Time sure passed by so fast. It felt like it was just yesterday when I was learning how to write JavaScript codes. Now that the semester is coming to an ending, I have finally learned a way to officially create a working web application. Now, it may sound like the only thing I learned about Software Engineering is writing codes for web application development. However, what if I tell you that it is much more than just writing codes. Rather, it is also about experiencing the fundamentals of Software Engineering concepts.
When I began my journey learning about Software Engineering, the idea of ethics never came to my mind. At the time, I assumed that Software Engineering was all about writing codes and solving problems. And for the most part this is true. However, had I ever thought about how these programs affect the community. Had I ever thought about potentially harming the people that use the program. The answer is no, I was blinded at the idea of just writing codes. Now the next question is if you were told to program something that you know is just morally wrong, would you decline and risk losing your job or do as you’re told? The morality or the Ethics in Software Engineering were some of the ideas that it tries to address these questions. After learning about these morality, it gave me a new insight on what makes a good code and bad code.
Does writing good codes mean writing a logically and syntactically correct code? Well, to make a working code then yes. But the term Good code that I thought of now is writing code that I can proudly say yes, I was a part of creating this program. When it comes to writing “Good Codes”, it must be something that made an impact on the community. After all, as a Software Engineer, we have a duty to return something back to the community. But we also make sure that the code we make stays away from bad codes. Codes that are malicious to the community. If I follow this insight in the future, then I know that I can write codes that will haunt me later.
Although writing codes that are ethically correct are important, what is a Software Engineer without knowing of the Development Environments. In Software Engineering we are expected to know how to write codes in an IDE or Integrated Development Environment, such as IntelliJ IDEA or eclipse. And no, notepads are not IDEs so do not even bother writing codes there. The takeaway here is IDEs are an essential tool that require lots of time and practice to get the hang of. This taught me the valuable lesson of continuation of learning new things.
Prior to learning about Software Engineering, I was only familiar with one IDE, Eclipse. When I transitioned from Eclipse to IntelliJ there were some similarities, but for the most part it was like a whole new experience. At first it was very confusing to use due to the amount of features IntelliJ offers. I remember needing to spend at least an hour per day just playing with the IDE. And eventually got the hang of it but will still need more time to master it. So, what did the Development Environment teach me? It taught me the importance of adaptation. After all, we cannot always expect to keep using what we already know. At some point we will have to adapt to something new.