Are you living with a passion to become a software developer? Do you keep browsing the internet for self-teaching programs to know about the basic things related to software development? Your search ends here as in this guide you will find top things to know if you want to learn software development.
There are so many questions that come in a learner’s mind who has just started the journey to become a software developer. And the worse thing happens when there is no one to answer them. It happens when you pass out of your college and get confused after reading so much about this career field.
Also, if you want to be in one of the top software development companies, you need to be adept in certain skills and must carry the required knowledge.
So let’s begin with the things you must know or learn as a Software Developer or programmer:
1. Data Structures and Algorithms
You cannot escape data structures and algorithms if you want to master development. Every programmer needs to be well-informed of the data structure and algorithms if they want to create a real-world application. So if you have joined any such course, make sure to give proper attention to data structures and algorithms as it is the most basic thing a developer must know. Even if you are taking internet classes, still it should be your priority.
2. Source Control
To store code and help programmers to collaborate with a team, Source Control is important. It plays an important role when several programmers are working on the same codebase with different features, Source Control will help them in collaborating. So if you want to become an actual software developer, make sure to know everything about control tools and its versions.
3. Text Editors
As a programmer or developer, there will not be a day when you will not need Text Editors as it is one of the most important tools for everyone who works with computers. You can choose from Notepad on Windows or if you want to go advanced, you can consider the following options: Sublime and Notepad++. So it is important to spend some time working with your favorite editor and learn keyboard shortcuts as well to increase your productivity.
4. IDEs
If you have just started with software development, debugging and profiling may look alien to you but with the evolution of IDEs like IntelliJIDEA and Visual Studio, the way how a modern programmer or developer works have completely changed. For every programmer out there, IDEs like IntelliJIDEA or AndroidStudio are really important tools. If you are into C, C++, and C#, Visual Studio is for you. For Python developers, Jupiter Notebook is considered the only best option.
5. Database and SQL
You cannot deny the importance of SQL as the most valuable skill for a programmer. It is a classic skill that is still in trend and will be there in the future as well. So now you know its importance, get familiar with Database and SQL as much as you can. A software developer is always expected to be knowledgeable of important database concepts such as normalization and table design including SQL.
6. UNIX or Linux
UNIX is another traditional skill that hasn’t lost its importance and is still considered important by most of the top software developers. Most of them get to work in Linux machines at any point in time, so the need to get familiar with it is understood. Linux lets you work efficiently and you can easily tell what is going on with your system by checking the CPU and its memory usage and you will also become capable of doing both basic and advanced tasks.
7. Microsoft Excel
It is obvious that as a software developer, you must be good at handling MS Excel. It is the most important tool for programmers and you cannot get away with it at any point. So it’s better to get yourself better with excel whenever you get a chance to do so.
Microsoft Excel is required in every other career field and it provides endless useful features and functions to get efficient at data analysis. Not only this, but you can also use excel to track progress, data science, data quality checks, as well as for project planning.
8. Programming Languages
Last but not least, programming languages are again something that you as a programmer can never ignore or run away from. Whether it is C++, Java, Python, or JavaScript, you need to learn a programming language. If you are confused about what to go for, you should at least get familiar with Java. java is a great language to start with and you will be capable of doing anything virtually. If you have enough time, it would be an added advantage, if you learn more than one language.
So these were some of the things you must learn if you want to lead in the software development field.