How to be a Ninja Web Developer

Found in Channel : Web Development — Damilare @ 9:33 pm

The topic is “How to be a Ninja Web Developer“, not a “Naija Web Developer” I am not mistaken, trust me. A friend inspired this post. I had to evaluate the way I develop web applications following our invigorating debate on using frameworks or not. This also poses a question of whether to reuse libraries, pre-written scripts, templates or more. While I wouldn’t answer the posed questions, I’d go ahead and talk about how to be a Ninja Web developer, but first, who is a Ninja Web Developer?

A Ninja Web Developer has a fighting attitude to web development. He (or she) is fighting against, Comrade Time and Comrade Money. How much was he paid for the project, what he stands to gain, and what deadline is to be met. It is a duel to be fought, and if your Ninja skills are not strong enough, you would be defeated! That said, you should know that a Ninja Web Developer is not just developing web applications, but fighting against time and money, in which a loss is not accepted.

Now how do you become a Ninja Web Developer (a winning one at that)? Simply assimilate the list below.

Meditation is meant for monks

Yes, meditation is meant for monks, do not meditate over web development projects, except when very very necessary. I know you are dying to use that new design pattern u just stumbled upon, but is it necessary? Don’t think or plan too much before time punches you in the face! Use what is at your disposal and get to the result as fast as possible, there is time for refactory, if the fight is re-scheduled. You’ve got to be Agile!

You are not the best fighter

Even if you are one, your opponent can use his pistol. In other words, be quick to look into other people’s code. Bug their asses in IRC channels for help, search code repositories like phpclasses.org. Don’t try to solve problems, expect when no one else can’t. Its easy to learn than to create, unfortunately, most developers want to create algorithms for everything, while Comrade Time is waiting with his AK 47.

Prepare your amour

Ask me to develop a web 2.0 application and I would easily go to “c:/docs/code library”. There you would find YUI CSS, jQuery (and plugins), Zend Framework (with its CHM manual). Meanwhile, I wouldnt use the afore-mentioned tools without checking if WordPress or Drupal can do the job, or their plugins/module. Prepare your amour, always check the manufacturers for latest ones. I spend my time relaxing at open source forums and IRC channels, trying to gleam whats up? My arsenal’s got to be intact!

Do not spare your enemy, fight till the end!

Unfortunately, most Ninja Web Developers are forgiving, its a sin to forgive in the Ninja Developer Parlance. You have sinned if another developer can detect your technique, its a defeat. Do not use that plugin if you cant override its default style, do not scrape that template if you would be caught, do not use the framework if its not flexible enough for you to change the way it “shows”. Rename all library files and make sure they don’t break. The aim of a Ninja Web Developer is to make reusable components look like scratch, and get all the glory. That is how to defeat Comrade Money, your client won’t trace your secrets.

Follow those laws as enshrined in the great book of NWD from far far land of DM3, and you would win all battles.