Do even programmers with the most expertise need help at some point in time?

To continue with my future-preparation projects at home, I thought I might as well ask someone out there this question. To me, it seems like I need to be realistic about what I'm doing.

Absolutely. No one knows it all. Too many packages and new things coming out with every version.

I would have to concur with Norm on this one. Absolutely even professionals and programmers with the most expertise occasionally need help. Sometimes a different perspective or a different thought process can lead to a solution.

Or perhaps someone who has a lot of expertise is asked to write something they have little to no experience with. If a Java programmer has been writing telecommunications software for 20 years, and all of a sudden they're asked to write java for robotics, they're probably going to need some assistance with that.

The Java specification itself is about 500 pages long. And as Norm said, there's too many packages and new things coming out (and being changed) with every version.

Ohh yes. The only way to maintain your expertise is by learning new things, otherwise you become stagnant and fall behind the times. You have to constantly push yourself outside of your comfort zone. And although experience brings a more solid foundation and skills such as researching solutions, even the best of them need help from time to time- otherwise they aren't actually the best of them.

So, in other words, I guess we use Java like English - a language that can change over time?

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Originally Posted by SOG

So, in other words, I guess we use Java like English - a language that can change over time?

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Not only that, but even if you're amazing at using English to write technical papers, you might be completely out of your depth when writing poetry. And having more experience in other languages helps deepen your understanding of your native language. Both of those ideas apply to programming languages as well as English.

Definitely. There are new things happening everyday in the world of technology. So no one knows everything. It's better to master what you know best, updations are inevitable in the world of technology.