What's the best way to start a programming project?

To define your project's objectives, features and functionality, it's essential to understand the requirements gathered, target outcomes, and set the scope of your project. This would help in avoiding delays, complications and unplanned features in your project. The project's scope will also help in deciding which tools and frameworks to leverage in order to solve the problem. You can then decide if you want to build a desktop application, mobile application or a web application as a programming project.

At first I'm assuming that the person is already a programmer who can write code to make something working. So, to start a project, at first we need to understand the requirements and the goal of the project. Also, it is important to understand the lifetime of the project, which means how long the software will be staying in the market and who will use it and for how long. Is it going to be a long running project and will require to develop more features overtime. In short we need to understand the requirements and goal of the project first before we dive into the coding to make a good plan. Finally, we should know that, our goal is to deliver a product, not just some code (unless we are doing it for fun or learning).

This is the most important point where people make mistakes that cost them delayed delivery or end-up losing/failing the project. You don't have to be innovative when the requirement is simple enough. Simplicity is the key until problems are required to solve otherwise by complex solution. Scope should be encompassed by (output) what needs to be done not how it would be done. Over- engineering kills the project.

I firmly believe that the first step is to find out more about the problem you are trying to solve. Don't start coding or setting up a project right away. Talk to potential users and other stakeholders to understand their motivations and expectations. After that, start with an MVP to get feedback quickly and iterate from there.

To be clear on what you want to achieve, and to break down the work that needs to be done into smaller, more manageable steps, identify who will do what and what the desired outcome would be for each step.

Take your time when choosing the right tools and considerer learning something new if you think that could benefit your project along the way. Maybe the tools you already know does not fit well or don't even meet the requirements of the project. In addition, when working with a team, it is important to understand the knowledge of each member and make sure that everyone can work with the selected tools or have time and resources to learn before start using them. When dealing with big projects, it is also important to thing how are you going to build, test and deploy. Automating these processes can save you a lot of time and they must be planned since the beginning of the project.

Take a moment to consider the stack you will use vs the technologies you know / prefer! I think it's better to spend a few days learning the basics of a framework or library rather than using a stack that's inappropriate for a project. In general, don't be afraid to learn if it will benefit your project.

Frequently, people inquire about the optimal programming language for web or mobile projects, and my response is simple: use whatever gets the job done. The crucial aspect is comprehending the proposed conceptual solution and making a wise choice of tools, considering their respective advantages and disadvantages. Conduct thorough research on all options available. Consulting with seasoned individuals in your field can save time, as they likely have experimented with various tools during their development journey and can offer valuable advice. Most importantly, prioritize scalability and sustainability. It's not just about today's development but also about what will be built tomorrow on the foundation laid out today.

It is okay to program from the better knowledgeable side of the questionnaires sent out. Also if ideas found out demand changes to your product, sell more than one named version of the product unless the hardware of the customer supports all purposes. Then give all abilities. For the Algorithms and protocols to work, code must impact the programming ideals seamlessly, making a safe Closed Source application or with more ideals, Open Source or your own input ideas for questionnaires with such responses, and all demand purchases as such. Ensure that closed and open source can work together in each case. Program to support multiple languages for international support. Then Program to Perfection.

For this step you need to be already hand on coding as you in most cases need to evaluate if a specific technology fits your requirements, and there's no better way to do this test than creating small prototypes. If you feel the learning curve is too big, or that a given DB doesn't fit your data model, you can easily swap it as nothing is tight yet. It's better to give a first view on the architecture which is the layout of the puzzle and later check which pieces matches better, which would be the tools / languages you use.

Solution architecture is very critical task to be performed and must be performed by experienced people who have good and deep knowledge of that. Architecture is the backbone of solution which aims to fulfill both functional requirements ( business needed) and non functional requirements ( scalability, performance, security, availability and so on). Landscape architecture must be carrefully designed as this can will drive both development and deployment cost which in turn will affect project’s cost overall.

When you're starting a programming project, the first step is like creating a plan for how everything will work together, and we call this "designing your architecture." Imagine you're building a house – you'd sketch out the rooms and how they connect. Similarly, in programming, you figure out the main things your project needs to do and break them into smaller parts. Then, you decide how these parts will talk to each other. This planning, or architecture, is crucial because it sets the stage for the whole project. You may need to consider things like Scalability, Performance, Security, Usability, Maintainability, Reliability, Scalability, Cost-Efficiency, Monitoring and Analytics and Compliance as well.

Make use of abstractions as much as possible. If you’re well aware of the requirements, simply note down everything as abstractions and interfaces without being worried about the implementation. Because abstractions will give you the exact picture of what it’ll look like after development. Thinking about implementation at this stage will confuse you and will probably push you towards an infeasible architecture.

Initiating a programming project effectively begins with a deep understanding of the end users and their interaction patterns with the proposed software. For instance, in a social media app, it's crucial to architect the solution considering performance optimizations and scalability, tailored to anticipated user growth and behavior. This involves not only technical planning but also aligning with stakeholders' expectations and growth predictions. Additionally, it's important to establish a clear, modular structure for the project, allowing for flexibility and adaptability as requirements evolve. Starting with a strong foundation in user needs and scalable architecture ensures that the project remains robust and relevant as it grows

Architecture and Design of any project is the most important and a core step in developing a Software Solution. It provides a foundation to the project, similar to every other phase of life architecture also plays a key role in the successful completion of the project. Now lets discuss how to start designing the architecture, most often it all starts with careful consideration of the requirements document. After that identification of data and its processing is decided. Once it's decided what you need you may start working on preparing a proper architectural design that illustrates what elements to consider in your application and how it's supposed to be deployed and delivered.

Probably is a personal taste, but pseudocode is mostly for junior / students. It's better to make design / architecture diagrams and later translate them into code. Diagrams can be used as documentation later on, but pseudocode is totally useless

Spend time on the pseudocode, because the pseudocode is kind of like your plan for your actual code. It helps make sure that the algorithmic logic you're using actually makes sense and will lead to the expected output. The better your pseudocode is, the less time you'd have to spend actually coding up the project and checking for potential errors (although you might still get some errors). However, there is a point where planning further hinders the project. Too much planning is bad and so is too little planning. By using this process multiple times, it becomes much easier to notice that fine line.

IMVHO that's bad advice. I've never during my 20 years in the industry seen benefit of pseudocode. Draw diagrams for your thoughts, one picture worth 1000 words; writing text for the sake of writing without formal verification is absolute waste of time. Only real code can be unit tested and scrutinised by intense pressure from proper QA team.

Isn't it funny, how we think people who talk to themselves or are by themselves, making some gestures and whispering, are losing their minds? Trust me, it is a common practice to talk to yourself while writing pseudocode. It is highly mentally demanding - as you will have to visualize, structure, and document your thought process. There is no particular order or style to write pseudocode - in my opinion, logic and a conceptual understanding of programming are highly required.

Pseudocode is a waste of time. Better to create it in Power Point (really). End user can play with it and no one is locked into the design specifications.

Project Development Process for Automation: 1. Data Collection and Documentation: - Gather essential project documents, including: - Instrument list - P&ID - Control philosophy - Cause and effect chart - These documents serve as the foundation for your project. 2. Logic Development - Create a logical plan based on the instrument list. - Develop the control logic according to the project's control philosophy. - Refer to the cause and effect chart to add interlocks in your code. 3. Testing and Validation: - Download the program to the PLC if available. - If a physical PLC is not accessible, use a simulator to test your code. - Validate the application's functionality to meet project requirements.

The true mark of a skilled developer lies in their ability to craft sustainable code, resilient to errors and bugs. Achieving this feat requires a thoughtful approach and consideration of several crucial factors. - Clear and concise design: prioritize simplicity and modularity. - Comprehensive testing: implement unit tests, integration tests, and end-to-end tests to cover different layers of the application - Code reviews: peer reviews not only help catch potential bugs but also foster knowledge sharing and adherence to coding standards within a development team. Writing sustainable code is a multifaceted challenge that demands a holistic approach. Developers must prioritize clarity, testing, and collaboration.

The importance of coding in smaller incremental steps can hardly be emphasized enough. Multiple small issues can compound and make the project much more difficult to troubleshoot. Sometimes a seemingly small bug requires a solution which forces you to replan and revise your pseudocode - this is much better caught early rather than later in the coding process.

Remember - the best specification of your code is your code. I'm not advocating for TDD, but test early. Create your code and unit tests alongside, it will help catch your wrong design decisions as well, like broken error handling. Proper unit test base may help you avoid costly and tiresome debugging of your code, especially on embedded systems.

Write the test then the code. The test is a milestone towards definition of done. Code is progress towards the milestone. When the test passes, milestone is reached. WARNING: Tests are written by senior engineers not juniors.

This is how great software evolves over time! No feedback - no further evolvement. It's a journey where each well defined action brings enhancements and learning opportunities. Don't hesitate to collect feedback and stay committed to refining your project. Do not always consider you project as a child, so you would not become overprotective.

Después de completar una versión inicial de su proyecto, tómese el tiempo para revisar y refinar su código. Busque áreas donde pueda optimizar el rendimiento, mejorar la legibilidad o agregar funcionalidades adicionales según sea necesario. La mejora continua es clave para crear un software de alta calidad.

Starting a programming project without clear requirements is like setting off on a journey without a map. Imagine building a house without a blueprint; you might end up with a beautiful kitchen, but no space for the bathroom! Similarly, in programming, if you don't gather and understand the software requirements upfront, you risk wasting time, effort, and resources building features that aren't needed. While coding is a significant aspect of a project, it's just one piece of the larger puzzle called the Software Development Life Cycle. Before diving into code, take the time to gather and understand the project's requirements. It's the foundation that ensures you're building the right thing in the right way.

While it is great to do a thorough analysis before starting any project, one has to consider the time to market needed for the final product. Sometimes you just need a proof of concept or a MVP, analysis paralysis is something that can kill a project before it even starts for real and can be very frustrating for everyone involved. Just be aware of what you need to deliver and plan accordingly.

It depends entirely on the context. When solving mathematical problems, it often makes sense to program for the purposes of better understanding the problem. One size fits all platitudes about software development cycles entirely miss the point for a whole bunch of difficult and interesting problem settings.

My process: I typically spend a few weeks interviewing stakeholders who know the requirements and pain points and documenting problem statement and requirements (including pictures) and peer reviewing those documents before thinking much about architecture or implementation. My typical process for implementation is to spend quite a bit of time thinking about the architecture (modules, packages, dependencies) then specific data structures, algorithms, and design patterns I would need to implement a solution. This pretty much all just in my head. Next, I start writing my implementation ideas down - either on paper or electronically. After that, writing the tests, coding, compiling and debugging goes quickly. Then, I iterate with users.

Today, Agile says Start Coding immediately. Certainly something is known up front. Then write unit tests and check the code in with small but working changes frequently. The up front coding experience uncovers dependencies which a program manager or scrum master should know about. Don't plan for anything over 2 weeks. Continue iterations until definition of done is reached. Never commit to work over 2 weeks out.