Git is by far the most popular software version control system today, and every software developer surely knows the basics of how to make a git commit. Given the popularity, it is surprising how many people don’t actually know the advanced commands. Mastering them might help you unlock a new level of productivity. Let’s dive in!
When people learn programming they – for completely obvious and natural reasons – initially focus on learning the syntax of programming languages and libraries. However, these are just tools. The essence of software engineering is about automating thought, applying algorithmic thinking and anticipation of the known and unknown. The code might be succinct, but the reasoning behind it can be extensive, and it needs to show in the communication around the code. The more senior a programmer is, the more their success depends on their communication skills.
In software development, the code review process stands as a crucial checkpoint for ensuring code quality, fostering collaboration, and promoting knowledge sharing among team members. Despite the importance, many engineers lack a clear mental map of how effective reviews work. This is my attempt to help code reviews and reviewers improve.
The key to being productive as a programmer is to have a great code editor. I have been an avid user of Atom since 2014, and its successor Pulsar since now in 2023.
As a software developer, your core skill is how to improve an existing code base to make the software better iteratively, patch by patch. To be a good software developer you need to: understand the concept of a code patch, know how do code improvements in well sized and properly documented patches, and skillfully use git version control software to manage patches.
The main test system in the MariaDB open source database project is the mariadb-test-run script (inherited from mysql-test-run). It is easy to run to and does not require you to compile any source code.
What is the key to being an efficient programmer? Well, the answer is surprisingly simple. Having a setup where you can write and test your code over and over in an uninterrupted flow will dramatically increase your productivity.
Of all CI systems I’ve used during my software development career, both as developer and manager, GitLab CI has proven itself to be the overall best system out there.
