Twitter: @pwoon48783
Phillip is a 54 year old Chinese Jamaican American. He’s married with one son. He has 32 years IT experience. lives currently in Cincinnati, He’s a Sagittarius, the Year of the Dragon. He loves comics, sci fi, and fantasy.
What is your favorite programming language and why?
Language is just syntax, but I would have to say my favorite language is Delphi because that is the one with which I’ve had the most experience. I don’t have to fight with the language to get the work done; I just have to concentrate on the business. It is very elegant, and the fact that it may not have all the fancy “tricks” of other languages, make the code easier to understand.
What one piece of advice would you give to a rookie developer?
Always remember you’re writing code for someone else (and yourself in six months) to understand. Yes, the most important thing is for the code to be functional, but the second is maintainability. I see a lot of people forget this most important aspect of software development. Any code worth anything will need to be maintained. Also, don’t be arrogant. If you’re good, let your work speak for itself. Don’t keep bragging about how good you are, because if you have to inform people that you’re competent, maybe you’re not as good as you think you are.
What is the most difficult programming challenge you’ve ever encountered?
It seems every job I’ve ever had is the more difficult than the last one (is that a law?) So, I would have to say in my current position (since that’s where I’m at now), is understanding the business and the current code that implements it. The insurance business is complicated (lots of advanced math involved in Actuarial science). Luckily, we have actuaries that do the heavy lifting, but this code is extremely complex (it’s not just a database application).
What is your favorite open source project and why?
My favorite open source project is Linux because it gives us an alternative to operating systems that are licensed.
What would you say to the developer that was you five years ago?
Don’t be afraid of new challenges. Always learn new stuff. Embrace new technologies and ways of thinking.
What one book should every software developer read?
The Art of Computer Programming by Donald Knuth. It was required reading in one of my classes in college when I was pursuing a Computer Science degree. I believe it’s guided me all these years developing and implementing systems.
What is the worst advice that you commonly hear given to developers?
The worst advice that I hear given to developers is that concise code is more important than readable and understandable code. I believe if something could be clearer with more code, that is preferable than less code that is less comprehensible.
Describe your favorite or most memorable “aha!” moment that you’ve had as a developer.
Simply that there is always a solution to a problem, you just have to step back and look at the bigger picture. Take a break. The best break-throughs come while taking a shower.
What is one weird or unusual thing you always do when you code?
I compile after adding five lines or less. I don’t like to code hundreds of lines to find that there are dozens of errors. I guess I’m lucky we don’t pay for compiling like in the mainframe days.
What have you done as a developer of which you are most proud?
I am most proud of the fact that any code I’ve written is instantly understandable by any developer that reads it. Not only do I have confidence in it’s performance and accuracy, but I feel that my code is very maintainable.
Bonus Question: What is the question and the answer to the one thing that I should have asked you?
The answer is “Yes”. The question is “If you had to do it over in another lifetime, would you still be a developer”?