A successful programmer need what?

[Davids]

dont know i post at the right place or not, if not then mod please delete it. as title above, an automation programmer need what knowledge or skill to make success? any suggestion are welcome. thank.

[geniusintraining]

There are several things that make a programmer 'great', I think there are many programmers and many good ones, but what makes one stand above the rest is the ability to work through issues and the unknowns. I have worked with many in my short time, I try to model my self after the ones that can take a application that they have never seen before, learn it (the majority of the time self taught), perfect it and then have the ability to show someone else what and why they did. You need to have the ability to think outside of the box, it will not always work the way it should but it's your job to make it works the best that it can. Numbers…its in the math, you must feel comfortable with manipulating numbers, no mater what the issues are they majority of the time it can be brought down to the bit level and then manipulated to achieve what is needed. I had a discussion in another forum about simplifying 'code'…I think I was wrong, some code can not help but be complicated period, you must try and document your code to help simplify it. And that brings me to my last point, anyone that is great, will document the shoot out of there code, to try and explain what they are thinking, you can make a program 100 different ways, so you must explain why you did it your way. Hope this helps

[BobLfoot]

I love what GIT said and could not have said it better. I'll add one thing. The great programmer must see the BIG Picture. Just because it is chemical or mechanical doesn't mean you can ignore it. You do not have to be a master of all, but you better have a good idea.

[rpraveenkum]

To be a successful programmer read the plc laws

[jstolaruk]

A bat to knock the mechanical designer's head around because he skimped on something mechanical believing the controls could make up for it and somehow defeat the laws of physics.

[Peter Nachtwey]

and the 'knack'

[panic mode]

...and lots of practice (this also means - understanding wife)

[Chris Elston]

humor... The_Knack.wav

[BobLfoot]

I'll second that one panic. Without a Supportive and Understanding wife you'll either be single or unsuccessful in this line of work.

[Peter Nachtwey]

But I am not joking or trying to be funny. Some people will never be good engineers or PLC programmers no matter how hard they try. Others will be naturals regardless of education. The naturals will learn what they need on their own.

[BobLfoot]

The "knack" just goes to reinforce - some things can't be taught. They must happen.

[Sleepy Wombat]

A sense of humour

[Ken Moore]

Very thick skin!

[BobLfoot]

Allow me to poetically combine these two. If you can keep your head when all about you are losing theirs and blaming it on you.

[Peter Nachtwey]

Since we have strayed a bit. A programmer must always warn others that.... From my experience, the programmers don't have a working machine on which to test their code until the last moment before the startup due date. In many cases the programmers don't get access to the machine until much after the due date. Then everyone expects the machine to work the first time. One must be willing to say "Poor Planning on your part does not a crisis on my part make" and say it often.

[adamriffe]

Be able to run on limited sleep for weeks at a time

[BobLfoot]

"Poor Planning on your part does not a crisis on my part make" Nice to see someone reads my signature line and agrees. Thanks for the vote of confidence Peter.

[Peter Nachtwey]

I have said the same thing many times, just not as well.

[geniusintraining]

I'll sleep when i'm dead...that's when I'll will get some 'me-time'