Software Engineering
Software engineering is the branch of science that deals with writing millions of lines of code? I have thought deeply about how the quality of an engineer or his profession is identified. For doctors, the number of successful patient outcomes will definitely be an indicator of how good his skills are. However, for a software engineer, more than a successfully running product that he has developed, the quality of code that has gone into it matters a lot.
It is no wonder today that most machines have chips in them. We have even grown to a stage of implanting chips in our own bodies. We are not very far from a time we would program our circadian rhythm. And with the increasing impact of technology guiding our lives, the job roles of engineers both the software and hardware, are increasing day by day. Because of this, there is a growth in the number of software engineering jobs. Many businesses look for individuals with excellent analytical and problem-solving skills. In fact, Google searches on how to become a software engineer is increasing day by day.
Software Products
When we check the world’s best software products or services, we find that there are billions and trillions of lines of code that has gone into developing these products. There are even products that were written within a 100 line of code. So where lies the distinction? Is the most successful programmer who has written the most number of lines of code or who has written the least number of lines of code with the most efficiency? Aspiring to become a programmer, I would go for the second choice.
A Connected World
Today the world is connected using technology and we find code written into every device possible. Each morning I wake up to the call of a programmed alarm clock, which automatically sends a message to the coffee machine to make a coffee. This act of the coffee machine in-turn triggers the related devices including toaster, microwave, fridge and more, to start operating. After a quick bath in the ‘auto-generated’ hot-water, I come to the kitchen to find my favorite dishes ready for me. At this time I hear a knock on the door, to find out the finished items from the fridge delivered at the door-step. My refrigerator is so smart that it has sent a message to the grocery store, a list of the items to be delivered. I do not lock my door, my door does it all by itself. And then I ride on my self-driven car to my office. This is definitely not a fairy-tale. Today’s smart home technology combined with artificial intelligence has done it for us. Thanks to the Fathers of Artificial Intelligence, John McCarthy and Marvin Minsky.
What happened to be impossible in yesteryears is becoming a possibility in recent times. From where Vinton Surf started, the internet has grown to become the Internet of Things (IOT) and later the Internet of Everything (IOE). Technology is the only subject that can be learned at the greatest ease. This is because each new technology has a different foundation and syllabus and new technologies come up every day. If you find difficulty with any given technology, you definitely have a plethora of other tools to choose from. Thus a software engineer can be successfully made at any time. More than the lines of code the hours of coding make him stand apart. As time passes the programmer should learn to optimize every line of code that he has. The best code is definitely the smallest code efficient to be planted on a small chip on a tiny device. Let the usability of your product speak louder than the length of your code.
Author: Theres Ann Mathew
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