Yes.

A good coder isn't one who doesn't make any mistakes -- everybody makes mistakes. A good coder is one who writes code in such a way that mistakes will be detected before the code ships (via compiler warnings/errors, static analysis, assertions, tests, et cetera).

The key is to set things up such that these mistakes are caught and fixed before they hurt anyone. If you want to learn a lot about how to do this, I highly recommend reading Code Complete. Yes, I'm aware that it is a tome. However it is a worthwhile tome that is worth reading and re-reading until you've incorporated it as practice.

For some people that means using TDD, for others (like me) it means semi-formally deriving code and running checks during writing.

So no, making mistakes while writing is not a measure of programmer quality.

That's what I do. You don't make the same mistake twice in the same section of code: sometimes the code is wrong, sometimes tests are wrong, never both.

This reaction, or something similar, is very telling. I'd hazard a guess that having that response is indicative that you in fact do have the right mindset to be a programmer. I'd be more worried about someone who just shrugged it off with a 'programming is hard' or had no self-doubt.

Or perhaps I'm just convincing myself, because I make spleling and syntax mistakes constantly while programming and 'stupid' is always the first word that comes to mind once they're caught.

Especially if it's a "silly" mistake.

In a development context, I'll often find that a problem that seems to just generate pure static in my mind for the first 5-10 min that I think about it will often "solve itself" in the course of the next coffee break, subway ride, or (if the company I'm working for has enough common sense about human nature to allow for it), mid-day nap.

By contrast, it's those alpha-geek types who basically seem to be -never- able to readily admit a mistake of their own (yet continually grate on others for their, like as not far lesser mistakes) that I find far more intractable to work with that those who are just a bit inexperienced, or absent-minded.

Since - as you say - you recover quickly, that's a good trait, and a good sign, and an important ability for a coder.

Testing and code review should give you the opportunity to do so, among others. Also, there's always a trade off between bullet proof and time to market.