Developers make mistakes, and often. I managed to discover quite a few typical problems that prevent a programmer from developing.
It is sometimes difficult to admit common mistakes in your own work ecommerce development company, but paying attention to them can quickly raise your professional level.
I try to write code consciously, looking for ways to improve it, and I love to share my thoughts on this. In this article, I have summarized my observations that can help budding colleagues. I recommend paying attention to the five most common mistakes.
Error #1. Do not ask questions
Once you get the assignment, you want to immediately dive into coding, make the first commit, and quickly demonstrate your effectiveness. Many programmers have gone through this period, including me.
Drive and motivation are great. But working without a plan and understanding of the task, you only risk wasting time and effort. Sometimes developers are afraid to ask questions so as not to spoil the first impression and try to solve any problems on their own. Sometimes it can end in real disaster. A problem that has been set aside for two days sometimes remains unresolved even after a week. It is even more difficult to estimate how long it will take for it after that: the further the deadline is delayed, the more difficult it is to ask for help.
Error #2. Ignore the general picture
When you focus on the structure of your code, you can easily lose sight of the big picture of the project. Novice developers often prefer not to look at technical documentation and only work in an area that is well known to them. This can lead to sub-optimal or even incorrect design and implementation decisions.
Documentation is needed to dispel possible doubts. Basic knowledge of the project is critical to fully understanding the business requirements. A professional developer must at least in general terms understand the field of activity of each customer in order to make the right decisions. When you are working on a finance-related project, it is important to understand what a general ledger or cost recovery is. In e-commerce, you need to know what a sales funnel and conversion are, in shipping – how port and wharf are different.
Error #3. Trust your assumptions
Incorrect assumptions when modeling the domain can lead to serious problems in the application. Sometimes, because of them, you have to rewrite the code, waste time and money, including the customer.
Here are just some of the wrong assumptions I’ve encountered:
the system will be used in the same time zone;
the site will not be displayed in a lower / higher resolution;
the user will always have access to the Internet;
two users will not edit the same data at the same time;
the user will not use AdBlock.
It is natural and even necessary to make assumptions, and it will not be possible to completely avoid mistakes. It’s good if you keep that in mind and do your system design thoroughly before you sit down to code. More info on https://elogic.co/services/hire-magento-developer/
Error #4. Do not justify decision
Sometimes, when looking for a solution to a specific problem, you can find a suitable piece of code on GitHub or StackOverflow. Moreover, one that you can simply insert into your own code and be glad that the system functions without failures. However, this is not enough – you should be able to explain why this solution works. Copying code blindly can save you time, but then put you in such an awkward position that the savings don’t seem like enough compensation. I have witnessed such situations more than once during inspections.
The ability to justify every decision is a reliable indicator of professionalism. This means that you make an informed choice and take the time to delve into the architecture of the application.
Error #5. Avoid liability
Willingness to take responsibility for one’s actions is a sign of maturity. Unfortunately, many people lack this readiness: people forget to check the code or go beyond the agreed time frame without any explanation. It is difficult for an irresponsible developer to rely on more serious and interesting tasks, so the growth prospects for him look extremely dim.
