Software development is hard work, and the process has many hurdles. When you are stuck on a certain problem or need help understanding what’s going on, it can sometimes be difficult to find people to help or even know where to turn for some direction. One of the best places to look for free professional help is in the forums dedicated to your software development platform and language. Whether Stack Overflow or DevForums, you can go to several places for help. While some of these sites get a lot of traffic, you should use them with caution, as many questions asked on these sites are from newbies who don’t understand the lingo used by developers. Here are six ways to get help with your software development.
1. Have a Question? Search the Code
There are dozens of different programming languages out there, and when it comes to solving your problems, you’re most likely going to have to search for where a particular piece of code is located. This is where search engines and code browsers like Google Code Browser come into play. When searching for code snippets in these programs, keep an eye on the source of what you’re looking at. There are a lot of codes floating around out there with typos and bad code structure. Make sure what you’re seeing is legit and can be used in your project.
2. Use Forums to Get Help With Your Software Development
There are several different forums dedicated to the different programming languages out there. While some of them have restrictions on new members asking questions, they are a great place to start when looking for directions or help from someone who has used the language or software you’re developing. If you’re unsure where to turn, search your programming language and “forum” in Google to see what comes up. You’re bound to find multiple sites where you can get tips and answers and even ask your questions.
3. Get a Partner
If you have a partner helping you with your software development, there are several things they can do to help you with your project. They can read over the code to see if they understand what’s going on and if it follows the guidelines properly using software development best practices or programming standards. A software development partner can also read over the documentation format and make sure it makes sense or even recommend an improvement if they think it is necessary.
4. Get Some Help From a Freelancer
There are plenty of freelancers out there willing to help you with your software development project. Many sites are dedicated to matching freelancers with companies looking for help, such as Stack Overflow or Elance. These sites can help you find someone who specializes in the same language or development platform you’re working with, and they can do a lot of the grunt work for you, which lets you concentrate on what’s important.
5. Read Programmer Blogs
The internet is full of programmer blogs, many of which specialize in software development platforms, languages, and projects. You can find blogs on everything from JavaScript to android development and much more. Not only are they a great place to find code snippets or learn new techniques while you’re programming, but they are also a great place to go when looking for help with your software development. Many programmers blog about their work, problems they have come across, or other things they’ve learned while coding. You have to know where to look.
6. Get Help From the Community
One of the best places to look for help with your software development is by looking at the community you’re developing in. There are many active communities, and they can be extremely helpful if you know where to look. Many people are willing to help you out regardless of the platform. Not only that, but many of these sites have volunteer moderators that monitor the forum, answering questions and offering tips where they can. Be careful about who you ask for help, as some of these forums have a lot of new users and are only looking to get their questions answered. Just be sure to stick with the people they have known to be helpful in the past, and you should be fine.
Conclusion
You can get help with your software development in many different ways. These are just a few that you may want to try out, but there are many others on the internet. It’s never a good idea to go at it alone, whether you’re trying to develop your first piece of software or your tenth. The larger the project looks and the more pieces you have to keep in mind, the more help you will need. While there is no substitute for having a good friend or partner who can help you with your software development, other alternatives exist for you.