GitHub for me as a C++ programmer

Hi all,

I just want to create an account on GitHub with my name. Is it too late for a one or two-year cpp programmer? I hope not so! :)

Searched much and figured out it's a must nowadays for many reasons:
+ I can develop a new project there gradually and learn lots of things while coding.
+ Maintaining it may be difficult but by a good ReadMe file and nice code, probably others will contribute. And more advantages.

Before, I hadn't that desire to go close to GitHub by creating an account, because I would find myself upset by knowing that someone else is using my programs' source code in other programs. 😐

Now I've changed my mind and want to use a profile on GitHub mostly for my CV.
I've got several programs written by myself:

1) A Qt calculator: about 500 lines of code
2) A Qt Spreadsheet: about 1800 lines of code
3) A QML Ping-Pong game: about 1200 lines of code.

What do you think, please?

The questions in my mind are: Should I upload only one or more than one of those projects on my GitHub account? Or, should I think of a new project to build from scratch gradually uploading the files on GitHub at the same time? :|
Or maybe something else.

Thanks for your time. I'm new in that area. I hope I can get the best guidance here by you well-experience cpp guys.
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Is it too late for a one or two-year cpp programmer?
What do you mean "too late"?

+ I can develop a new project there gradually and learn lots of things while coding.
Erm... Sure. You can also develop it on your own computer.

probably others will contribute
Sorry, but no, they won't. The vast, vast majority of projects on Github have a single contributor (excluding commercial products).

Now I've changed my mind and want to use a profile on GitHub mostly for my CV.
I've got several programs written by myself:

1) A Qt calculator: about 500 lines of code
2) A Qt Spreadsheet: about 1800 lines of code
3) A QML Ping-Pong game: about 1200 lines of code.

What do you think, please?
It's not a bad idea, but none of this is particularly interesting. Anyone can write a couple thousand lines in a weekend.

Should I upload only one or more than one of those projects on my GitHub account? Or, should I think of a new project to build from scratch gradually uploading the files on GitHub at the same time?
It doesn't matter.
So what matters!?

Is creating an account on GitHub for my CV even needed to you?
If yes, what project, please?
No, it's not too late. I don't even know what that means, either.

Yes, if you're trying to get a software engineering job, putting a link to your github or other site that can host code can help. (I was told it helped me get a job, as an anecdote.) Also it helps to explain the correct way to build your project (such as in the readme, or perhaps makefiles), and what dependencies it requires.

I had a relatively small 2D game, with a few levels, and another "MS Paint"-like program on my github that connected to a drawing tablet to get real-time data. And maybe a few another minor things from some classes, some matlab.

Uploading a new project to github and doing pushes to it gradually will show that you have experience in source control, but I wouldn't say that's the important part (the code itself is the important part).

What you have is a good start, and probably better than a lot of people, but a calculator and ping-pong won't necessarily make your potential interviewer/employer go 'wow'. I would say it would help if your code was sufficiently complex that you need to organize it into multiple files. I can't tell you what topic you should code, that's up to you... think back to what kinds of things you wanted to create when you first started programming.

tl;dr What you have is a good start, and I do suggest having a link on your CV to your github, if you're applying for a software engineering job. Having more code on your github can't hurt (unless it's atrocious code, but judging by your other posts, I certainly don't think that's the case =).
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Needed? Probably not.

If you're going to create an account on Github to show your work to potential employers, you should put there stuff that will make you look good. If you put what amounts to a few novice projects you're going to like a novice.

As for what types of projects, well, that depends. What types of employers do you want to attract? For example, if you want to get a job as a game developer you should make some games to show. If you're interested in web development you should show websites.
I think I should put various non-small projects, each including several files, to target different employers in the future. Since I'm roughly a Desktop and Mobile developer, so for now I upload the spreadsheet program which is graphical and cross-platform.

As well as, for mobile, I try to think of another app with these specs.
Thank you all.

frek wrote:
Is creating an account on GitHub for my CV even needed to you?

I'm just one guy, so don't take this as a industry-wide position, but when interviewing people, I always look at their githubs if mentioned on the resume (or if I find it when googling the candidate), but I will never look at your single-contributor spreadsheet or "Qt calculator".
What I'd actually look for is to check if:
* you're a notable contributor to an opensource product we use or at least heard about (we've hired people just for that)
* you've opened and commented on issues and raised pull requests against opensource products we use or at least heard about (because this most closely reflects actual job as a software engineer)
* you have some quirky or surprising personal projects (because this this gives me something to discuss that you're passionate about)

Programming is a team effort. Make your github show that you can be part of a team.
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No one knows the projects each company all over the world is interested in nor is he able to deal with them all.
What are those quirky surprising projects from your view, for instance? If possible, I can work on one of them and at some stage put it on GitHub to attract more contributors and altogether work on it so that I can reflect my good aspect of team work.


frek wrote:
No one knows the projects each company all over the world is interested in nor is he able to deal with them all.
On the contrary, everyone knows these projects because everyone uses the same few operating systems, web browsers, compilers, debuggers, editors, etc, and, more importantly, the same top hundred or so opensource software libraries.

I can work on one of them and at some stage put it on GitHub to attract more contributors and altogether work on it so that I can reflect my good aspect of team work.
It doesn't work that way.
You used a computer today, that means you used several pieces of software. Find them on github, go to Issues tab, find something low-priority and simple, and fix it.
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