When it comes to coding, typing is one of the core aspects of being productive. This is why as a programmer you are better off aiming for a blend of good speed and more so accuracy in typing.
Now, typing for programming tends to be slightly different from general typing. For example, it requires mastery of different special characters and keyboard shortcuts which are easily mastered with consistent practice.
Well, whether you are a beginner developer or aiming to boost your typing skills as a senior developer, this guide is here to guide you through mastering typing to help you be a better programmer.
Will Typing Faster Make You a Better Programmer?
For starters, You’re probably wondering if typing will make you a better programmer. The short answer is yes!
Franky, you don’t need to be the fastest typist around to be a good programmer. In fact, the average typing speed for developers tends to be somewhere around 40 to 70 Words per Minute (WPM).
This is actually a good speed that will actually help you be better at shipping out code as you work on projects.
Here are some of the hacks that can help you get better at typing:
Master your Keyboard Shortcuts
Yes, this is super important for efficient typing as you write code. This is why learning basic keyboard shortcuts saves on time of reaching for the mouse to maneuver or edit codes which improves your typing speed.
You should actually start with generic basic shortcuts that will make your work easier including generic keyboard shortcuts that apply to most applications regardless of the operating system.
Here are some examples for Windows:
- Ctrl + C – Copy
- Ctrl + V – Paste
- Ctrl + X – Cut
- Ctrl + Z – Undo
- Ctrl + Y – Redo
- Ctrl + S – Save
- Alt + Tab – Switch between open apps
- Ctrl + F – Find
- Ctrl + Shift + T – Reopen the last closed tab (in browsers)
- Win + D – Show Desktop
- Ctrl + Shift + Esc – Open Task Manager
The IDEs you use also have their own set of shortcuts tailored to the programming workflow.
Here are some examples for the case of an IDE like Visual Studio Code (VSCode):
- Ctrl + P – Quick open file by name
- Ctrl + Shift + P – Command palette (access all commands)
- Ctrl + / – Toggle line comment
- Alt + Up/Down Arrow – Move the current line up or down
- Ctrl + B – Toggle sidebar
- Ctrl + Shift + M – View problems (errors, warnings)
- F8 – Go to next error
- Ctrl + ` – Open/close integrated terminal
- Shift + Alt + F – Format document
Practice Typing
Just like coding, getting better at typing as a programmer is a learning curve.
In other words, you cannot grow from a novice to a speed typist overnight, the journey involves lots of dedication, consistency and lots of practice.
You can explore typing platforms that provide a variety of typing games tailored for your needs and preferences ranging from space mission games to speed racing. The best part is that at the end of most games the accuracy and speed is provided making it easier to track your progress.
These games are particularly best fit if you’re a beginner learning aspects like touch typing.
A good example is this symbol keys typing lesson which can help you type common punctuation and special characters without having to look at the keyboard.
There is also the number keys lesson which can help you quickly type numbers as efficiently as letters.
You can blend these games with other typing practice platforms that focus more characters commonly found in code (e.g., curly braces, semicolons, parentheses), keywords, and other elements like variables and operators.
This way you can type faster and with fewer errors when writing code.
Focus More on Accuracy than Speed
Focusing on typing more accurately rather than faster is the cheat code to boosting your speed as a programmer.
Of course, you’re dealing with code which is highly sensitive to syntax errors. In such a case you need speed to reduce the time between conceptualizing and writing code but you ought to find a balance between speed and accuracy.
The key to accuracy lies in hand-eye coordination. Indeed it all cycles back to touch typing practices.
With touch typing your hand focuses on typing while your eye on noting the key that has been typed. In the long run this builds muscle memory meaning that your hands know which finger goes to which key without even having to look.
Be Persistent but Patient
It actually doesn’t matter if you’re a beginner programmer looking to learn coding typing or an advanced learner looking to boost your typing speed and accuracy, you ought to be patient with yourself and trust the process.
Just believe in yourself and set realistic goals. The targets will serve as a guide and motivating factor in your typing journey.
Here is the catch; even if you do not reach your goals do not give up and pick up from where you left and strive to do better. With as little as 30 minutes a day of everyday coding typing lessons you’ll improve your WPM speed and be more productive as a programmer!
Wrapping up
In a nutshell, learning to type better as a programmer certainly takes time, albeit, with the right approach the journey becomes worthwhile and enjoyable plus you’ll certainly be much more productive! Through the right typing tutors like typing games platforms, plus aspects like practice and persistence you can grow your typing skills as a programmer in no time.