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What are some of the responsibilities for Software Development?
I’m a 9th grader and I’m interested in becoming a software developer, so I want to learn more about what you mainly do on the job. #software #software-engineer #technology
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6 answers
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Mark’s Answer
Hi Jared,
For many years, I used to develop software, and lead teams of software developers to build complex software systems. Most software development is accomplished by doing at least the minimum following activities, when they are needed:
- Requirements gathering - collect the target user's needs, and describe in words and diagrams
- Design - from the Requirements, define the desired software's features and functions, and the needed software components in words, diagrams and sections of pseudo-code
- Implementation - write the software in the appropriate programming and/or scripting languages
- Test - test the software to validate the design's features and functions work correctly
While many think a software developer mainly writes software in programming and/or scripting languages (Implementation), my experience has been that Requirements, Design and Test activities altogether may take as much or more of a software developer's time than Implementation alone.
The more time our teams took to do Requirements and Design, the faster the Implementation and Test activities went, to create relevant and working software. This is because everyone on the team was clearer on what software we were building, how we were going to build it, what features and functions we were going to test, and how we were going to test them. It was the most fun way too!
For many years, I used to develop software, and lead teams of software developers to build complex software systems. Most software development is accomplished by doing at least the minimum following activities, when they are needed:
- Requirements gathering - collect the target user's needs, and describe in words and diagrams
- Design - from the Requirements, define the desired software's features and functions, and the needed software components in words, diagrams and sections of pseudo-code
- Implementation - write the software in the appropriate programming and/or scripting languages
- Test - test the software to validate the design's features and functions work correctly
While many think a software developer mainly writes software in programming and/or scripting languages (Implementation), my experience has been that Requirements, Design and Test activities altogether may take as much or more of a software developer's time than Implementation alone.
The more time our teams took to do Requirements and Design, the faster the Implementation and Test activities went, to create relevant and working software. This is because everyone on the team was clearer on what software we were building, how we were going to build it, what features and functions we were going to test, and how we were going to test them. It was the most fun way too!
Updated
Betty’s Answer
Hi Jared,
To be a really good software developer, my perspective is that you need to have the proper education (BS in Computer Science or Math) and build your communication, critical thinking, coding and analytical skills.
At a high level, you'll need to perform the following on your job.
1. Understand the requirements and analyze them such that you can break the coding and testing work into releasable chunks
2. Estimate sizing and effort it would take to deliver something
3. Communicate your findings, identify possible solutions and impact of those and share updates on your progress.
4. Set up your dev environment so that you can start coding, create unit tests, test/quality assurance, check in the code into a source control system. Fix the bugs in the code and do code reviews with your peers, etc.
5. Coordinate with other teams on dependencies and any integration points between your code and others.
6. Get up to speed on using the existing development tools, software development kits, environment, bug tracking system, etc that you will use everyday.
To be a really good software developer, my perspective is that you need to have the proper education (BS in Computer Science or Math) and build your communication, critical thinking, coding and analytical skills.
At a high level, you'll need to perform the following on your job.
1. Understand the requirements and analyze them such that you can break the coding and testing work into releasable chunks
2. Estimate sizing and effort it would take to deliver something
3. Communicate your findings, identify possible solutions and impact of those and share updates on your progress.
4. Set up your dev environment so that you can start coding, create unit tests, test/quality assurance, check in the code into a source control system. Fix the bugs in the code and do code reviews with your peers, etc.
5. Coordinate with other teams on dependencies and any integration points between your code and others.
6. Get up to speed on using the existing development tools, software development kits, environment, bug tracking system, etc that you will use everyday.
James Constantine Frangos
Consultant Dietitian-Nutritionist & Software Developer since 1972 🡆 Optimization Of Human Performance
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Answers
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James Constantine’s Answer
Hello Jared,
Absolutely, I'm here to assist you in understanding the role of a software developer better! Here's a rundown of the main tasks and duties that come with this job:
Software Design and Prototyping
Before any coding begins, software developers usually focus on the design and prototyping of the software. This requires collaboration with stakeholders to comprehend the software's objectives and specifications, followed by developing a blueprint for its construction. Developers might utilize diagrams, wireframes, or other visual tools to express their concepts.
Code Creation
Indeed, coding forms a significant portion of a software developer's job. This entails converting the software's design and blueprint into a series of commands that a computer can execute. Developers might use a range of programming languages, based on the project's requirements.
Testing and Debugging
After the initial software code is written, developers must test it to confirm it functions as planned. This includes running a series of tests to detect any bugs or problems. If any bugs are detected, developers are tasked with debugging and resolving these issues.
Team Collaboration
Software development is often a team effort, and developers regularly collaborate with other team members to construct and maintain software. This could involve interaction with designers, product managers, QA engineers, and other developers. Effective communication and collaboration are crucial for ensuring projects are finished on time and meet the necessary standards.
Staying Current with Technology Trends
The software development field is continuously changing, with new technologies and tools being introduced constantly. Therefore, developers need to keep abreast of the latest trends and best practices to stay competitive in the job market. This might involve attending conferences, enrolling in online courses, or reading industry-related publications.
Offering Technical Support
Lastly, software developers may also be tasked with providing technical support for the software they've created. This could include responding to user queries, troubleshooting problems, and offering advice on how to use the software efficiently.
In a nutshell, software developers are in charge of designing, constructing, testing, and maintaining software applications. They collaborate closely with other team members to ensure projects are finished on time and meet the necessary standards, and they must stay current with the latest trends and best practices to stay competitive in the job market.
May God be with you!
James Constantine Frangos.
Absolutely, I'm here to assist you in understanding the role of a software developer better! Here's a rundown of the main tasks and duties that come with this job:
Software Design and Prototyping
Before any coding begins, software developers usually focus on the design and prototyping of the software. This requires collaboration with stakeholders to comprehend the software's objectives and specifications, followed by developing a blueprint for its construction. Developers might utilize diagrams, wireframes, or other visual tools to express their concepts.
Code Creation
Indeed, coding forms a significant portion of a software developer's job. This entails converting the software's design and blueprint into a series of commands that a computer can execute. Developers might use a range of programming languages, based on the project's requirements.
Testing and Debugging
After the initial software code is written, developers must test it to confirm it functions as planned. This includes running a series of tests to detect any bugs or problems. If any bugs are detected, developers are tasked with debugging and resolving these issues.
Team Collaboration
Software development is often a team effort, and developers regularly collaborate with other team members to construct and maintain software. This could involve interaction with designers, product managers, QA engineers, and other developers. Effective communication and collaboration are crucial for ensuring projects are finished on time and meet the necessary standards.
Staying Current with Technology Trends
The software development field is continuously changing, with new technologies and tools being introduced constantly. Therefore, developers need to keep abreast of the latest trends and best practices to stay competitive in the job market. This might involve attending conferences, enrolling in online courses, or reading industry-related publications.
Offering Technical Support
Lastly, software developers may also be tasked with providing technical support for the software they've created. This could include responding to user queries, troubleshooting problems, and offering advice on how to use the software efficiently.
In a nutshell, software developers are in charge of designing, constructing, testing, and maintaining software applications. They collaborate closely with other team members to ensure projects are finished on time and meet the necessary standards, and they must stay current with the latest trends and best practices to stay competitive in the job market.
May God be with you!
James Constantine Frangos.
Updated
Ali’s Answer
Of course like everyone said, you need to have an education, and preferably in software development or computer science. Part of your software developer job, gather requirements, develop spec, develop design doc, develop code, test code, fix bugs. This is very high level and simplistic view of the tasks/deliverables.
Updated
Hanish’s Answer
Here are the basic requirments of a software developer:
1. Producing clean, efficient code based on specifications.
2. Testing and deploying programs and systems.
3. Fixing and improving existing software.
Requirements differ based on job posts and company needs.
1. Producing clean, efficient code based on specifications.
2. Testing and deploying programs and systems.
3. Fixing and improving existing software.
Requirements differ based on job posts and company needs.
Updated
Greg’s Answer
Wrtte/Develop code of course, write/develop units tests that test your code, work closely with Product to understand requirements, provide estimates for your work (points if doing Agile), product support for your work or as a SME, work closely with QA to resolve defects, coach/mentor junior developers.