3 ms·

There is a huge difference between knowing syntax and being able to write code. I have even seen senior developers write very convoluted code because they could

There is a huge difference between knowing syntax and being able to write code. I have even seen senior developers write very convoluted code because they couldn't break down the problem in its simplest components. I would say that the ability to write good code is related to problem solving capacity and intelligence.

detaro 6y ago
And I'm fairly sure I've seen people stumble over the reverse direction: Being optimistic that they remember the syntax for a language they haven't used in a while, and then in a stress situation failing to remember basics. Someone with experience in a few languages has no difficulty reading code in a lot of languages, and can get going in them quite quickly, but the first few hours/days are going to involve a lot of looking up trivial things, especially if starting with an empty page instead of tweaking in existing code.