The ‘Unleash your enthusiasm’ apprenticeship pattern is one which I would consider very important. The basis of this pattern is that you should not feel the need to suppress your own excitement over crafting software when you are part of a team but you should be mindful of the team’s dynamic and attitude before blindly acting on your own enthusiasm. Essentially it is completely normal for a newcomer in software development to be excited to learn or even to be working within a professional team but the newcomer should always keep in mind that their enthusiasm may be warranted but depending on your colleagues you may want to keep your enthusiasm to yourself in order to not make any negative impression which is important in many different fields not only software development. But even if you judge that your enthusiasm should be kept to yourself based on a team or individual’s dynamic you can still ask questions in order to better yourself.

  I found this pattern particularly useful as I myself along with some fellow computer science majors I know are hesitant to show excitement over software development at times as I do not know if it would be considered as unprofessional. This pattern explained to me that while you do not want to overly express your excitement throughout the learning process it can be helpful to question things and give your ideas even as a beginner when working in a team as the perspective you offer the team is fresh and can lead to helpful solutions or enhance your own learning process and the more you know about what you are developing with your team the more useful you will be when trying to work together on productive and time effective solutions. Being aware that it is for the most part encouraged to share your thoughts, question or ideas when you can at the very least so that you can get an explanation on why an idea would or would not work is something that will help me to be more open to sharing my thoughts with others whether it be colleagues, other students professors etc.

From the blog CS@Worcester – Dylan Brown Computer Science by dylanbrowncs and used with permission of the author. All other rights reserved by the author.

  The ‘Your First Language’ pattern from chapter two consists of the idea that you are just starting out and only have a basic understanding of one or maybe even two languages. The problem which is presented is that you as an apprentice believe that your job depends on being able to produce the same quality of work in a specific language that the others around you can even if they may have more experience using said language or that getting any job will depend on your knowledge of one particular language. Then the solution presented it to decide on a ‘first language’ which you will dedicate to familiarize yourself with and when trying to solve a problem you will use this language and further your understanding of its inner workings. Then if an employer requires you to use a specific language you approach it by taking small steps at first and then exponentially grow your steps as you gain more knowledge in order to efficiently learn another language. This pattern encourages you to seek help from experienced friends in order to quickly progress through a problem as long as you do not grow a reliance on them for all the answers. 

  I have a great appreciation for this pattern as I feel it is something that many students and or apprentices may struggle with. Initial thoughts on a first language can be intimidating and heavily influenced by the schooling you go through if any or even others opinions online if you do not pursue technical training initially. You put a lot of consideration into a choice like this and it is important but this pattern highlights the thought that many people may have that they must fully master a language in order to be ‘employable’ in that said language when realistically even people that are considered to be ‘masters’ of a specific language are still learning. What really matters is that you take the steps in your first language and learn from the experience so that you can adjust the steps to learn other languages in the future as your first language is basically your jumpstart in the world of programming languages.

From the blog CS@Worcester – Dylan Brown Computer Science by dylanbrowncs and used with permission of the author. All other rights reserved by the author.

https://unstop.com/blog/structural-testing

  Structural testing is one of many types of software testing, although structural testing is directly testing the internal structure of the code which means it is important that the individual performing structural tests is very familiar with the language used for the code. This type of testing uses white box testing techniques and it is more concerned with how a system is running rather than its functionality which is the more common reason for testing. There are four different types of structural testing which are mutation, data flow, control flow and slice-based testing. Mutation testing is a type of structural testing which relies on changing small parts of the code’s structure in order to test for errors, there are different types of mutation testing which are based on changing different parts of the code’s structure in order to find possible errors. Data flow testing is used to analyze how data flows through a program and control flow is used to show the order in which statements will be executed. Slice-based testing takes a portion of statements which may affect the final value of a variable and uses those slices to test the change. There are three different techniques used while doing structural testing which are called statement, branch and path coverage. Some common open source tools for structural testing include Cucumber, JBehave, Cfix and JUnit.

  I found this article interesting as it not only gives an in-depth explanation on structural testing but it also provides you with both techniques and tools which can be used to perform such testing. The advantages and disadvantages section particularly piqued my interest as one of the first advantages listed is that early defects can be easily identified which I would infer is due to the direct testing of the code structure versus testing its sole functionality. The cost of this type of testing however is a huge disadvantage as the time and money it takes to go through all of the testing necessary is much more than other types of testing. This article did teach me a lot about structural testing as most of the testing I have personally done has been testing what inputs get a certain output and testing direct implementation of a body of code versus actually testing the structure and being able to see how a piece of data flows through code which is a very important aspect of testing even if this testing is very expensive.

From the blog CS@Worcester – Dylan Brown Computer Science by dylanbrowncs and used with permission of the author. All other rights reserved by the author.

  The introduction chapter for the Apprenticeship patterns book gives a definition and understanding of not only the term ‘software craftsmanship’ but it also explains the stages of ones development within the software development career path. These stages can be attributed too many other careers but the apprenticeship patterns contained in this text are meant to help guide an apprentice software engineer to become a journeyman and later a master.

  Chapter Two ‘Emptying the Cup’ contains apprenticeship patterns which are meant to help when initially taking on an apprenticeship and the learning curve you will face when having to “relearn” how to do a task that you may already do in one way in order to learn another way to complete the task. This is very important as you must be open to learning different ways to do things even if a different way may be less efficient.

  Chapter Three ‘Walking The long Road’ refers to the everlasting cycle of learning that is ahead of an apprentice and the importance of learning new techniques and strategies continuously in order to increase your skill and understanding which will remain important even after exiting the apprentice ‘phase’ of your career.

  Chapter Four ‘Accurate Self-Assessment’ is meant to make you realize that you have not finished your “walk on the long road” and encourage you to realize and learn from flaws in your own work or seek mentorship from your more experienced counterparts.

  Chapter Five ‘Perpetual Learning’ contains patterns that you are meant to use for your entire career regarding both learning an communication but they are vital to success early in your journey due to the emphasis on expanding upon your own abilities and your knowledge in order to expand your career.

  Chapter Six ‘Construct Your Curriculum’ refers to the necessity of continued learning once again and the need for an apprentice to be responsible and dedicate some of their own time to the expansion of knowledge even though the reading and research required will not be ‘assigned’ but it is still important and necessary when it comes to your own development and success.

  All Six of the chapters included in the Apprenticeship Patterns book are very important for your own development and the development of your career. Many of these patterns are things that can be disregarded by people while learning but it is important to remember you started somewhere and it is up to you to ensure you develop well professionally and you utilize your counterparts as mentors and examples.

  My thoughts on the reading are that I believe many people including myself forget the significance of looking as different perspectives. The different patterns in this reading provide a whole new perspective in which I agree with the majority of the content and find it rather though provoking. In my opinion chapters four and six would be the most important because truly nobody can assess you more accurately than yourself in order too better yourself and constructing a curriculum is something that can in a sense guarantee your continued learning throughout your life as you assign things to yourself and hold yourself accountable.

From the blog CS@Worcester – Dylan Brown Computer Science by dylanbrowncs and used with permission of the author. All other rights reserved by the author.

https://www.altexsoft.com/blog/front-end-development-technologies-concepts/

The frontend of an api or web system is the visual representation/interface that is seen and used by visitors, customers, etc. You interact with the frontend through your browser so frontend development is very important for any online website or service. When creating the frontend of a system the developers use HTML, CSS and Javascript which are the same tools used to make web apps. Frontends are very different from backends as the user does not see the backend or really necessarily interact with it. The backend is what happens on/in what it is developed for. Backends govern the functions and any operation that takes place within the system.

Backends are developed using different languages based on the developer or customers preferences. The backend also consists of the web server and storage of the system which it supports. But even though the backend contains what makes the site/app function, the front end is still just as important as it is what is presented directly to the users. Through mainly html front ends bring the actual user experience into play and help to dictate the functionality of a website even though the frontend is not directly involved in the execution of the functions.

I chose this article as it was very helpful when it comes to understanding what exactly a front end is and why it is important when developing something such as an app or website as it truly is the entire user experience. The user experience overall can make or break an app or any other type of programming which requires a front end and therefore the front end development process is very important.

I feel as though an article like this would be helpful not only to myself but to my peers as it thoroughly explains what a front end is as well as what a backend is. This helps fully differentiate the two so that there is no confusion in the development stages of either. Both frontends and backends are similar but also drastically different in how they are developed and the purpose they serve. This article helps to differentiate the two and helps the reader gain an understanding of what is included in each in order to develop an effective system that thrives for both the developers of the system and the users of the system. I would recommend this article to anyone questioning the difference between frontend and backend as well as anyone wondering how to develop an effective api in general.

From the blog CS@Worcester – Dylan Brown Computer Science by dylanbrowncs and used with permission of the author. All other rights reserved by the author.

https://www.vogella.com/tutorials/JavaConcurrency/article.html

This article discusses the use of Concurrency in Java. As defined in the article Concurrency is “the ability to run several programs or parts of a program in parallel”. Concurrency is meant to cut down on time and make a program or programs more effective and easier to use together. The article describes how Java uses several threads to “parallel process” or behave asynchronously which ultimately makes the application run faster and smoother. Concurrency is all about the performance gain in the application, this gain can be calculated using “Amdahls Law” which tells you the maximum performance gain.

According to the article a Java program runs its processes in one thread (by default) through javas “Thread Code” which is also capable of allowing multiple threads through the Thread class. Through threads you use the synchronize keyword in order to define which methods or code should be executed by one single thread. The synchronized keyword provides specific sections of code with a “lock” and any code protected by this lock will be executed by one thread instead of multiple. The memory of threads communicates with the memory of the application through the “java memory model” which also allows the thread memory to refresh itself with the main memory.

I chose this article as it goes into depth about the subject of Concurrency and helps students like myself understand what exactly concurrency is and what the purpose or use of concurrency is. Concurrency is a complex subject as it involves the thread class which isnt commonly used by beginners in java and it involves new keywords not previously learned. The article goes into detail about threads and what exactly they do/why they are important and it also tells you the exact purpose of concurrency which is program efficiency i.e. speed, correctness, etc.

I actually learned quite a bit from this article. I already knew the general idea/concept of concurrency and what it is but as far as the more in depth information which was provided like threads, synchronize and volatile I never knew exactly what each part was and what they each entailed. This article was organized very well and provides the reader with the necessary information in order to learn about and work with concurrency in their own code. Overall the article was very helpful and I would recommend it to other students as it explains the subject very well.

From the blog CS@Worcester – Dylan Brown Computer Science by dylanbrowncs and used with permission of the author. All other rights reserved by the author.

https://swagger.io/resources/articles/best-practices-in-api-design/

The article I’ve chosen is based on Rest API Design, a topic that we are currently working on in class. Many important parts of Rest API Design are talked about throughout the article some of them being Rest API Design characteristics, collections and their resources, HTTP methods and more. According to the article a good api should be easy to read, complete/concise and hard for a user to misuse which is all important not only for integration of the api but also when using an api with any kind of application that it was designed for. Collections, resources and URLs are also very important to designing an effective Rest API as collections and resources allow the passing of data throughout the API and its functions. Using the proper URL helps you manipulate which data is shown at a specific time whether its the data of a specific user or an error code.

Describing the purpose or function of resources is also very important and it is done through the use of different HTTP methods. The methods listed in the article include get, post, put, patch and delete. Each of these HTTP methods is used to retrieve, create, update or delete resources. ANother way to develop a good rest API according to the article is by providing feedback for users by implementing error codes when the API is used incorrectly whether there is error in an entry by the user or if the user uses the incorrect operation when entering data. The responses you provide or error codes can help users and yourself understand your API better which will also help you when testing the functions of your API so you know how any commands or entries should be formed during use. The author also highlights that using examples in your get methods is important as it shows exactly what the user can expect when they “successfully call the API function”.

I chose this article as I found it helpful with our current class topic and it outlines all the basics of Rest API design and helps student developers like myself and my classmates better understand how to effectively design a Rest API. This article helped me understand the use of HTTP methods further as well as the importance of examples and resources which helps greatly with our current class subject. The article helps put the design of Rest API’s in an easily presentable state for students or other people in general who are interested in developing such an API.

From the blog CS@Worcester – Dylan Brown Computer Science by dylanbrowncs and used with permission of the author. All other rights reserved by the author.

https://martinfowler.com/architecture/

This article on software architecture from Martin Fowler asks the questions “What is architecture?” and “Why does architecture matter?”. The answers are justified through the article which begins with why he does not always like using the term architecture but he accepts it because he believes a good architecture supports programming evolution. Fowler believes that architecture should be defined as “Architecture is about the important stuff. Whatever that is”. Fowler explains that the sole definition of what architecture is has been a debate among computer scientists for a long time but that the definition he puts in this article is the result of a conversation between himself and another professional named Ralph Johnson.

Although Fowler’s definition is his own and very simple it makes sense just like many other computer scientists “definitions” of software architecture. Clearly architecture can be defined in many different ways according to who you ask for a definition but Fowler also states that architecture is important because bad architecture will affect a system in different ways including being harder to modify, having more bugs when updated and these updates/new features being released slower which impacts the customer for which the system was designed. 

Fowler also discusses two different types of architecture which are application and enterprise architecture. Application architecture is based on an “application” which in Fowler’s words is a body of code perceived as a single unit by developers. Enterprise architecture is based on larger amounts of code which work independently from one another in different systems but all used by one company or “enterprise”.

I chose this article as it takes more of a thoughtful approach to the concept of software architecture and in part helps the reader open their understanding of the subject to different “definitions” of the concept which can help when developing software architecture in the future. I feel as though this article would be helpful to anyone in the programming field as it gives you multiple perceptions of architecture, what it is, and why it is important.

This article taught me the general idea of both application and enterprise architecture. I was able to see what Fowler and Johnson viewed architecture as and why they viewed it that way when other computer scientists may define or view architecture in a different light. I learned that architecture itself is very complicated and cannot be defined under one singular definition as it fits many different definitions for many different people in computer science.

From the blog CS@Worcester – Dylan Brown Computer Science by dylanbrowncs and used with permission of the author. All other rights reserved by the author.

Unified Modeling Language otherwise known as UML is one of many different modeling languages/types used in programming. The purpose of modeling languages such as UML is to show the structure of code in order to better understand it. Widespread use of UML started in 1997 when it was adopted as a “standard”. UML is used with object oriented programming and is separated into two different categories (Structural and Behavioral Diagrams). Structural Diagrams show static aspects of code while Behavior diagrams show the dynamic parts of code. 

Some concepts listed that are a big part of UML are Class, objects, inheritance, abstraction, encapsulation, and polymorphism; all of these are directly related to object oriented programming. A few types of structural uml diagrams are class diagrams which show static structure, composite diagrams which show internal code structure and show how the code being analyzed acts when it comes to the rest of the program, an object diagram shows what instances are in code and their relations/associations, component diagrams show the organization of a systems physical components. Some Behavior diagrams from uml are state machine diagrams which represent the “state” of the system, Activity diagrams show a systems control, sequence diagrams show interactions between the objects. 

I chose this article as we have worked on UML diagrams in class and this article is structured well and tells the readers what exactly UML is without overloading them with information. Readers are presented with what UML is and different ways it is used to show many different things involved in object oriented programming. The site which the article is on also has multiple other articles which show readers more complex aspects of UML so if they want to dive deeper into the subject they are free and able to do so without having to look for another website for the desired information. 

I liked this article because of its simple format and feel that it helped me when working on assignments regarding uml even though we mainly went over class diagrams knowing the other types of diagrams and what they are used for was interesting and even helpful to me in understanding the significance of class diagrams. Each diagram in UML has a “specialty” you could say as each different diagram type maps out something different and even with class diagrams being rather simple they can help you understand the benefits that UML provides for software based fields.

https://www.geeksforgeeks.org/unified-modeling-language-uml-introduction/?ref=lbp

From the blog CS@Worcester – Dylan Brown Computer Science by dylanbrowncs and used with permission of the author. All other rights reserved by the author.