Top 10 essential skills that software developers should learn in 2020

  Mohit Singh    January 11, 2021    387

 

Every day a new technology comes to the market and you may get confused whether to learn it or not? Which one will go for a long time? Which one should you learn to go ahead on the path of a successful software developer?  Here we come up with some essential skills that you should learn in 2020. It includes a programming language like C++ or Java, essential computer science concepts like Data Structures, Algorithms and Computer Network basics, tools like Git, Docker, Kubernetes and containers in general, Cloud computing platforms like AWS, GCP, Microsoft Azure, and skills like SQL and UNIX, etc. This list is not complete, but it gives you a good starting point for skills a programmer should know. Just have a thorough understanding of each one.

Top 11 Essentials Skills for Software Developers in 2020-

1. Containers (Docker and Kubernetes)-

In 2020, each developer, software engineer, data scientist, and even project manager should know about containers and also tools like Docker and Kubernetes. Containers like Docker not just help developers to test their application in a unified environment but also they simplify the deployment process. With the help of Docker, you can rapidly deploy your application with all of its dependency in one shot, it also provides you process isolation. Thus, Kubernetes, which is a container orchestration tool, takes it to the next level and can manage containers for you. This implies you don’t have to worry about the Scalability of your application. And Kubernetes or K8s can do that for you automatically. If you need to learn new skills in 2020, you should learn Docker and Kubernetes. 

You can also know- Kubernetes vs Docker: Which one to choose?

2. Cloud Platform (AWS, GCP, or Azure)-

Apart from holders, Cloud is another thing which every Software developer and Data Scientist should learn in 2020. Organizations of all sizes and domains are now shifting their environments into Cloud for cost-saving and better scalability, which implies sooner or later, you have to work with cloud-native applications. They are also necessary for development in the field of Data Science, Machine Learning, and Artificial intelligence because the only cloud can provide the computing power required by those resource-hungry models. Learning Cloud platforms like Amazon Web Service (AWS), Google Cloud Platform (GCP) or Microsoft Azure will take you one step ahead of your rivals. You don’t have to learn all of them. And actually, learning one means you will have a clear idea regarding others.

It will be better to learn AWS as it is the most popular and also most mature cloud platform. And there is a strong demand of developers and system admins with AWS knowledge.

3. Data Structure and Algorithm-

This skill is the highest need by most of the companies to check the problem solving and coding skill also. It is necessary for you to understand how data can be organized and how it can be used to solve a real life problem. Data Structures and Algorithms are the heart of programming. Using data structures you will realize the importance of organizing the data using right data structure and algorithm to solve a specific problem in less time and less space.

4. A Version Control Tool (Git)-

Source control is used to store code, and if you want to become a coder or software developer, you must know version control tools like Git and SVN. Fortunately Git and Github have streamlined the market, and now more than 70% of organizations use Git; thus you can get away by just learning Git. You should put some effort into learning Git well, like you should be comfortable with advanced version control concepts like branching and merging as well as the tool itself, for example both on the command line and using GUI. 

5. One Text Editors (VIM)-

Everyday we use a text editor while working as a developer. It’s one of the necessary tools for non-developers and any one who works with computers. Long ago we have used NotePad on Windows and VIM in Linux, but nowadays you have a lot of choices available in terms of advanced editors like Sublime and NotePad++, which provides IDE-like functionalities. It will be advantageous to spend some time learning your favorite Editor and keyboard shortcuts, productivity tips.

6. IDEs (Integrated Development Environment)- 

IDEs allow you to write, modify, compile, run and debug your code. With regards to choosing the best development environment, various software developers have different choices for various purposes or language they are working on. Each developer should know how to use IDEs to write, compile, run and debug their code. Using an IDE accelerates their work and there are such a large number of IDEs available for developers. For C, C++ and C# developers most recommended choice is Visual Studio or Code::Blocks. Also, for Python developers, PyCharm, Spyder or Jupyter notebook are getting popularity. For Java Eclipse, NetBeans and IntelliJ IDEA is the best choice for developers.

7. Databases and SQL- 

A necessary skill for developers is understanding of working with databases. Developers should know all kinds of operation like how to store records, create, insert, update, delete, and so on. Creating any kind of application and software is impossible for organization without the database. When a developer work on any serious business project they also need to deal with security issue and managing the complete organization record with proper backup and that is the reason every organization expects a developer comfortable in working with databases and managing the complete records securely. There is no doubt that SQL is the most popular classic database among developers. If you want to become a good developer you should be  good in writing at least basic SQL queries. Oracle, PostgreSQL, MongoDB, Cassandra, Redis, etc. are the databases you can work with.

8. An OOP Programming language (C++, Java or Python)-

As a software developer, you should know a programming language like C++ or Java or maybe Python or JavaScript. You can pick anyone you desire to, but better to with Java. It’s simple to start with, and hence the correct decision for beginners. It’s also immensely  powerful and allows you to do virtually anything. It has got libraries from doing basic stuff, similar to web development to Big Data and so on. If you decide to learn Java, then The Complete Java MasterClass is probably the best place to start with.

9. Networking Basics- 

In 70-80% cases, application is based on the client-server model where the request goes through the network to a server and client can be based anywhere in the world to access the application. Understanding of basic networking is significant for developers to develop and support an application. If the architecture wouldn’t be designed appropriately it can create HTTP request issues over the network. In a client-server architecture, a user or a client POST request via the internet which is received by the server and after processing data request the response is sent back to the client. Today most of the applications are web-based, online games, business automation or cloud computing client-server architecture is used. So we can not deny this fact that fundamentals and basics of networking are also an essential skill for the developers.

10. Encryption and Cryptography- 

With regards to building a web app or software which uses delicate data of a client, it is significant for a developer to implement a secure and encrypted key to prevent all kinds of attacks. Security of users’ sensitive information, preventing a site from hacking is the major concern for every organization with regards to making a product or software. It is expected from a developer to know about how encryption algorithms work, how authentication works and how cryptography methods work. For data encryption there are fundamentally two techniques used .

These are public key and private key. A key is established with public key encryption algorithms, for example, RSA or ECDSA and its depend on developer  which one he/she needs to choose to remember about the overall security of the network. Cryptography helps the developer to make a secure system, secure database and helps in transmitting secure output over the network after processing the request. It is also used in secure error handling and allows using third party libraries without worrying about the security issue.

Wrap up-

These are some necessary skills for software developers to learn in 2020. There can be few others too. We at Solace have dedicated developers and managers for each technology. You can hire PHP developers and ios developers of Solace team for effective web and app development.


 Article keywords:
software development skills, technology

 


 Share this article: 
Print Digg StumbleUpon del.icio.us Facebook Yahoo! Buzz Twitter Google Bookmarks LinkedIn MySpace Orkut PDF Scoopeo Viadeo Add to favorites
      

© Copyright - Articles XP