What made it "click"

Question

For me, I would have to say things really started to "click" after I read Fowler's Refactoring book. Craftsmanship was not something that I was thought in academia. Most of my coursework taught language features, object oriented concepts, and theoretical stuff. Refactoring: Improving the Design of Existing Code provided examples of "smelly" code, and more importantly demonstrated techniques to improve it, all the while explaining why.

What book, experience, or mentor made things start to "click" for you?

Answer 1

I liked Design Patterns: I'd previously/recently learned how to write C++, but Design Patterns gave me further ideas of why I might want to write in a language that supported "object oriented" programming (beyond just encapsulation).

Craftsmanship came previously, via Code Complete.

Answer 2

For me, it was enough just to start reading about programming on the internet, especially the XP wiki at c2.com. I only returned to programming full-time this year, after a long period of only doing it on the side. Concepts like craftsmanship immediately made sense to me when I read about them, but in the past I hadn't been exposed to them at all because I never got involved in the programming community (either online or offline).

Answer 3

For me, it's still clicking but the biggest click has been my own code!

I always had a passion for development and always felt craftsmanship was important. I have always made it a point to read professional books and for the longest time it was books on the framework or asp.net, just the syntax guts kind of books.

Then I began reading books, blogs, sites from Martin Folwer, Uncle Bob, alt.net and many others that were much more along the lines of craftsmanship like refactoring, design patterns, object oriented design, etc... and I began to realize how bad my code really is/was. It's at that time I realized I was only a good programmer in my mind. :)

Now, I have been diving into every book and blog that I believe is concerned with craftmanship and drinking it all in and it's often overflowing.

I have begun my first NEW project where I am purposefully trying to learn/do/follow many of these craftmanship ideas. My brain hurts from all the changing but I am loving it. Even though I consider myself very new to this I feel my first project already is showing great improvement over my old code. I just wish I had a mentor by my side to help with the daily thoughts / questions I have. Guess I'll get back to reading. I might just find another answer. :)

Answer 4

Seeing other people's programs really made programming 'click' for me. I was probably 12 or 13, and hung around a couple Qbasic forums. I would download other people's games, and some of them just blew my mind. It motivated me to try and do the same thing, so I just start going. I got an idea and I run with it. I started planning, learning different techniques, and just coded for hours on end. I was totally engulfed in what I was doing. It's like time didn't even exits.

That still happens for me.

When everything is said and done, it feels good to see the end result.

That feeling is awesome. Being engulfed and being finished. Two big motivators.