10 Skills Every Software Engineer Must Practice  

Computer software and programming is a science of its own. Computer engineers, just like many other professionals, are expected to have a specific set of skills in order to successfully work on programs. 

Without certain skills, computer engineers would not be able to mold the discipline of engineering to what it is today. Computer engineers must be trustworthy, adaptable, and be able to make computer applications accessible, essential, fully functioning, and transformative for customers. 

Although software and computers are constantly changing, with a few specific skills, customers can trust engineers with their applications to keep their daily duties going. We look at the top ten skills every computer engineer must acquire. 

Understanding Data Structures and Algorithms 

This skill is a top priority for companies when it comes to checking problems, solving, and coding. An experienced and skilled software engineer must know how to organize data to better understand problems and how to code applications. Understanding these elements allows these professionals to know whether data is taking too much time or space in an application.

Source Control 

This skill helps computer developers and engineers manage and store code as efficiently as possible. Most clients look for an engineer who is proficient in version control and can collaborate with other team members to configure applications. All software engineers must be comfortable with version control concepts and tools. 

Text Editing 

For most computer programmers, skills and learning start by working with text editors. Text editors play a major role in analyzing data. In fact, they have become an essential tool in the lives of many programmers. There are many text editors available such as Notepad++, Sublime Text, Atom, Brackets, Visual Studio Code, among many others. It is expected of every programmer to allocate time to this skill.

Integrated Development Environments 

Knowing the ins and outs of integrated development environments (IDE) allows engineers to easily write, modify, compile, run, and debug code. When it comes down to choosing the best development environment, programmers have several choices for different languages or applications they may be working on. Using IDEs speeds up work and there are many IDEs available for developers.

Networking 

While many engineers are expected to use their own sources, it may not always work that way when working on a client-server model. In these models, requests go through networks to a server and clients can be based anywhere in the world to access the application. Understanding basic networking is crucial for developers to create a better support system for applications for clients. 

Unit, Integration, System Testing 

Before releasing software, an engineer must test it in order for it to pass. Testing is a very crucial step in determining if there are bugs and checking whether or not the software is ready to be used and handed over to the customer. There are many test methods that computer engineers can take. The most basic and most important methods of testing are unit testing, integration testing, and system testing. 

Encryption

In order to prevent attacks, viruses, or bugs, engineers must be able to encrypt security keys to protect applications and software that contain sensitive user information. This should be one of the biggest concerns for every organization when it comes to creating a product or software. It goes without saying, but software engineers should be adept at encryption.

Repositories

Should any mistakes happen during coding, version control repositories can step in and help. Good version control repositories such as CVS, Subversion, and Git make it possible for computer engineers to work with code and improve it without worrying about making any other big problems within the code itself. This practice tracks the history and evolution of the code. 

Code Analysis 

You can never be too careful when it comes to working with computer programs. By analyzing code, computer engineers can better locate sloppy errors such as uninitialized variables and other, more serious problems such as buffer overruns or SQL injection vulnerabilities. 

Cloud Computing 

This practice has become standard for businesses everywhere. As such, it is now expected of software engineers and programmers to include cloud computing into their services or alongside them. Moving to the cloud allows engineers to provide more security, reduce costs for clients, and ease deployment. 

Trust the Computer Software Experts at Marble Computer! 

The professionals at Marble Computer have been in the industry since 1983 and we have worked with companies in several sectors. We have worked through several challenges when it comes to computer programming and software. You can place your full trust in us. Contact us today to learn more about our services.