“Programming isn’t about what you know; it’s about what you can figure out."
– Chris Pine

Whether you are a complete novice to programming or a seasoned professional, learning how to avoid common programming errors will be beneficial to you.

It is possible to save hundreds of hours of effort and stress by avoiding common programming blunders, and your coding performance can be considerably improved as a result.

Before starting, there is one thing you should be aware of:

It’s Acceptable to Make Mistakes:

Whatever your level of experience (young developer, student, or professional programmer), don’t be discouraged. All developers, at all levels, make silly programming errors quite often than you can imagine. Making mistakes is an unavoidable part of the process of growing. What matters is that you recognize and correct the problems as quickly as you can.

Programming allows you to turn your ideas into computer code. Most individuals make certain common blunders when learning their first programming language (or languages, but we’ll get to that later). These errors might detract you from the overall learning and coding experience.

Programming Errors and How to Avoid Them:

Programming is all about efficiency and creating usable software. The fundamentals of programming apply to software, online apps, and mobile apps. Learning to code requires understanding good and poor habits. Knowing errors in programming and how to avoid them might help you improve your skills. Avoiding common programming errors can save you several hours of work and stress and increase your code performance dramatically.

Here are the 5 mistakes to avoid errors in programming with solutions to become a better programmer:

Mistake 1: Attempting to Know Multiple Languages at Once

One of the worst mistakes you can make when learning to code is not sticking to one language. While it is feasible and many people encourage it, learning many languages all at once may be quite frustrating.

For example, whereas C is a low-level procedural language that employs ‘;’ to finish statements, Python is an interpreted high-level object-oriented language that uses indentation.

They differ in syntax as well as in how they are orientated and other linguistic characteristics. Trying to study while keeping up with these variances might be confusing and slow down your learning curve.

Solution:

A better approach is to learn and master your first language. After that, you’ll have the confidence to start learning a new language, which will be easier since you’re already familiar with basic programming concepts.

Learning high-level languages will be a breeze if you first learn low-level languages like Java, C, or C++. This is because you now understand the underlying architecture of how things work closer to the machine. Overall, mastering one language will benefit you in two ways: having a good command of the language and the confidence to learn other languages later.

Mistake 2: Playing Fast Without Planning

The majority of the time, your employer or clients will be looking for you to deliver code as quickly as possible. Users expect high-quality code to be delivered rapidly in today’s fast-paced technology environment.

It’s tempting to leap right into writing code after conducting a thorough analysis of a problem. Because of this, logical errors occur, and hours of rewriting code are required, which could have been avoided if the program had been prepared earlier. Writing exceptional code in a few hours, on the other hand, is not always possible.

Solution:

Writing good code takes focus, time, and patience, most programmers agree on this. In other words, slowing down your coding pace can help you produce error-free code. Slowing down while coding reduces grammatical errors and improves algorithm structure. This usually improves code quality and keeps your employer or clients satisfied.

The act of planning ahead of time might help you identify problems you may have missed and avoid logical flaws that result from jumping into the first answer you find.  Try breaking the problem down into smaller components. Instead of going with the first solution you find, consider additional options. Examine which one best fits your limits.

You don’t have to nail every aspect. Be adaptable; your plans may alter. The key is to get a high-level picture of how your program will work. This will save your time and allow you to explore and analyze various solutions.

Mistake 3: Not Adhering to Consistent Code Formatting Style

When first writing the code, the main goal is to make it work and produce the desired result. However, in addition to producing error-free code, you must ensure that the code is of high quality.

Aside from providing descriptive variable names and commenting to ensure the code still makes sense when revisited, it’s also possible that you’ll need to troubleshoot someone else’s code in the future. Consider how difficult it would be to try to decipher the logic of another person when dealing with code that has been poorly documented. If you name variables with camel case or underlines, it doesn’t matter. Just be consistent. Otherwise, your code will be amateurish and difficult to maintain.

Solution:

Your code should be easy to read, comprehend, and modify.

Use clear variable and function names. For example, instead of ‘x’ students in a class, use ‘students.’ Instead of using arbitrary names like ‘func’ or ‘func1′, call your function ‘fac()’ or ‘factorial()’.

Variables should be named precisely. Avoid using vague language. It’s easy to write something quickly, but returning to your code later makes it difficult to debug.

Comment as needed, but don’t overdo it. Include a comment stating your aim. Warn of repercussions, faults, and details. For example, / this script will run quite slowly.

Write aesthetically beautiful code. Do you want to read a single line of random statements? It’s a developer’s worst nightmare. Write code that is easy to read by identifying blocks, using whitespace, and changing lines after statements.

Mistake 4: Not Backing Up The Code

New developers will find it frustrating, and experienced developers will find it disastrous if they do not develop the proper habits for code protection. A mistake like this could cost you years of your work on the code, so don’t make these programming errors. Even if you are not working as part of a team, it is critical that you backup your code often otherwise you will lay at risk.

Solution:

Use software like GitHub Desktop to sync and save your work without touching the command line. The best part is that it is completely free! Many developers use version control to keep track of their apps. In addition to maintaining version control, it is critical to keep code backups. This involves archiving repositories and developing stuff.

Developers must back up more than just code. This includes communication, papers, and project materials. Communication backups can be useful after the project is finished and queries arise regarding missing requirements or other difficulties.

Mistake 5: Duplicating Someone’s Code Without Figuring Out Your Error

When you attempt to code a problem, a slew of errors appear. Even after correcting the syntactical problems, you are left with code that does not function, and worse, you have no understanding of why it does not function.

Finding yourself stuck because of this logic issue, and after spending hours working on it out of frustration, you decide to Google the problem and attempt duplicating a different technique instead.

In the short term, it’s not harmful to experiment with different approaches to obtaining the desired result; nevertheless, failing to overcome logic issues can set you up for a slew of similar problems in the long term.

Solution:

Leaving logic flaws untreated can lead to similar issues in the future. After all, your thoughts went there first. So it’s critical to understand what’s wrong with a specific strategy and why it can’t be employed so that when you face a similar issue in the future, your mind knows which way to avoid it.

If your code doesn’t work, don’t leave it until you figure out why. After all, learning is about discovering and understanding why solutions fail. Programming is difficult, and improving requires ongoing study. The easiest way to learn to program is to read and study it, but if you need help, don’t be hesitant to ask.

It’s not easy to ask questions, but most experienced programmers are happy to help. Just make sure you’ve done your homework and tried hard. Mentors will be more willing to help you if they recognize your commitment to learning. Keep a programming journal to remember crucial queries and answers.

Last Words:

The harsh reality of programming (and life) is that errors are inevitable. So, this should be obvious. But by spending more time programming and enhancing the quality of your code, you will make fewer coding errors in the long run.

Coding takes extra time and effort. But if you can enjoy the coding process, you’ll become a better programmer.

Remember that mistakes are part of learning. It’s critical to recognize and correct them quickly. Adopt solid coding principles early on. Write good code, practice, and keep learning.