Don’t forget that being a great developer takes soft skills in addition to technical ones. Here are some tips!

Developers who are new to coding or still learning can take a tip from those who know: if they aren’t using Stack Overflow, 84% of developers are using technical documentation to learn. Of those using technical documentation, 90% use the documentation found in API and SDK packages.

State of Developer Experience 2024

How much time developers are losing due to inefficiencies, the top causes of time loss, and more.

Take a break and relax

Workrave is a free program that assists in the recovery and prevention of Repetitive Strain Injury (RSI). It monitors your keyboard and mouse usage and using this information, it frequently alerts you to take microbreaks, rest breaks and restricts you to your daily computer usage. 

I retired a year and a half ago after having worked for twenty-six years as a programmer for Apple. I’m not sure which would have been more surprising: if I had continued programming in my spare time after I had retired or if I never programmed again. 

In no particular order, the best tools for taking care of your mind are:

1. Quality sleep
2. Hydration
3. Exercise
4. Family and social time
5. Notebook and pen 

According to the reading I’ve done, dark mode isn’t easier to read and it doesn’t prevent eye strain. However, in very specific circumstances it can improve battery life. 

I think you might want to be a software developer for a long time, in the same way that some people are musicians for a long time, or artists for a long time, or roofers for a long time. If not, you can hit “back” in your browser. It’s cool, no harm no foul. But I think maybe you would like to be a twenty-year programmer, or forty-year, or more. 

Can Music Really Help You Work Faster or Be More Creative?