Java Hair

There are many things that a good developer should know, especially when developing web-based applications for large companies, probably even for smaller companies. When I am looking to hire someone with experience, I usually have a few prerequisites. Here is my short list of those things.

1. SQL and more (PL/SQL, Transact-SQL etc.)

Learn to write a query in standard SQL. If you are a developer, especially these days, all of that crazy SQL code may be masked by some sort of ORM layer, but if you have the opportunity or can make the opportunity, learn some SQL. It comes in handy when you are unit testing your persistence layer or trying to find test cases that meet certain criteria. I know you are a developer, but you may be asked to do these things every once in a while.

2. Database Administration

Learn enough database administration to be able to set up a development instance of a database on your own machine. Know how to create indexes and constraints. You can get copies of virtually any database for development purposes legally and for free, so do so and learn the basics.

3. Linux or Unix

Download a few distributions of Linux or if you have access to Unix systems, use that access to learn a few things. Learn how to get around in the file system. Learn how to change permissions on files, do searches, download and install packages and if you are brave enough, learn how to compile some downloaded source code.

Learn a shell scripting language and gain at least a cursory knowledge of grep, awk, and vi.

4. Perl / PHP / Python

If you are developing Web applications in one of these languages already, then ignore this, you already know it (obviously). If you are a Java developer, keep reading.

Learn one of the P’s. Sometimes you come accross things that are much easier done in a script and may be possible in a shell script, but lots of times these things are easier in a language like Perl, PHP, or Python. If you get really brave, build a simple website in one of the P’s, probably not Perl.

5. TCP/IP

Learn what TCP/IP is. Learn how the internet works. Know what DNS stands for. Basically learn enough so that if you get a new laptop you aren’t pestering the system admins for the first few hours because you can’t connect to the internet.

6. HTML/CSS

Often times you will need to do some basic styling on your pages. Make sure you can read HTML source code (and who can’t these days? Even my cat has a blog) . Know some CSS, nobody is asking application developers to be web designers, but being able to make some simple changes to make your application look good is nice knowledge to have.

7. Javascript

Every non-trivial web application is going to require some javascripting and don’t expect an HTML-wizard to be able to help you out. Most of the time the javascript you’ll need to know is outside of their experience. With JSF frameworks and tools like ADF and JDeveloper, the amount of Javascript you’ll need is less and less with every release, but at some point you will find the need. Plus once you’ve learned Html/CSS and Javascript, think what you could do to your Facebook page

8. Troubleshooting

I think what might be the point of all this is that as a web application developer, many, many things can go wrong. Applications aren’t all built in C anymore, they consist of Javascript / HTML / CSS / Some-server-side-language-of-choice / Probably an Application Server or HTTP Server / SQL / and a database. If your page isn’t displaying, you need to know if it is because you have an error in one of your components or if your query didn’t return any data.

If you don’t have the opportunity to learn such things on the job, then find a cheap machine in a junk pile somewhere, install a linux distro on it along with a database, the Apache web server, and a decent version of Perl and go nuts. I am always disappointed if I ask a potential candidate if they have Linux installed on a machine at home and they say no. If they say yes, it’s a plus, if they say yes and it is installed on their Wii, then I hire them on the spot.

That’s my list. What types of things do you feel a Web Application Developer needs to know these days?

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