The hottest Coding Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
Category
Top Technology Topics

Is Devin the future of Coding?

Machine Economy Press • 3 implied HN points • 15 Mar 24
🕹 Technology Artificial Intelligence Coding Startups Machine Learning Software Engineering
  1. Devin, a tool by Cognition AI, is being hailed as a breakthrough in computer reasoning, utilizing generative AI like GPT-4.
  2. Despite claims that Devin can make thousands of decisions, recall context, learn, and correct code mistakes, skepticism exists among software engineers.
  3. The tech sector is witnessing an increase in AI startups and coding assistants/agents like Devin, showcasing the growing interest in machine learning, particularly among Asian developers.

[Solution]Problem 83: Packing Robots [Brilliant]

Technology Made Simple • 59 implied HN points • 14 Apr 23
🕹 Technology Coding Problem Solving Artificial Intelligence
  1. To solve complex problems efficiently, focus on variable reduction, ordering, and systematic problem solving.
  2. Practice quick problem-solving to excel in interviews, especially as the trend steers away from traditional Leetcode questions.
  3. Mastering the right methods for solving simpler questions can greatly help in tackling more challenging problems in the future.

[Solution]Problem 85: Count Complete Tree Nodes [Amazon]

Technology Made Simple • 59 implied HN points • 05 May 23
🕹 Technology Coding Data Structures Algorithm Software Engineering
  1. The post discusses a problem related to counting the number of nodes in a complete binary tree, emphasizing the importance of understanding recursion, trees, and data structures.
  2. It mentions starting with a brute force solution to count nodes but highlights the need for optimization to achieve time complexity better than O(n).
  3. The approach for solving the problem involves using a recursive template to count nodes efficiently by considering the root and the number of nodes in the left and right subtrees.
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What if it’s too easy?

The Hive • 39 implied HN points • 24 Jul 23
🕹 Technology Innovation Coding AI Competition
  1. Sometimes things may seem hard or impossible, but seeing others do it can change your perspective.
  2. Try short spikes of work to test if something is actually as difficult as it seems.
  3. Competition in your space can be beneficial, as you can learn from others' mistakes and plans.

Software engineering practices you should probably be following in 2024

The Tech Enabler • 3 HN points • 27 Feb 24
🕹 Technology Coding Culture Security Infrastructure Testing
  1. Prefer statically typed languages over dynamically typed ones as they offer better reliability and help catch errors earlier.
  2. Utilize automatic code formatting tools for consistent code style and to save time on debating formatting during code reviews.
  3. Consider using queues as data sources in event-driven systems for better scalability and leverage infrastructure-as-code tools like Terraform for repeatable and manageable infrastructure.

4 essential reads for devs this week

HackerPulse Dispatch • 2 implied HN points • 12 Mar 24
🕹 Technology Programming Software Development Collaboration Distributed Systems Coding
  1. Visualize code complexity with 'dep-tree': Tool to map file dependencies and improve project structure
  2. C++ programming safety balance: Efficiency vs. security, the challenge of writing safe code in C++
  3. RFC significance: Structured approach for proposing features, enhancing software quality and developer collaboration

Go fix your bugs

Basta’s Notes • 40 implied HN points • 04 May 23
🕹 Technology Coding Security Performance Validation
  1. Always validate the types of values your API accepts to prevent potential security vulnerabilities.
  2. Be cautious with regular expressions to avoid performance issues like ReDoS (Regular Expression Denial of Service).
  3. Check and handle subdomains and domain name validation to prevent unexpected bugs or failures in your application.

Prompt to product

Step-by-step Product • 39 implied HN points • 31 Mar 23
🕹 Technology AI Product Development Coding Tools Artificial General Intelligence
  1. The future of product development may involve AI tools like 'Prompt to Product' for rapid prototyping and testing.
  2. Product people may need coding skills now, but advancements in technology are making product creation more accessible for non-coders.
  3. To stay ahead in the AI wave, product people should refresh coding skills, understand LLMs, and improve prompt design skills.

No Dev? No Problem: How I Built and Launched an App with ChatGPT-4

Step-by-step Product • 39 implied HN points • 13 May 23
🕹 Technology Development AI Coding Tech stack
  1. LLMs allow people with little or no coding skills to become developers, expanding possibilities for creating products faster.
  2. Planning and preparation are key before building an app with ChatGPT, considering the tech stack, structure of prompts, and debugging strategies.
  3. Creating an app with ChatGPT can be fast and insightful, but requires caution with APIs, defining the tech stack, and utilizing the tool's assistance for aspects like backend development and SEO.

Problem 58:Kth Largest Element in a Stream [Amazon]

Technology Made Simple • 79 implied HN points • 29 Sep 22
🕹 Technology Coding Recursion Binary Trees
  1. Problem involves finding the kth largest element in a stream, not the kth distinct element.
  2. The 'KthLargest' class has methods to initialize the object with 'k' and a stream of integers, and to add integers to the stream and return the kth largest element.
  3. Constraints include bounds on 'k', the length of the array, and the values in the array, with at most 10^4 calls to the 'add' method.

Problem 80: Unique Paths[Google]

Technology Made Simple • 39 implied HN points • 23 Mar 23
🕹 Technology Coding Dynamic Programming Recursion
  1. The problem discussed in the post is about finding unique paths in a grid using dynamic programming and recursion.
  2. The example solutions provided in the post illustrate how a robot can navigate from the top-left corner to the bottom-right corner in different grid sizes.
  3. The author also shares personal information about being a university student seeking work post-graduation and invites readers to check out their resume and LinkedIn profile.

How to check if a number is a power of 2 using logical operations[Technique Tuesdays]

Technology Made Simple • 59 implied HN points • 14 Dec 22
🕹 Technology Coding
  1. You can check if a number is a power of 2 by doing a simple comparison using bitwise operations.
  2. Using logical operations and bit shifting to check powers of 2 is computationally efficient and essential for coding interviews.
  3. Mastering AND, OR, and NOT operations can significantly improve your programming skills and make you a more effective software engineer.

How to learn a new codebase very quickly [Technique Tuesdays]

Technology Made Simple • 79 implied HN points • 07 Sep 22
🕹 Technology Coding Learning Documentation Math Programming
  1. Understanding the context is crucial when learning a new codebase, not just the technical details
  2. Start by understanding the purpose and problem the codebase solves before diving into technical details of components
  3. When stuck on a component, focus on understanding input/output and move forward for efficient learning

Find the Middle of a Singly LinkedList[Technique Tuesdays]

Technology Made Simple • 39 implied HN points • 08 Mar 23
🕹 Technology Coding Software Engineering Algorithm Career Leetcode
  1. To find the middle of a singly linked list, use 2 pointers - one fast and one slow. This approach simplifies the process and is efficient.
  2. The reasoning behind finding the middle involves understanding the ordered structure of values in a linked list. It exploits this organized structure to bisect the list and locate the middle.
  3. Learning to think in abstract groups instead of specific data types can enhance problem-solving skills. This technique can be extended to more complex structures beyond linked lists.

Clean Code: The Art of Clean Naming

Brain Bytes • 2 HN points • 06 Mar 24
🕹 Technology Coding
  1. The importance of clean and clear naming in coding cannot be overstated. Good naming makes code understandable for anyone reading it.
  2. Contextual information in variable names is crucial for code clarity and to avoid potential bugs or misuse of variables in larger codebases.
  3. Avoiding magic numbers, abbreviations, and acronyms in code improves readability and maintainability for all developers working on the codebase.

[Solution]Problem 65:Find the Fixed Point in a sorted array[Apple]

Technology Made Simple • 59 implied HN points • 18 Nov 22
🕹 Technology Coding Algorithms Software Development Tech Solutions
  1. A fixed point in a sorted array is an element whose value matches its index. Binary search can be used to efficiently find a fixed point if the array is sorted.
  2. When optimizing algorithms, focus on improving the major components like loop traversal to enhance the overall performance.
  3. In sorted arrays, utilizing comparators and the inherent comparison order can simplify the coding process and boost efficiency.

Problem 65:Find the Fixed Point in a sorted array[Apple]

Technology Made Simple • 59 implied HN points • 17 Nov 22
🕹 Technology Coding Tech news Programming
  1. A fixed point in an array is an element whose value is equal to its index in a sorted array of distinct elements.
  2. To solve the problem of finding a fixed point in a sorted array, return the fixed point if it exists, otherwise return False.
  3. Understanding your audience's needs and feedback is crucial for improving content quality and user experience.

[Solution]Problem 52:Search 2D Matrix[Microsoft]

Technology Made Simple • 79 implied HN points • 18 Aug 22
🕹 Technology Coding Algorithms Software Development
  1. Understanding the problem clearly is crucial in finding efficient solutions. This particular problem doesn't require special knowledge, just logic and basic algebra.
  2. Recognizing patterns and properties of the data can significantly enhance the algorithm. In this case, the unique rules about the sorted matrix rows were key to optimizing the search process.
  3. Optimizing code by leveraging insights about the data structures can simplify solutions and reduce unnecessary complexity. It's important to make the most of the given information to write efficient algorithms.

[Solution]Problem 75: Reorder List [Meta/Facebook]

Technology Made Simple • 39 implied HN points • 17 Feb 23
🕹 Technology Coding Problem Solving
  1. The post discusses a solution for rearranging a linked list in a specific pattern, providing examples and constraints.
  2. It encourages problem-solving skills by reinforcing fundamental concepts through problem-solving and preparing for technical interviews.
  3. Consider subscribing to access more articles and support the creator's work, appealing to a broader audience.

Problem 75: Reorder List [Meta/Facebook]

Technology Made Simple • 39 implied HN points • 16 Feb 23
🕹 Technology Coding Problem Solving Tech industry
  1. The newsletter discusses a coding problem about reordering a linked list, which requires understanding of linked lists, pointer manipulation, and problem-solving skills.
  2. There is emphasis on focusing on important problems rather than mindlessly solving a large number of problems, suggesting that quality over quantity is key in interview preparation.
  3. The post also offers a premium subscription service to enhance tech skills, providing expert insights, tips, and resources, with a discount for new subscribers.

The Recursive Function Template[Technique Tuesdays]

Technology Made Simple • 59 implied HN points • 12 Oct 22
🕹 Technology Coding Recursion Interviews Tutoring Software
  1. The recursive function template provides a step-by-step guide to solving recursive problems, helping you avoid overwhelm and work through coding challenges smoothly.
  2. The template includes key components like checking termination cases, processing outcomes, handling recursive cases, and resetting side effects, making problem-solving structured and manageable.
  3. Isolating recursion into helper functions improves code organization, and future Technique Tuesdays may cover the power of helper functions in depth.

Best YouTube Channels to learn about Graph Theory for Software Engineering for free[Math Mondays]

Technology Made Simple • 59 implied HN points • 10 Oct 22
🚌 Education Math Coding Computer Science Theory Algorithms
  1. Focus on using a mix of channels to become an expert in Graph Theory for Software Engineering. Channels vary in their emphasis on math, coding, and computer science.
  2. Utilize the recommended channels like Wrath of Math, David Amos, Trev Tutor, and FreeCodeCamp to sharpen your understanding of Graph Theory.
  3. Engage with the content from different channels to build strong theoretical foundations and improve your performance in coding interviews.

[Solution]Problem 72: Permutation in String [Amazon]

Technology Made Simple • 39 implied HN points • 27 Jan 23
🕹 Technology Algorithms Binary Trees Graphs Coding Data Structures
  1. The problem discussed is about validating a binary search tree, ensuring the left subtree contains smaller values, the right subtree contains greater values, and both are valid binary search trees.
  2. Examples are provided to illustrate the concept, showing a valid and an invalid binary search tree.
  3. Constraints include the number of nodes and the value ranges in the tree.

Problem 72: Permutation in String [Amazon]

Technology Made Simple • 39 implied HN points • 25 Jan 23
🕹 Technology Coding Binary Trees Algorithms Online Learning
  1. The problem discusses validating a binary search tree by checking if the left subtree contains keys less than the node's key and the right subtree contains keys greater than the node's key.
  2. It's important to ensure that both the left and right subtrees of a node are also binary search trees, following specific rules for structure and key values.
  3. Validating a binary search tree involves evaluating constraints like the number of nodes in the tree and the range of node values it can contain.

Using Sentinel Nodes to improve your Doubly Linked Lists[Technique Tuesdays]

Technology Made Simple • 59 implied HN points • 28 Sep 22
🕹 Technology Programming Data Structures Performance Memory management Coding
  1. Using sentinel nodes in Doubly Linked Lists can improve performance and make code easier to read and implement
  2. Implementing sentinel nodes removes special cases in DLL implementations, simplifies code, and makes it more provably correct
  3. Although using sentinel nodes may require some extra memory, the simplification it brings to the code is often worth the tradeoff

How to treat the people that built the system you work on

Bad Software Advice • 2 HN points • 26 Feb 24
🕹 Technology Development Software Coding Systems Tech industry
  1. When working on a system, it's common to face issues like downtime, scalability challenges, and the need for updates and cost optimization.
  2. It's important to address the existing problems systematically rather than blaming past developers and implying superiority.
  3. In a work environment, balancing necessary improvements with existing constraints can be tricky. Working towards gradual improvements and maintaining the system's functionality is crucial.

How to be an amazing Junior Developer/Intern [StoryTime Saturdays]

Technology Made Simple • 39 implied HN points • 15 Jan 23
🕹 Technology Career development Coding Tech industry Professional Growth
  1. Standing out in your early career stages can speed up your personal and professional growth significantly.
  2. Making a strong impression at work can lead to better opportunities, save you time, and provide protection against layoffs.
  3. Actions that help junior devs/interns stand out include turning an internship into a return offer and moving quickly up the career ladder.