge and skills is only the surface of the problem. The essence is to improve your thinking level of understanding, analyzing and solving problems. Many methods and principles of software professional knowledge can be easily extended and applied to other aspects of life.

C: On the basis of being competent for the job, immediately acquire professional knowledge in other fields to enrich your knowledge system and improve your overall quality, especially for those friends who are not interested in technology.