Monday Links: Better programming, flags, and C#

17 Jan 2022 #mondaylinks

This episode of Monday Link is a bit diverse. From getting better at programming to why it’s harder for juniors to get hired. And, a rant about the C# evolution.

I couldn’t avoid adding the last article to this Monday Links. I try to only share five articles. But, that’s a great story of establishing priorities and putting life, health, and work in a balance. Enjoy!

A Path to Better Programming by Robert “Uncle Bob” Martin and Allen Holub

This is a conversation between Uncle Bob and Allen Holub (I didn’t know about Allen before this conversation) about principles, isolation, mob programming, and leadership.

By the way, the military has been leading large companies for years. How do they do it? The answer mentioned in the video is to empower people to do things. But there’s a whole book on the subject.

“If it’s a good idea, the good idea tends to spread, unless there’s somebody at the management level working hard to make it not spread”

Allen Holub

Also, I didn’t know there was a “Clean Agile” book. I would like to see what Agile meant for the creators and how it differs from what we call “Agile” today. Watch full video

Why flags do not represent languages

These days I needed to translate my Unit Testing 101 workshop instructions to Spanish. And call it fate or not, I found this article about not using flags to represent languages and what to do instead. How often do you see on web pages the US flag to signal English? Read full article

Is C# Getting Too Complex?

I like the evolution of C# as a language. I wrote about some of the newest and coolest C# features. But, I don’t like some of the new features. Some features, quoting the article, “just add to the complexity of the language without bringing anything to the table besides saving a few lines of code or a couple of curly braces.” Some features make the language less consistent. I share the main point of this article. Read full article.

Read the source code of your dependencies

I first heard about the concept of reading code as a learning exercise from a friend. To learn how star developers code, read their code. This post takes this concept to the next level. Use only dependencies you’re able to read its source code. Read full article.

Why nobody hires junior developers and what happens next

Another consequence of the pandemic. Nobody hires juniors. One thing I’ve noticed is companies don’t have clear career plans and salary policies for developers. Someone starts in a company and after a few years, what? Close tickets forever? Work extra hours to get noticed and promoted? That’s why juniors as soon as they feel more confident, move to a better-paid place. Brain drain is expensive. Read full article

Fetch the bolt cutters

Maybe I don’t have serious eye strain or carpal tunnel syndrome (yet?). But, I can totally relate to this story. And, it’s something more frequent these days. One quote that made me wow and stand in ovation: “In a choice between a job and me, I’m always going to choose me”. Such an amazing way to finish that story. Read full article

Voilà! Another five six reads! Do you also think C# is getting too complex? Have you seen a clear career path at companies where you’ve been?

Are you interested in unit testing? Grab a free copy of my ebook Unit Testing 101. Don’t miss the previous Monday Links on Workplaces, studying and communication.

Happy reading!