Musicians practice scales, arpeggios, etc. every day before they begin playing "real" music. The top sports players spend time every day practicing fundamentals like dribbling before playing the "real" game.
Are there fundamentals that programmers should practice every day before writing "real" code?
Keep updating yourself. Read blogs, play around with new upcoming frameworks, libraries.
Spend more time on StackOverflow :)
Stretch your wrists and arms, I guess.
Do scientists practice before they perform tests? Do civil engineers practice before they draw up plans in a CAD device of some sort?
The answer is no. The two things you mentioned involve manual, physical processes. Programming is a mental exercise, so as long as you're alert and of sound mind, you're good to go.
Answering a question on SO every day seems like good practice. Look for questions that require you to do some research, think a little, or stretch your imagination. Such activity may well be useful in your "real" project.
Reading code that looks unfamiliar because it's written in a different language, or written by someone with a different style than yourself.
Yoga! So when you can't figure out a problem, you have a way to relax :)
Are there fundamentals that programmers should practice every day
Yoga to cope with having to deal with idiots (living and software) all day
or:
Field stripping automatic weapons if you have a more direct approach to the problem.
The Pragmatic Programmers suggest learning a new language every year. Working toward that goal seems like a pretty decent daily exercise falls right out of it.
CodeKata comes to mind. I think this line of thinking is exactly what led them to create it. From their home page:
How do you get to be a great musician? It helps to know the theory, and to understand the mechanics of your instrument. It helps to have talent. But ultimately, greatness comes from practicing; applying the theory over and over again, using feedback to get better every time.
How do you get to be an All-Star sports person? Obviously fitness and talent help. But the great athletes spend hours and hours every day, practicing.
But in the software industry we take developers trained in the theory and throw them straight in to the deep-end, working on a project. It’s like taking a group of fit kids and telling them that they have four quarters to beat the Redskins (hey, we manage by objectives, right?). In software we do our practicing on the job, and that’s why we make mistakes on the job. We need to find ways of splitting the practice from the profession. We need practice sessions.
Practice typing.
Less friction getting thoughts into code == more productivity.
Talk to your users. Ask them questions about their jobs.
You're a programmer. You know how to program. Users know their jobs. Your job is to make their job easier.
Learn as much as you can about their job - ask them what the biggest pain in the buttocks is and what might make it easier.
Remember - they are your customer. They are the ones who will be using whatever you make on a daily basis. Get a rapport with them. Talk to them - every day if possible.
It'll make dealing with the inevitable unexpected problems that much easier to deal with.
Study/Practice the fundamentals of programming I would say.
Design Patterns
OO programming, functional programming, procedural or whatever paradigm you are using/ want to use or study
Design Testable methods/classes (this can be true depending on what you are using).
Programming logic and algorithms
And, as many have said on this thread, take a look at SO would help a lot!
just keep repeating "I will not try to debug my relationship(s) with [significant] others"
As a developer I like to get away from just code every now and then, and think more about problem solving / algorithms:
Enter Project Euler, a great way to test your maths and coding skills.
(For those of you who haven't come across it, it's a series of mathematical problems that require both coding skills and an understanding of the maths behind it; it's good for brushing up on both!)
(...oh, and just to stop any arguments now, it is pronounced "Oiler", not "Yuler"!)
Any sort of puzzle game is good. Sudoku, jewel games, physics games ("space physics" on my Droid!), etc.. Follow-up with Euchre or Gin during lunch.
I will prefer Tai Chi Chuan instead of Yoga....because it will improve your health, your concentration and you can use the martial art moves when the problem is the interface between chair and keyboard: The user :)
I would suggest that programmers do the following:
Read the following books:
Understand: 1. Formal Methods 2. Compiler Design
x
Topcoder.com ..you can practice old competition puzzles in C++, Java,Python, C#
I would recommend meditation to anyone who has to do lots of critical thinking on the daily basis. Perks include developing patience, control over emotions, calmness of mind. All of the above are critical in field of Software Development.
Customer Service.
Most paying jobs - programming, garbage collector, politician, nurse, bartender - all have three requirements, looked at from the top.
Practice customer service, and focus lightly on these three things. Everything else is gravy.
Healthy Mind, Healthy Body.
mens sana in corpore sana is not just a statement of how you would like to be, but also a path to achieving that:
Whichever side you attack first, you will find that it invariably leads to the other side as well. It is not possible to be mind without body. Nor is it possible to be body without mind.