Well I’ve just happened to read this interesting article on SitePoint, I pretty much agree with the author although I’d say its unclear whether learning to use a pre-existing PHP framework will help or not on a per se basis. My biggest confusions/questions are:
Is there a general or absolute definition of what an intermediate-leveled programmer is? Or more specifically, what are the signs that distinguish an intermediate coder from a beginner, and what makes him/her different from professionals/advanced programmers?
Among intermediate-leveled programmers, is there a way to identify whether he/she is barely entering this intermediate-stage barrier or that he/she is already very close to a true professional? Maybe sub-stages like Intermediate-1(close to beginner), intermediate-2(true intermediate) and intermediate-3(close to professional)?
What are the best ways for intermediate-skilled programmers to improve into true professionals? I assume I am one such coder atm, so advices will be appreciated.
I don’t know that you will find a general definition of what an intermediate level programmer is. That is usually a term defined by businesses to justify what salary range a person falls in and what type of skill sets they employ.
I’ve had titles of Programmer, Programmer Analyst, Senior Programmer, Internet Programmer III, Internet Programmer/Analyst, to Internet Lead Prog/Analyst. Within both companies I’ve worked for, they seem to be tied to 1) seniority, length of time you’ve been with the company, and 2) your contributions to the company through projects you were a part of.
In other places, Certifications/Exams are taken into consideration.
To answer your last question, keep seeking to improve your skill set. Never stop learning. You do that, and you’ll be viewed as a professional in someone’s eyes (whether or not you consider yourself a professional is an entirely different question).
I think that was a fairly opinionated article. I don’t agree that wordpress is rubbish. In fact its one of the few established php projects that I don’t mind writing add ons for as it is very well documented, even for developers. A project without adequate documentation is worse than a project with imperfect coding in my opinion.
So in conclusion a good developer is one who can communicate well and properly documents his work.
Thanks for the comments you two. I do try to keep learning new stuff whenever I get a chance, although I am not sure when it will be sufficient to make me a fully professional coder as I always strive for. Thats why I ask whether such a standard does exist, looks like everyone has different perception when it comes down to the level of a programmer. I do document my class files all the time, so guess I am at least doing this thing right. XD