This reading presents an insightful perspective on software craftsmanship, emphasizing apprenticeship, perpetual learning, and skill mastery. The concept of learning through mentorship and practical experience, as illustrated in Dave’s story, was particularly interesting. It highlights the importance of hands-on work, exposure to real-world challenges, and the necessity of a growth mindset in becoming a great developer. The reading has influenced my perspective on professional growth. It reinforces the idea that mastering something comes from deliberate practice, seeking out mentors, and embracing failure as a learning opportunity. I believe this is what makes a good developer. One point I disagree is the romanticization of craftsmanship. While the focus on individual skill development is inspiring, modern software development requires collaboration with teams. Balancing skilled craftsmanship with effective teamwork is important. In chapter 2, I find the story of the Zen master and the young philosopher was provoking. It talks about the importance of maintaining a beginner’s mindset, or “emptying your cup,” to fully absorb new knowledge. I think this is important in apprenticeship. The idea that experience can sometimes be a barrier to learning is interesting and that applies to many fields, including software development.

Dave’s realization that true mastery comes not from credentials but from continuous learning and engagement with a community of experts is highly relevant. The story also highlights the importance of humility in learning. Even the most skilled developers acknowledge that they are still learning, which serves as both an inspiration and a challenge to those just starting out. The idea that learning is a lifelong journey rather than a destination is a valuable takeaway. I resonate a lot with this point because I often feel like this is a lifelong journey of continuously learning and adapting to new technologies. In terms of how I work, the idea that certifications and formal training are only steppingstones, not the final proof of competence is true. I’ve learnt that while training can provide foundational knowledge, real expertise comes from practice, engagement with peers, and continuous learning. One thing that I found interesting was the analogy of “the big fish in a small pond”. It is a powerful way to describe the risk of complacency for those who learn quickly. It’s a reminder that achieving success in a limited environment may feel rewarding, but true growth comes from recognizing the wideness of the field and challenging yourself to bigger things. I’ve learnt that it’s important to stay challenged and continuously learn. It’s easy to become comfortable in an environment where your highly competent, but it’s important to seek out mentors that can further challenge you to be even better than you already are.

From the blog CS@Worcester – Site Title by lynnnsubuga and used with permission of the author. All other rights reserved by the author.

In this blog, I’ll talk about the process of implementing REST APIs, their significance, and the key considerations for building good APIs. REST API implementation involves creating a structured interface for applications to interact with. Using HTTP methods like GET, POST, PUT, DELETE, and PATCH, REST APIs facilitate operations on resources. These resources are typically represented as URLs for example /users, /products, and the interactions follow stateless communication principles where each request is independent and self-contained. A simple example of a REST API might include GET /users: Retrieve a list of users. POST /users: Create a new user. PUT /users/{id}: Update details of a user with a specific ID. DELETE /users/{id}: Remove a user. It’s important to know why REST API implementation is important.Communication. REST APIs provide a consistent framework for systems to interact, regardless of their underlying technologies. This universality enables integration across diverse applications and platforms. Scalability and Performance.REST APIs are designed to scale easily, as their statelessness allows servers to handle multiple requests without maintaining client-specific sessions. This makes REST ideal for cloud-based applications. Business Value
Exposing services through REST APIs enables businesses to monetize their platforms by integrating with third-party applications or creating ecosystems like app marketplaces.

Some key steps in implementing REST APIs include Defining Resources and Endpoints. Identify the data and operations required by the API. For example, a library system might need endpoints like /books, /authors, and /borrowers. Choose the Right Tools
Use frameworks like Express.js (Node.js), Django (Python), or Spring Boot (Java) to streamline development. Ensure Proper Security.Implement authentication and authorization mechanisms like OAuth, API keys, or JWT to protect sensitive data. Document the API. Tools like Swagger can help generate comprehensive, developer-friendly documentation. Test and optimize.
Use automated testing tools to verify functionality, and monitor performance to identify bottlenecks. Some of the best practices for building REST APIs include Designing clean and meaningful resource URLs. Properly utilizing HTTP methods for specific actions. Using status codes to convey response status and errors. Implementing authentication and authorization mechanisms. I chose this topic because it talks about different aspects of implementing REST APIs. In conclusion, by understanding the key principles and specifications of REST APIs, developers can design APIs that facilitate seamless communication between clients and servers.

References.https://medium.com/@zappy_cordovan_shark_864/exploring-restful-apis-building-implementing-and-best-practices-4003a19df798

From the blog CS@Worcester – Site Title by lynnnsubuga and used with permission of the author. All other rights reserved by the author.

In the world of modern software development, rest API’s enable seamless communication between systems, services and applications. Specifying REST API calls is equally important for ensuring clarity, functionality, and integration efficiency. Rest APIs provide a way for two applications to communicate, which enables your software to interact efficiently with various other services, thereby enhancing its capabilities and user experience. Rest APIs work by fielding requests for a resource and returning all relevant information about the resource, that is translated into a format that clients can easily interpret. Clients can also modify items on the server and even add new items to the server through a REST API. The six rules of REST APIs include client-server separation. The client sends a request to the server, then the server sends a response back to the client. Servers cannot make requests and clients cannot respond, and all interactions are initiated by the client. The second rule is uniform interface where all requests and all responses must follow a common protocol, or a way of formatting their messages. The third rule is stateless which means that every interaction is independent, and each request provides all the information required to complete the interaction. One important thing we need to understand is why use REST APIs. Rest APIs are flexible where they can handle many types of requests and send data in many different formats. Rest APIs are scalable. They are designed for communication between any two pieces of software, regardless of size.

Benefits of REST APIs help systems and applications communicate with each other. They are simple to use and implement. You can scale REST APIs easily and this is because they are stateless, meaning each request from a client has all the information your server will need to fulfil it. There are a few different types of APIs. One is private APIs.These are internal to an enterprise and only used for connecting systems and data within the business.Public APIs 

These are open to the public and may be used by anyone. There may or not be some authorization and cost associated with these types of APIs. Partner APIs.These are only accessible by authorized external developers to aid business-to-business partnerships. Composite APIs. These combine two or more different APIs to address complex system requirements or behaviors. Some of the steps to create an API are plan the API, build the API, test the API, document the API, and then market the API. I chose these resources because they explain REST APIs in more detail and how they are used in the real world.

References.

https://aws.amazon.com/what-is/api/

https://blog.hubspot.com/website/what-is-rest-api

From the blog CS@Worcester – Site Title by lynnnsubuga and used with permission of the author. All other rights reserved by the author.

Front end development, often described as the face of a web application, plays a crucial role in shaping how users perceive and interact with digital platforms. Front end development basically creates the user interface (how the website looks like) of a website. Users directly see and interact with buttons, menus, text, and images, making it crucial for delivering a positive user experience and influencing how people perceive a digital product. This is important because it directly impacts user engagement, and overall website functionality by ensuring it is visually appealing. Some of the key points about front-end development are focusing on user interface. Developers primarily focus on creating the visual layout and design of the website, including how users interact with them. Another key point is core technologies. The primary languages used in front-end development are HTML (for structuring content), CSS (for styling elements), and JavaScript (for adding interactivity). I think it’s also important to know some key differences between software development in the front end and back end. Backend development is the process of building the components for running the application behind the scenes. Some examples are components for data storage, infrastructure, and code written in one or more programming languages. Users can’t access the back end. Front-end development is the process of building components that interact with users. Examples are the user interface, buttons, user-entered data, websites, and user experience (UX) features. The front end aims at meeting user requirements and delivering a positive user experience.

Pros of front-end development include improved user experience where websites are well crafted, functional, and visually appealing on any device and this attracts more users. Low maintenance cost where you can have websites that work seamlessly across all devices. Faster web pages that optimize your website’s performance, ensuring fast experience across all devices. Some cons of Front-End Developmentare Steep Learning Curve. With numerous tools, frameworks, and libraries available, staying updated can be overwhelming. Browser Compatibility Issues. Ensuring a site works seamlessly across multiple browsers and devices can be tedious. Rapidly Changing Technology. The fast pace of technological advancements requires constant learning, which can be challenging for developers. I chose this article because it goes further into detail about what we talked about in class. It talks about front end development in depth. In conclusion, front end development is an essential aspect of modern web and application development. It’s rewards in terms of user engagement, satisfaction, make it an exciting field.

References.https://cloudinary.com/guides/front-end-development/front-end-development-the-complete-guide

From the blog CS@Worcester – Site Title by lynnnsubuga and used with permission of the author. All other rights reserved by the author.

APIs are integral to building scalable and flexible applications. They allow communication between clients and servers using HTTP methods such as GET, POST, PATCH, and DELETE. Adding new endpoints to your REST API can improve functionality, meet user requirements and support new features. To understand new endpoints, take an example if you need a GET/ inventory endpoint to retrieve the current stock levels and a PATCH/ inventory endpoint to update the stock based on things like adding or removing items. Some steps to implement a new endpoint include plan the endpoint. This starts by defining the endpoint’s purpose, required input, and expected output. For example, Endpoint: GET /inventory, Purpose: Retrieve total inventory in pounds, Response: JSON object with the current inventory count. Another step is to test the endpoint where you write test cases to verify the endpoint works as expected. Documenting the endpoint is important because this is where you use tools like swagger to document your API and you include details like input, response codes. Another important topic about rest API calls is error handling. It is essential for any API to provide meaningful feedback to users and developers while maintaining a secure system. Best practice is to use HTTP status codes effectively. For example, 400 Bad requests for issues like missing parameters or invalid input, 404 not found for requests to nonexistent resources, 500 internal server error for unexpected server issues.

When building REST APIs, adhering to strong design principles is important to creating scalable, maintainable, and user-friendly interfaces. There are three principles that include resource-oriented design, HTTP method semantics and consistency. For resource-oriented design REST APIs treat resources as primary entities representing objects in the application domain. For example /users to represent user data, /orders to represent order records, /products to represent items available for purchase. Another principle is HTTP method semantics. Each HTTP method has a specific purpose and using them correctly is critical. For example, GET fetches data and retrieves a list of users. GET/users/{id} gets the details of a specific user. POST creates a new resource for example POST/users creates a new user. PUT updates an entire resource for example PUT/users/{id} replaces all data for the user with the specified ID. DELETE removes data for example DELETE/users/{id} deletes the specified user. All this is to say that using HTTP methods correctly simplifies the developer experience by creating a predictable pattern. I chose this resource because it talks about API as an entirety, it lists the pros and cons, principles of rest APIs, shows examples of how they work.

References.

https://www.smashingmagazine.com/2018/01/understanding-using-rest-api/

https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/HTTP/Methods

From the blog CS@Worcester – Site Title by lynnnsubuga and used with permission of the author. All other rights reserved by the author.

System testing is a form of black box testing that assesses the complete functionality and performance of a fully integrated software system. This type of testing is the last stage before the software is released to the end users. The black box testing technique focuses on the system’s overall functionality. By this testing, you can identify any defects or errors in the system and fix them before the software is released. This testing can help improve the software’s quality by identifying and fixing defects and errors. This can help to prevent problems and improve the user experience. You can save time and money by identifying and fixing defects and errors early in development. This is because fixing defects early on is less expensive than fixing them after the software has been released. The purpose of system testing is to ensure that the system meets all requirements and behaves as expected by the end users. Some specific tasks typically performed during this testing include verifying that the system meets all functional requirements, testing the system’s performance under different load conditions, testing the system’s scalability to handle increasing numbers of users, and testing the system’s security against unauthorized access.

It’s also important to know some basic requirements of system testing. Some include functional requirements where the system must meet all its functional requirements, performing all of the tasks that it is intended to perform. The system must be tested in a realistic environment. It must be tested in an environment like the environment in which it will be used which ensures the system works correctly in the real world. The system must be tested thoroughly. The system must be tested properly to ensure that all potential problems are found and fixed. A variety of users must test the system to confirm that it is usable by everyone who need it. Below are some steps to do system testing manually. Analyze the requirements, create a test plan, write test cases, execute the test cases, log the defects, retest the defects and finally generate the test report. Some examples of system testing techniques include functional testing. Under this testing, we have black box testing which focuses on the inputs and outputs without knowing the internal code. White box testing which helps in validating the flow of data and control within the system. I chose this resource because it goes in depth about system testing, why it is used and important, and different types of testing methods.

References.

https://testsigma.com/guides/system-testing/

From the blog CS@Worcester – Site Title by lynnnsubuga and used with permission of the author. All other rights reserved by the author.

Security testing is a combination of the testing techniques used to test the application for security problems. It is mainly used to test the security of the data and functionalities of the application. These vulnerabilities are primarily found in web applications, cloud infrastructure, and blockchain applications. Security testing is a process that evaluates the security of a system and determines its potential vulnerabilities and threats to its security. Security testing is an essential phase in the SDLC and is used to find the security issues in the system to prevent attacks in the real world. This type of testing is not just about the testing the application by breaking into it, but security testing is also about identifying weaknesses in applications that attackers may exploit. Security testing can be done manually or with the help of software tools known as automated security testing tools. Security testing is based on the assessment of potential security threats in the system. It is a process in which the system’s security is tested by performing both positive and negative tests to find the potential security threats in the system.

The main goal of security testing is to identify the threats in the system and measure its potential vulnerabilities so that the threats can be encountered, and the system does not stop functioning or cannot be exploited. There are 5 types of security testing. Vulnerability scanning which identifies vulnerabilities present in software systems or network. Penetration testing which is a testing method in which testers find security weaknesses, usually to determine the risk of damage from possible attackers. Risk assessment which is the process of identifying and prioritizing the risks and threats that may be faced by an organization. Security auditing reviews and assesses an application or network to verify its compliance with standards, regulations and company policy. And finally, source code review verifies that the code complies with the specifications.

Some of the pros of security testing include identifying vulnerabilities early, protecting sensitive data, mitigating security risks, enhancing customer trust and confidence, and finally cost-effective risk management. By incorporating security testing into the software development lifecycle, organizations can proactively safeguard their digital assets and mitigate the risks associated with cyber threats in an increasingly interconnected world. I chose this resource because it explains security testing in depth and why it is important for organizations. We didn’t get a chance to get more practice about security testing in the course but reading about it has given me more knowledge about it.

References.

From the blog CS@Worcester – Site Title by lynnnsubuga and used with permission of the author. All other rights reserved by the author.