Programming Achievements: How to Level Up as a Developer

about.md

Programming Achievements: How to Level Up as a Developer

This gist descended from a blog post and made specific to my interests and accomplishments. Original Blog post

programming-achievements.md

Learn a variety of programming paradigms:

• Write an application in an imperative language: C++, Oberon'7, D
• Write an application in an object-oriented language: Java, Smalltalk
• Write an application in a dynamic language: Python, Ruby
• Write an application with a query language: SQL, Tutorial D
• Write an application in a functional language: Clojure, Sml, Haskell
• Write an application with aspect oriented components: AspectJ
• Write a program in assembly language: Pep8, MIPS, Dcpu10
• Write an application in a prototype-based language: Javascript, Io
• Write an application in a logic programming language: Prolog
• Write an application in a concatenative language: Forth
• Write an application using a language supporting the Actor model: Erlang, Scala
• Write an application in a design-by-contract language: Eiffel

Enhance your understanding of the building blocks that we use as developers:

• Write a simple compiler: Basic
• Write a B-tree database: SimpleDB or MicroBase
• Write a networking client
• Write a toy operating system
• Write a device driver
• Write a baysean spam filter
• Write an application that provides a plugin model

Learn a variety of editors/IDEs:

• Use Visual Studio exclusively for a month
• Use Eclipse exclusively for a month
• Use emacs exclusively for a month
• Use IDLE exclusively for a month
• Use XCode exclusively for a month

Enlighten yourself with koans, katas, and the wisdom of ages:

• Complete five code katas
• Complete the programming koans for a language that you want to learn
• Contribute a literate program
• Read SICP and complete all the exercises
• Attend a code retreat

Program in the open:

• Contribute to an open source project
• Have a patch accepted
• Earn commit rights on a significant open source project
• Gather a following on my own open source project

Learn by teaching others:

• Present a lightning talk
• Present at a local user group
• Publish a tutorial
• Publish a constructive code review of an open source project

Experience the ins and outs of programming for different platforms:

• Write a nontrivial desktop app
• Write a nontrivial web app
• Write a nontrivial mobile app
• Write a nontrivial game
• Write an embedded app