The hottest Programming Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
Category
Top Technology Topics

unix 1 liner to get total minutes of audio

CodeFaster • 108 implied HN points • 25 Jul 23
🕹 Technology Programming Unix
  1. The Unix one-liner uses commands like find, grep, xargs, and math-sum to get total minutes of audio files.
  2. The find command lists all files and directories in the current location.
  3. The xargs -L 1 mp3-minutes command calculates the duration in minutes for each mp3 file and then sums up the total duration using math-sum.

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.
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The different Variable Scopes [Math Mondays]

Technology Made Simple • 39 implied HN points • 20 Feb 23
🕹 Technology Programming Software Engineering Object Oriented Programming
  1. Understanding variable scope is essential for writing efficient and secure code.
  2. Different types of variable scopes include local/block scope, function scope, global scope, and static variables.
  3. Properly setting the scope of variables can help in avoiding conflicts, managing code efficiently, and ensuring security.

To hack or not to hack

Sunday Letters • 179 implied HN points • 24 Jan 22
🕹 Technology Software Development Programming Software Engineering Code Quality Technical Debt
  1. In software development, it's a challenge to choose between making a general solution or focusing on a specific problem. Both approaches have their pros and cons.
  2. If you hack your code without planning, it can become messy and hard to manage. But if you overthink it and try to make it too general too soon, you might waste time and effort.
  3. To find the right balance, ask how hard it is to change things later and how long the general solution will take to pay off. It's about making smart decisions based on the problem at hand.

What Is LangChain Expression Language (LCEL)?

Cobus Greyling on LLMs, NLU, NLP, chatbots & voicebots • 19 implied HN points • 09 Jan 24
🕹 Technology AI Software Development Programming Applications
  1. LangChain Expression Language (LCEL) helps build applications using large language models. It simplifies the process of creating apps by breaking down components into a clear sequence.
  2. LCEL combines pro-code and low-code approaches, making it easier for developers to create reusable pieces of code. This can save time and help manage complexity in applications.
  3. With LCEL, you can run operations like invoking and batching in a structured way. This makes it easier to manage how different parts of an application work together.

Any Cables Monthly #17

AnyCable Broadcasts • 19 implied HN points • 02 Jan 24
🕹 Technology Programming Web Development Software Development Innovations
  1. Exciting real-time development initiatives are coming in 2024, like AnyCable+ and Laravel Reverb.
  2. Action Cable server adapterization project aims to improve Rails Action Cable for easier use with different server implementations.
  3. Potential real-time component upgrade in Laravel with 'Laravel Reverb' and mysterious project 'SolidCable' from DHH.

Learning to Touch type again

Deus In Machina • 72 implied HN points • 13 Jul 23
🕹 Technology Gaming Programming Psychology
  1. Learning to use an ergonomic keyboard like Kinesis Advantage 360 can help reduce wrist and nerve pain from excessive keyboard use.
  2. Practicing touch typing on websites like keybr.com can help improve typing speed and accuracy, even with a new keyboard layout.
  3. Adjusting to an ergonomic keyboard for activities like gaming and programming may require remapping keys, creating profiles, and adapting to a new learning curve.

Any Cables Monthly #6

AnyCable Broadcasts • 39 implied HN points • 03 Feb 23
🕹 Technology Programming Web Development Ruby
  1. Stimulus Reflex team commits to collaborating with Rails and Hotwire to enhance the ecosystem and bring better tools for developers.
  2. Turbo Boost libraries by Nate Hopkins aim to supercharge web applications development with Turbo by introducing commands, streams, and reusable behaviors.
  3. The use of gRPC technology in AnyCable, powered by technology like grpc_kit and griffin, provides a promising alternative to the traditional gRPC implementation in Ruby.

Why 97% Fail to Learn Software Engineering

Brain Bytes • 19 implied HN points • 27 Dec 23
🕹 Technology Coding Learning Career development Programming
  1. Imposter Syndrome can make you doubt your abilities as a beginner coder, but it's important to set small, achievable goals, seek feedback, and believe in yourself.
  2. Creating a structured roadmap with daily tasks and clear goals is crucial for effective self-teaching in programming. It helps in visualizing progress and staying on track.
  3. Balancing theory with implementation by working on real projects is key. Dedicate time to writing code, fixing issues, and consistent practice to become a proficient programmer.

We have always wanted to talk to the machines

Sunday Letters • 59 implied HN points • 06 Mar 23
🕹 Technology AI Communication Programming Human-Computer Interfaces
  1. People are excited about talking to machines, especially using AI chat interfaces. It feels more personal and direct than using complicated software.
  2. For a long time, we've been trying to create a common language with computers. Starting from binary code, we've developed better ways to communicate with them.
  3. Now, we can often talk to computers more naturally and get them to understand us, which is something we've always wanted to achieve. This progress makes plain text communication feel exciting once again.

What's the next development model?

Sunday Letters • 39 implied HN points • 25 Jun 23
🕹 Technology AI Development Programming Software Trends
  1. We’ve seen different development models evolve with technology, like mainframes and mobile, and now we are seeing a shift with AI. Each model has changed how we program and solve problems.
  2. AI brings new challenges in terms of monitoring and managing open-ended behavior in applications. We need to figure out new ways to ensure our AI tools act appropriately and are tested well.
  3. The future of development might see 'codeless' programming, where AI tools can manage coding tasks and teams focus more on their intentions. This could completely transform how we approach software development.

The Prompt Engineering Layer

From the New World • 134 implied HN points • 15 Feb 23
🕹 Technology AI Machine Learning Programming
  1. Prompt engineering is the process of designing specific inputs for machine learning models.
  2. Creativity in prompt engineering can lead to novel results and opportunities beyond bypassing censorship.
  3. Artificial intelligence, like OpenAI, presents both benefits and challenges, particularly in terms of legal considerations and activism.

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 Identify A Good Programmer

Morad’s Substack • 7 HN points • 24 Apr 24
🕹 Technology Programming Learning Intelligence Experience
  1. Passion is a key indicator of a good programmer - they should be enthusiastic about programming, even outside of work.
  2. Good programmers love learning and are self-teaching, constantly exploring new technologies without needing formal training.
  3. Intelligence is crucial for a good programmer - they are smart, have various interests, and usually start programming before university or formal education.

The Rubber Duck Method for Debugging [Technique Tuesdays]

Technology Made Simple • 59 implied HN points • 13 Sep 22
🕹 Technology Programming Debugging Interviews Learning Career
  1. The Rubber Duck Method is a powerful tool for debugging code, helping identify both logical and runtime errors as you explain your code to a rubber duck.
  2. Speaking out loud while explaining your thought process can help you make connections and insights, preventing your brain from skipping steps and making more errors.
  3. In interviews, treating your interviewer as a rubber duck by verbalizing your thoughts can improve your problem-solving skills and communication, impressing the interviewer.

Disassembling Crossroads, part 1

Dan’s MEGA65 Digest • 11 implied HN points • 15 Nov 24
🕹 Technology Gaming Software Emulation Programming Computing
  1. The game Crossroads is a fast-paced maze shoot'em up where players collect items and battle various enemies. It's a classic Commodore 64 game that invokes nostalgia for many fans.
  2. Reverse engineering games like Crossroads can help understand how they work, especially their graphics and sound mechanics. Using modern tools, you can inspect the game’s code and see how it produces effects.
  3. New features for gaming boards, like high score tables for MEGA65 games, enhance competitive play. These tools suggest an active community looking to improve gaming experiences on older hardware.

The Pleasure of Pattern

Software Design: Tidy First? • 45 HN points • 14 Feb 24
🎨 Art & Illustration Patterns Music Programming Psychology
  1. Finding patterns in tasks like programming, music, and poker can be intensely satisfying and enjoyable.
  2. Music is full of patterns that can be discovered and enjoyed, especially through improvisation and communication.
  3. Seeing patterns in different activities like programming, music, and poker can lead to moments of satisfaction, indicating a brain wired to crave order and appreciate pattern recognition.

How to implement a decision tree

The Palindrome • 3 implied HN points • 08 Nov 24
🕹 Technology Machine Learning Data science Programming Artificial Intelligence Software Development
  1. A decision tree splits data based on features and thresholds, which helps in making predictions by creating branches. Each split leads to two outcomes based on whether the condition is met or not.
  2. Gini impurity is a key measure for evaluating how 'pure' the labels are in each leaf of the tree. A lower Gini impurity means better predictability for a leaf's classification.
  3. You can create both classification and regression trees by changing how you score the splits and define the predictions in the leaves. This flexibility allows for various applications in data analysis.

In praise of hard optimization

Sunday Letters • 59 implied HN points • 09 Jan 23
🕹 Technology Software AI Engineering Optimization Programming
  1. New AI models are exciting, but they come with their own challenges, like performance limits and the need for optimization. It's important for developers to tackle these constraints creatively.
  2. In the past, developers had to deal with strict limits on memory and processing power. Today, while we have more resources, financial constraints can also impact performance.
  3. Now is a good time to revisit basic computer science skills and focus on optimization. Solving tough engineering problems can be hard, but it’s also very rewarding.

[Solution]Problem 50:Rotting Oranges[Microsoft]

Technology Made Simple • 59 implied HN points • 04 Aug 22
🕹 Technology Coding Graphs Problem Solving Programming
  1. The problem of rotting oranges involves graph theory and BFS algorithms, and it can be challenging due to multiple oranges rotting simultaneously.
  2. The goal is to find the minimum number of minutes required for all fresh oranges to rot. If impossible, return -1.
  3. Understanding the problem thoroughly and having a structured approach to solving it is essential in coding interviews.

[Solution]Problem 67: Designing a Card Game Class [Facebook/Meta]

Technology Made Simple • 39 implied HN points • 02 Dec 22
🕹 Technology Logic Programming
  1. Designing classes for games involves creating functions like adding cards, getting card string representations, and comparing card values.
  2. When creating a card game class, it's important to think about expandability for accommodating new requirements in the future.
  3. Developing coding skills by working through problems like designing a card game class can be beneficial for building a strong foundation for a career in programming.

How to code for 60 years

Sunday Letters • 139 implied HN points • 20 Dec 21
🕹 Technology Programming Engineering Education Career Culture
  1. Engineering and coding can have very long careers; some people code for decades and adapt to many changes in technology.
  2. Learning is a continuous process, and it's important to stay humble and curious, no matter how experienced you become.
  3. Younger coders may benefit from understanding the fundamentals and history of coding, rather than just focusing on trendy tools.

Data Models, Types, or Schemas?

The API Changelog • 4 implied HN points • 14 Feb 25
🕹 Technology APIs Data Models Software Development Programming Data Management
  1. Naming things is tough, especially when it comes to defining API data. Different people use different terms like data model, data type, or schema, which can lead to confusion.
  2. A data model helps to represent and organize information, while a data type defines the kind of data values it can hold. However, people often associate data types with simple categories like strings and numbers.
  3. The term 'schema' is commonly used to describe the structure and format of API data. Many standards, like OpenAPI and GraphQL, reference schemas to clarify how to define input and output data.