Programming Achievements: How to Level Up as a Developer

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Programming Achievements: How to Level Up as a Developer

This gist is part of a blog post. Check it out at:

http://jasonrudolph.com/blog/2011/08/09/programming-achievements-how-to-level-up-as-a-developer

programming-achievements.md

Legend:

[x] done
[.] in progress
[ ] maybe someday
[-] probably never

Learn a variety of programming languages:

• [.] Write a program in Java

• [.] Write a program in Ruby

• [.] Write a program in JavaScript

• Write a program in Groovy

• Write a program in Scheme

• Write a program in Scala

• [-] Write a program in Clojure

Learn a variety of programming paradigms:

• Write a program in assembly language
• Write an application in a functional language
• [.] Write an application in an imperative language
• [.] Write an application in an object-oriented language
• Write an application in a prototype-based language
• Write an application in a logic programming language
• Write an application using the Actor model
• [-] Write an application in Forth

Experience the ins and outs of programming for different platforms:

• Write a nontrivial web app (Rails or Clojure)
• Write a nontrivial desktop app ()
• Write a nontrivial mobile app (Android)
• [-] Write an embedded app
• [-] Write a real-time system

Enhance your understanding of the building blocks that we use as developers:

• Write a networking client (e.g., HTTP, FTP)
• Write a device driver
• Write a B-tree database
• Wrap an existing library to provide a better (more pleasant) user experience
• Write an application or framework that provides a plugin model
• Write a testing framework
• Write a programming language

Enlighten yourself with koans, katas, and the wisdom of ages:

• Complete five code katas
• Complete the programming koans for a language that you want to learn
• Attend a code retreat
• Read SICP and complete all the exercises

Program in the open:

• Contribute to an open source project
• Have a patch accepted
• Earn commit rights on a significant open source project
• Publish an open source project
• Perform a Refactotum of an open source project

Learn by teaching others:

• Present a lightning talk
• Present at a local user group
• Present at a conference
• Deliver a training course
• Publish a tutorial
• Publish a constructive code review of an open source project
• Write a programming book