I've been coding for a few years now and feel like I've hit a plateau. What are some advanced programming tricks that senior developers use that aren't commonly taught? I'm looking for those little things that separate good developers from great ones.
One advanced programming trick senior developers use is rubber duck debugging with a twist. Instead of explaining your code to a rubber duck, write a detailed comment explaining what the code should do. Often the act of writing the comment reveals the bug or a better approach. It forces you to articulate your assumptions clearly.
Learn to read and write code at different abstraction levels simultaneously. Beginners read code line by line. Intermediates can follow functions. Seniors can look at a module and understand the architecture, then drill down to specific implementation details as needed. This mental flexibility is what allows them to work efficiently on large codebases.
Advanced developers have a toolkit of mental models for different types of problems. When they encounter a new problem, they don't start from scratch - they recognize patterns and apply known solutions or adaptations. Building this mental library comes from deliberately studying different architectures, design patterns, and algorithms, not just from experience alone.