What is the difference between a programmer and a software engineer?

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I am aware that the site already has the questions What’s the difference between architecture and software engineering? and What is the difference between architecture, engineering, science, analysis, design, programming and coding. However, I would like to know if there is any difference in the function exercised in a company or in the knowledge acquired by who is a programmer and who is a software engineer.

It would be interesting if the answers to this question contemplated the following items to a greater or lesser degree:

  • You must have graduated to be considered a software engineer?

  • The software engineer still program or he is the project manager executed by the programmers?

  • It is possible to be a software engineer without being a programmer?

  • 1

    From the answer you linked: "Those who practice programming are called programmers. Who practices programming and is gourmetized is called a software engineer."

  • It was on top of the information here : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Software_engineer?wprov=sfsi1, section Overview

  • 1

    In Portugal is only considered engineer who belong to the order of engineers. I hope the answer to your last question is an unequivocal no.

  • I did my best to save the question. Was that what I wanted? That’s what I gave.

  • Was very good.

2 answers

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You must have graduated to be considered a software engineer?

In Brazil there is no regulation of the profession, which philosophically I am favorable, done the right way, so everyone can do whatever they want.

*Officially this has changed and now officially you can no longer be a Software Engineer without having the registration in CREA and meet their demands. They’ve managed to do the worst of the worlds and make the joy of people who are against regulation because it’s just to give money to a group of people who control these institutions, which turned out to be true in this case. The regulation should be something serious to help the sector get better somehow, that was done I totally am against.

There are no rules that determine the names of positions, functions or other denominations. Kind of each one calls what they want. So it’s possible to be anything.

It does not have clearly defined activities of what each position does, including because it is common for the same people to do several of these things. One thing is a real job, another is the job she holds. If she’s a manager, if she’s a program, it doesn’t matter. It is not a bureaucratic thing that must be followed. It is what makes sense for the work of that team.

That’s why I asked in mine post there about functions in general, talking about activities and not about positions. Office is just nomenclature. Unless you regulate and define precisely what each position is, what then I’m against.

In the question linked that I did, I hope you have good answers that talk about the activities of each of the functions.

It is possible to be a software engineer without being a programmer?

The job and even the job often has to do with experience, with the ability to do certain tasks, even if it doesn’t always happen in practice.

The software engineer still program or he is the project manager executed by the programmers?

I "know" first-rate scientist who never programmed, never used a computer. There are project managers who are more focused on the product and not on development. There are engineers who program everything, others only the general lines. Who is good at one thing is not necessarily good at another, whether it seems hierarchically above or below.

Hence the conflict that bosses find their employees very weak and the latter think that bosses understand nothing. This happens, but is less common than people realize. Almost always because of the Dunning-Krugger effect.

To be an engineer you need deep understanding and an engineer’s thinking. You need to understand the whole very clearly. The programmer has to worry more about the details. In general he should be very good with the lower level. What I see is that this rarely happens, the programmer is often just a less qualified person. Whereas the real engineer (not just a title on paper) usually programs and well. The real engineer is not just a project engineer.

The programmer should be more like a bricklayer or construction worker. But in practice what we see is just someone who does the same as the engineer but he is less qualified. The engineer is the former systems analyst. Someone who only reproduces cake recipes and fills gaps is a programmer. For me the programmer has the (many) numbered days. I think we’ll still use the term for the grosser activity of the software development process.

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You must have graduated to be considered a software engineer?

Well, to hold the title of Engineer, yes, it is necessary. But knowledge is free, if you study and master enough computation and mathematics, you can work in the role of software engineer in some solution.

The software engineer still program or he is the project manager executed by the programmers?

Engineer is a Technical position, while Manager is a Management position, have no relationship. In that reply of mine I quote this: the software engineer is the guy who uses mathematical knowledge to develop a program.

Imagine a software that simulates DNA sequence calculations. We’re not talking about a system of LOB - Line of Business, but of a program that performs calculations with intense processing, only solving mathematical equations. The Software Engineer is the ideal guy to take the equations that a biomedical engineer - I think - created and transforms into a program, taking into account all the knowledge of computation and mathematics in order to create this program with maximum performance and proof of errors.

The same occurs in the fields of science, artificial intelligence, games, etc.

It is possible to be a software engineer without being a programmer?

If you say you have the title - higher education - and do not work in the area? Yes it is possible. But if the professional was dedicated and prepared to perform the function with excellence, I see no reason to give up, after all there was passion involved and etc. But then becomes another conversation.

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