The hottest Coding Practices Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
Category
Top Technology Topics

Are AI Coding Assistants Really Saving Developers Time? Study Suggests These Tools Don’t Increase Coding Speed.

Shenisha’s Substack • 19 implied HN points • 04 Oct 24
🕹 Technology AI Tools Software Development Coding Practices Productivity Metrics Quality Assurance
  1. AI coding tools, like GitHub Copilot, may actually slow down developers by increasing the number of bugs in their code. This raises questions about whether these tools truly help improve code quality.
  2. While some surveys show that many developers use AI tools and feel productive, a study found that these tools didn't significantly improve coding speed or help reduce burnout among developers.
  3. The rise of AI tools may require developers to spend more time reviewing the code these tools produce, which can cancel out any time they might save overall.

Clean Code — Writing Readable and Maintainable Code

Weekly PHP • 19 implied HN points • 22 Oct 24
🕹 Technology Software Development Web Development Coding Practices Frameworks
  1. Clean code is all about making your code easier to read and understand. This helps other developers (and your future self) when they look at your work later.
  2. Small changes in how you write code can make a big difference. Focusing on readability can lead to fewer bugs and easier maintenance over time.
  3. Using coding principles from the book 'Clean Code' can help improve your coding habits. Following these guidelines makes your projects more manageable and enjoyable.

💥 Tech Talks Weekly #31

Tech Talks Weekly • 19 implied HN points • 03 Oct 24
🕹 Technology Tech Talks Conferences Software Development Coding Practices Data science
  1. Tech Talks Weekly curates talks from various tech conferences so you can catch up on what you missed. It's a great way to stay updated on industry trends without the hassle of searching multiple platforms.
  2. The newsletter has grown significantly, indicating that many people find the content valuable. Engaging with the audience helps in tailoring future content to better meet their needs.
  3. The latest issue features a lot of new talks, making it a larger edition than usual. This includes recommendations to explore specific talks that have gained a lot of views from various conferences.

What makes a GREAT GitHub Repo README?

The Open Source Expert • 79 implied HN points • 12 Jul 24
🕹 Technology Open Source Software Development Version Control Web Development Coding Practices
  1. A good GitHub README should be informative and engaging. Include key elements like a description, features, and visuals to attract users.
  2. Avoid adding things like a table of contents or large documentation directly in the README. This can overwhelm visitors and is often redundant.
  3. It's essential to get feedback on your README from others, especially new users. Their fresh perspective can help you improve it significantly.
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How to code for the future

CodeFaster • 36 implied HN points • 19 Nov 24
🕹 Technology Software Development Coding Practices Technical Debt System Design
  1. When coding for the future, it's important not to create more work for yourself later. Focus on avoiding technical debt instead of trying to predict every future need.
  2. Don't go overboard with coding. Keep your code simple and flexible, ensuring it can adapt to changes without adding extra complexity.
  3. Instead of trying to build reusable programs from the start, solve the immediate problem first. You can refactor and create reusable parts later if needed.

Good Luck/Bad Luck. Good Design/Bad Design

Sunday Letters • 99 implied HN points • 28 Apr 24
🕹 Technology Software Design Engineering User Experience Coding Practices Project management
  1. Software can be easy to create but hard to maintain. It's important for engineers to think about how their choices today will affect the future.
  2. Using simple designs and clear roles in a project can help avoid complicated problems later. Teams should focus on making changes quickly and smartly.
  3. Sometimes, the best solution is to remove unnecessary parts instead of adding more. If something isn't needed right now, it's better to not include it.

Weekly Notes

Rethinking Software • 99 implied HN points • 21 Oct 24
🕹 Technology Software Development Agile Methodology Coding Practices Team Dynamics
  1. Managing programmers can be unpredictable. It's important to accept that things may not always go as planned.
  2. Euphemisms in corporate language can hide unpleasant truths. Words like 'alignment' often mean forcing compliance rather than true cooperation.
  3. Scrum practices may not be effective for all teams. Some core principles can actually create stress and hinder productivity instead of helping it.

🥳 The Perils of Over-Abstraction, ts_sms Compression Tool, Kqueue vs. Epoll & More

ppdispatch • 5 implied HN points • 31 Dec 24
🕹 Technology Software Development Programming System Design Coding Practices Open Source
  1. Over-abstraction in code can make things complicated and hard to manage, so it's important to keep it simple. If you complicate your system, it might end up slowing down and confusing your team.
  2. Fish-shell switched from C++ to Rust to improve safety and performance, showing how changing your tools can lead to better results. Their move has also engaged the community and made contributions easier.
  3. Understanding the differences between PHP's getenv() and $_ENV can prevent unexpected issues when accessing environment variables. It's essential to know how your PHP configuration handles these variables to avoid problems.

Premature Optimization and Rapid Prototyping

Load-bearing Tomato • 8 implied HN points • 23 Apr 24
🕹 Technology Game Development Software Engineering Prototyping Coding Practices System Design
  1. Games need to start with quick experiments to see what works, this is called rapid prototyping. Flexibility is important so designers can try new ideas without being held back.
  2. Code doesn’t have to be perfect; it just needs to be good enough for what the game requires. Sometimes a simpler solution works best and saves time.
  3. It's crucial to know when to optimize code. If the game is running well and meeting its needs, there might not be a need to improve it right away.

Technical Cantilevers

Rabbit Thoughts • 2 HN points • 10 Jan 24
🕹 Technology Software Engineering Coding Practices
  1. The term "technical cantilever" is proposed as a better alternative to "technical debt" in the context of software engineering.
  2. Software development can be categorized into three main aspects: foundation, internal libraries, and applications, each with varying levels of formal engineering and testing.
  3. A technical cantilever can function and extend smoothly until a point where it requires immense effort to further extend, unlike technical debt which accumulates gradually and can be paid down slowly.

😎 21 Years of Notepad++; Modules Vs. Microservices

ppdispatch • 0 implied HN points • 05 Nov 24
🕹 Technology Software Development Coding Practices Open Source Performance optimization Software Architecture
  1. Notepad++ has been a reliable text editor for 21 years, helping developers and writers with its user-friendly features and community-driven support.
  2. Linus Torvalds has made a small update to the Linux kernel that improves its performance by 2.6%, showing that even tiny changes can have a big impact.
  3. Microservices might not be as new as they seem; their benefits have roots in older technologies, and while they support independent development, they also introduce challenges in communication.

Naming best practices in PHP

Weekly PHP • 0 implied HN points • 29 Oct 24
🕹 Technology Programming Web Development Software Design Coding Practices
  1. Naming practices in PHP are important for clear and maintainable code. Using meaningful names helps others understand your code better.
  2. PHP 8.4 will introduce Property Hooks, which let you customize behavior for specific properties. This feature can enhance how your code functions without breaking existing parts.
  3. Understanding core PHP concepts is crucial for being proficient. Key topics include syntax, error handling, and data types, which all help in writing better PHP code.