What Does It Mean to Think Like a Programmer?
Steve Jobs famously said, "Everyone in this country needs to learn computer programming. Because it teaches you how to think." In fact, with this saying, Jobs, one of the legends of the software world, makes us question what it means to think like a software developer.
Basically, thinking like a software developer can be summarized as thinking with a focus on problem solving. Problem solving will be the skill that a software developer constantly needs in his professional life. Every code written is a solution to a small or big problem. A solution is tried, if it doesn't work, a new one... This process continues until the most effective solution is found.
So, how should a successful software developer follow a problem when he encounters a problem?
understand the problem
What exactly does your problem mean? Difficult problems are often difficult not because we do not know the solution, but because we do not understand the problem. Therefore, understanding the problem is the first step to take. So how do you know you understand a problem? If you can explain the problem simply, you've got it.
Make a plan
Do not attempt a solution without planning the next step. Plan the steps of your solution. Analyze the problem and evaluate the information you have. Feel free to update your plan until you find the best one among the many solutions. Thanks to the comments you will write between the codes, you can implement your plan more concretely.
Segmentation
This is perhaps one of the most important steps. If you try to solve a giant problem in one step, you may end up with great regret. Instead, break the problem down into parts and solve each of these subproblems step by step. Start with the simplest. Then, when you combine the sub-problems you have solved, you will see the big picture.
Make peace with debugging
You may not always find the solution at the speed you expect. Take a deep breath, you are not alone. This happens to everyone. At this stage, debugging first comes into play. Review the faulty part of the code step by step. Try approaching the problem from different angles. If you still can't find a solution, search the forums. Have a look at how others who have the same problem have tried solutions.
practice
If you want to be successful in the software business, you need to practice constantly. The more problems you encounter, the more your problem-solving skills will improve. It strengthens your approach to problem solving every time you play chess, sudoku, Go, Monopoly, not just your computer practice.