The focus of my learning to code project has been on improving my understanding of Ruby and building an app with the help of Rails. Until, this week I hadn’t given much thought about how developers work, especially in a team environment.
That changed recently when I attended Carbon Five bimonthly Hack Night. Twice a month, this developer shop opens it doors to all and invites people in to work on their own personal projects.
It’s an informal setting, and I took the opportunity to work part way through Daniel Kehoe’s RailsApps Project. Two hours into the evening, Travis, a Carbon Five developer, and I struck up a conversation. We spent very little time talking specific code or functionality and instead discussed how developers work. As a recent convert from .NET to Ruby, he provided some great insight.
Travis and I discussed many aspects of developing in a team and here are 3 most important I came away with.
#1 Pair Programming
The concept that two people would stand together at one computer working simultaneously blew my mind. Upon hearing this idea, it immediately contradicted how I would imagine you best use developer resources.
But, Travis described to me several scenarios where he and another developer at the onset didn’t individually know how to accomplish the task at hand, but were able to harness pair programming to drive though a development sprint. Working as a duo, these two could accomplish more than either could working separately. This multiplicative effect in efficiency is an incredible result.
In addition to the project benefits, pair programming helps you learn new concepts and become familiar with the techniques and style of your coworkers.
Travis even offered to pair program with me when I feel ready. I can only begin to imagine the learning benefits to be gained of working side-by-side an experienced developer.
#2 Like-Minded, Not Like-Skilled Coworkers
I want to be a developer who is constantly learning new skills. This mentality seems particularly important with web development where the programming languages change rapidly. To learn from other developers requires finding others who have a different skill set.
But while the skills are different, it seems important to share similar philosophies for development practices. For instance, it would be difficult to learn from another developer if your attitudes on testing differ greatly. And I’m sure there other characteristics which are important to consider. I’m interested to pick up more insight around this thought process as I progress.
#3 Test Driven Development
The upfront investment in writing tests before coding pays off dividends in the long run. Specific to Ruby, I inquired Travis’ thoughts on Test::Unit vs. Rspec. He suggested I understand at least the basics of Test::Unit. I’m interested to get more feedback on learning testing.
As a new developer, I’ve heard the importance of testing. But, I’m not so much inspired to to learn testing as I a feel it’s an obligation of the trade. I want to learn it sufficiently to build web apps that don’t break. If that means I can use Rspec without diving into Test::Unit, I’m all for it.
How Developers Work Conclusion
As with any environment, there is not a “correct” way by which all developer teams should operate by. Being introduced to the concepts was extremely important and I’d recommend all new developers be introduced to it early in the learning cycle. Use Meetups focused specifically on programming (not networking events), or if that’s not an option, ask a more experienced developer directly if you can spend a few hours observing an informal work session.
Share your thoughts in the comments section.
featured image courtesy of elmastudio