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How Did You Get Started in Software Development?

Chris Missal, July 14, 2008

Here is my response when Tim Barcz asked how I got started in software development:

How old were you when you started programming?

Here is what I can remember to the best of my knowledge: Mr. Kohlhaas taught us Computer Programming; we learned QBasic, I was sixteen and just started my Junior year at Bishop Garrigan High School in Algona, Iowa.

What was your first programming language?

The first thing I learned was QBasic. I really enjoyed how easy it was to render graphics, (SCREEN 12). I programmed a Memory Card Game that supported a mouse and had a custom, sprite font... with drop shadows!

What was the first real program you wrote?

Other than games and "screen-savers" in QBasic, the first program that I wrote that is used by people other than me was a simple .Net application that loads and modifies Excel spreadsheets to make certain cells more readable and print on a single page horizontally. Also, some web site in Germany used sample code for a JavaScript calendar on their pages.

If you knew then what you know now would you have started programming?

Totally! I spent a lot of time early on learning HTML and JavaScript. I would have jumped on Java a lot earlier.

If there is one thing you learned along the way that you would tell new developers, what would it be?

Ask people that are more experienced than you on the topic how they would do it. You're learn far more than asking questions about how to fix the way you decided it should be done.

What's the most fun you've ever had ... programming?

I didn't respond to this as soon as I would have liked. This question is the source of the delay; I couldn't come up with an answer. I unintentionally answered it this weekend when talking to some friends at a wedding. I love being able to devise a plan to solve a problem. I can create complex, elegant (hopefully) solutions to peoples' tech problems. I know that's not a great answer to the stated question, but that's all I have.

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