When I look back to when I started developing, I can't help but laugh. I was immature in the software development field. I knew little about the subject. And worst of all, I didn't know what I didn't know. This morning while working out, I remembered the dumbest mistakes I've done as an indie-developer. I thought it would be nice to share them with you. Hopefully, you can learn from my mistakes.
Mistake #1. I used Dropbox as my version control
Yes, you read that right. I used Dropbox as my version control. Even sadder is that I used it for a very long time. I remember setting up a new Dropbox folder every time I would start a new project. Every time I added a new feature to the project, I would save a copy of the project and drag it to my Dropbox folder.
I have heard of the name Git, but I have never taken the time to read about it. I didn't know about Version Control tools. I knew about Xcode, Eclipse, Coda, etc. But it never occurred to me to research on peripheral tools used by developers. See, "You don't know, what you don't know."
So please, don't make the same mistake I did. Use Git as your version control, and read this book.
Mistake #2. I used only one git branch, i.e., the master branch
I don't know what was going on with me when I started learning software development. I think I was in a rush to learn as much as possible, quit my job, start a business creating apps, and become a millionaire. I was immature. Even though I wanted to learn, I never took the proper steps to learn.
With all honesty, I didn't read how Git works. I took a quick look over its description, downloaded the Github Desktop app, and started making commits to the Master Branch. You should never do this. You should always work from other branches.
This practice went on for a long time. As a matter of fact, I kept on with this practice even after I started developing my game engine. And of course, aside from clicking the Commit or the Publish buttons, I didn't know anything else about Git. This is sad but true.
I wanted to share these mistakes with you. Probably you are laughing at these dumb mistakes. If you are, I'm glad because it means that you know. If you are not, don't worry. Now you know what not to do. And remember, every master was once a disaster.
