What makes YOU a good programmer?

Question

Just curious as to what sort of strengths my fellow programmers in particular what one thing do you think gives you an advantage over most people?
I like to think I have a good memory, I can just look at a class diagram of a program I wrote two years ago(my programming history :) and I can remeber all of the logic behind it and a large portion of the implementation.
There are so many situations where a good memory comes in handy... certainly when your trying to find out why a certain part of a program is not working and you know from memory some method signatures of a distant superclasses because you skimmed through its API one day.

Answer 1

Over the years, I've worked with all sorts of software developers ranging from Mensa geniuses to tech school drop-outs. Though my I.Q. isn't genius level, it is well above average. Everywhere I've worked I've always moved to the top very quickly, despite the talented and intelligent people that I pass up along the way. I always seemed be fixing bugs that these supposedly highly sought after developers were creating, while my code was consistently breezing through the test department. I actually claim to be the creator of the title "Software Janitor" (which has a good story surrounding its creation). One time, a developer I was mentoring asked me, "How did you get so good?" The answer was obvious to me, but is completely overlooked by most others. It's my ATTITUDE toward software development that sets me apart. So, for only the second time in history being made available to the general public, without further ado, here is "Fred's Software Development Attitude".
In no particular order
Software development is a science, not an art. There is still a great deal of creativity involved in software development, but development methodologies should be understood and utilized. Development standards should be adhered to as closely as possible.
Comment your code. Accept from the start of a development task that somebody else will eventually examine the code that you are writing and will need to understand what is going on. Make your code neat and readable, and use comments in first person form. Remember, through your comments you are communicating directly with the reader, and that the reader may not be as experienced as you are.
Watch your code execute. When ever possible, you should white-box test your code to make sure that all of the conditions that you wrote execute as you planned. Sometimes white-box testing cannot be performed adequately in the environment in which you are working. In that case, get creative and invent a way to test the code.
Aesthetics are on equal footing with function. This does not mean that you should load up your user interface with cool graphics. A user interface should appear neat and organized. User interface features must be consistent throughout the application, and you should adhere to platform specific user interface standards.
When given a new development task, assume that it can be done. Then ask yourself, "How can I do this?" Do not waste time wondering if the task is possible. Always assume from the start that it can be done, and that you will find a way to do it. Eliminate the impossible through reasoning.
Know your development tool. If you are wasting time hunting for features in your development tool, you are wasting valuable creative time. Take the time that you need to learn your development tool. It is an investment in yourself and your company.