Category Archives: CS@Worcester Blog

Learn How you Fail – week 13

This pattern focuses on being able to identify why and the ways you make mistakes to learn from them. The big message of the pattern is that you will naturally not be good at everything and sometimes you will have to spend a lot more time on something just to only be a little bit better at it which is ok, as long as you are making advancements to improving something you lack or feel needs work than do as much as you can.

In my experience I find it difficult to start new projects as I feel I am not yet qualified or experienced enough to finish or even make a large dent in the project. Not only is this a issue with the confidence I have in my work but moreover how I view how difficult the projects and issues tend to be, however eventually when I build up the courage to finally start I notice that I am much more capable than I thought I was. Even when I do end up making a mistake, I can see what I made a mistake on and work around it in order to be able to fix it and prevent it from happening in the future. The best way to go about it is like the pattern says, be conscious of the mistakes that I make and on what parts I make them on. A method the pattern speaks of is creating test classes for a method before you run the method at all so that you can look at all the mistakes at its raw form without testing. This will give you a good idea of what you fresh work looks like and where you seem to fumble. One method that I know still needs work on is my documentation especially on larger projects. Making more notes and comments of work I have done will allow me to keep better track and organize my thoughts.

While it sounds like being over critical about what kind of work you can accomplish being aware of what you can handle will allow you to better understand you limits so you can make a effort to move past them and be even better than you once were.

From the blog cs@worcester – Marels Blog by mbeqo and used with permission of the author. All other rights reserved by the author.

Sprint-3

This is my final blog for the university, where I work hard for four years, hoping to become a software developer. The team and I finished most of the tasks for the project “Reporting. System”; it was challenging for our learning experience. There are struggles and realizations from mistakes and trials of multiple attempts that help and benefit understanding for further the learning experiences. Those learning experiences from the tasks were interesting and challenging to complete becoming more difficult than others for unexpected.

I am currently making a presentation and adding details from looking back at the tasks that the group and myself for how much we accomplished. Also, looking forward to graduation. After the team and I adjusted to the issue board required for the work and practice. I have done these issues over the semester for weight assignments that have been changed with a total weight of 2-3 is reasonable and practicable. Some are easy to do and understand, but others are challenging.

The Issue:

  • Remove MongoID leftover – Backend (changes). There are still MongoIDs available, and I will investigate this further. After I asked for feedback or assisted in making certain adjustments, the result seemed to be an improvement, and the team concurred.
  • backend — Write a test suite for API (changes); This activity writes tests in Chai, ensuring that the backend works with the API while ensuring you get a file back in .xls format (get the simple tests working).

My still challenge concerning one of these tasks is researching the topic of “Chai.” the topic is still questioning the existence of a library written in JavaScript with different test frameworks. It provides that your code continues to work as intended by attaching to the assertions set up. Like npm install chai, chai-HTTP, chai-as-promise, etc. Those additions make the process simpler, but it doesn’t look good. It has already gone through the potentially functional aspects, even after the review, code addition/construction, and code comparison phases.

After I got the chai working correctly, I learned the backend server kept shutting down due to missing files, leading to some codes not passing. The team and I backed up the system by going back to find those files and running for testing; the first half is working (the version number), and the second half won’t. (missing data from the database). 

For improvement, I prepare to find information about this issue from my group members and others by asking others who have had this experience issue before. Even though the team and myself ran into more mixed technical problems during the development process, like missing files, which resulted in more delays that shifted the focus on the specific problem. Even that problem can help us better comprehend and learn new specialties to avoid misleading and repeated attempts. 

In conclusion, in the third and last university sprint, our team had a good time discussing and executing the tasks, though we tried to do some things to perform wildly well after the second-Sprint. We still faced some obstacles that became a fun learning experience for new topics.

From the blog Andrew Lam’s little blog by Andrew Lam and used with permission of the author. All other rights reserved by the author.

Sprint 2 Retrospective

Compared to the last sprint not only did I personally complete much more work, but the team accomplished a lot. As a matter of fact, we got over 17 in weight done in the first week compared to the much lower amount in the first sprint. I noticed that when it came to issues of us needing help or the sharing of information a lot more work was done together, and it allowed us to complete more of the epics and issues. For example, one of the issues me and kelvin both had similar solutions one was for the backend and the other was for the API, once Kelvin modified the commands/build.sh on the API I looked and see what changes he had made so that I could make similar changes to the Backend.

            Much of what was accomplished at the beginning was all of the issues that didn’t involve unit testing such as the verification of collection names in the API as well as Evaluating and Improving the API as a whole. The epics that were finished during the sprint were the API refactoring of file/directory/release structure and infrastructure as well as the conversion of all docker images we are building to multi-architecture images. As I state previously, we completed more epics in this sprint than that of the previous one.

            As for improvements that could be made I think the biggest improvement we can make is to keep focus especially towards the end of the sprint, I’ve noticed once we get into the final week of the spring right before the sprint review the progress tends to slow down and focus lessens a fair amount this mainly do to shifting attention to the review, reflection, and the planning of the next sprint. While all of those steps are very important to the process maintaining the flow that we have the first 2 weeks into the last one will allow us to possibly complete even more and get farther into the project. As for personal improvements I can make I think practicing and taking on even more of a workload would be to my benefit as it will allow me to cover more ground and become more accustomed to the system. The biggest issue I had in the previous sprint was that I spent a lot of time resolving issues that had come up while fixing other issues, as well as trying to delve into the Frontend of the system. I maintained the right of amount of weight completion each week which was a significant improvement over last sprints and I plan to keep that going into the next sprint.

            The best thing to come out of this sprint was that most of the last sprint will be finishing up unit testing and focusing on making sure the system works correctly so that next semesters students don’t have issues with the system and can work on it efficiently Much like how we found it. The most important thing now is to keep the system running and keep Epics organized and unopen so that the next semester can work off those.

https://gitlab.com/LibreFoodPantry/client-solutions/theas-pantry/guestinfosystem/guestinfobackend/-/issues/82

Designed Unit test for replaceGuest Endpoint.

https://gitlab.com/LibreFoodPantry/client-solutions/theas-pantry/guestinfosystem/guestinfobackend/-/issues/76

Implementation of the unit Test designed for the replaceGuest Endpoint.

https://gitlab.com/LibreFoodPantry/client-solutions/theas-pantry/guestinfosystem/guestinfoapi/-/issues/102

Verification of collection names in the API to make sure they make sense and are correct.

https://gitlab.com/LibreFoodPantry/client-solutions/theas-pantry/guestinfosystem/guestinfobackend/-/issues/87

modified commands/build.sh in backend to use context to specify what image to build.

https://gitlab.com/LibreFoodPantry/client-solutions/theas-pantry/guestinfosystem/guestinfobackend/-/issues/86

added Pipeline variable with multiplatform string to backend.

From the blog cs@worcester – Marels Blog by mbeqo and used with permission of the author. All other rights reserved by the author.

Sprint-2

Hello, welcome to the Second-Sprint Retrospective Blog. I contributed to the group project by working on the tasks assigned on GitLab. I chose to complete one of the jobs, but it was more difficult than I had expected. I am currently participating in an activity that calls for additional alterations, and adding more details is more complicated than I had anticipated. It is up to the team and me to decide whether to put the modifications for the necessary measures. 

After the team and I adjusted to the issue board required for the work and practice. Completing this ISSUE Weight assignment with a total weight of 3 is reasonable and practicable. 

The Issue:
backend — write a test suite for API (changes); This activity writes test in Chai, ensuring that the backend works with the API while ensuring you get a file back in .xls format (get the simple tests working). 

My challenge concerning these works is researching the topic of “Chai.” It explains that Chai is an assertion library written in JavaScript with different test frameworks. It allows maintenance of your code’s functionality and checks that it follows those assertions. It has the “assertions” style comparable to Node.js’s built-in assert module, and the “expect” style uses a chainable API to create more legible and expressive tests. Chai can be used with any testing framework, including Mocha, to define test suites with a specific feature. Each test in a test suite will state how your code should act.
I learned that it has additional chai-related dependencies after researching the topic. These include additions to npm install chai, chai-HTTP, chai-as-promise, etc. Those additions make the process simpler, but it doesn’t look good. It has already gone through the potentially functional aspects, even after the review, code addition/construction, and code comparison phases. However, the conjunction of some codes didn’t pass due to some missing information and led to some failures. 

To improve myself, I plan to seek information regarding this kind of assignment from members of my group and members of other groups by asking questions. It will serve as a learning experience. Even though the end of the year is getting close, I have seen that my abilities to manage time have increased, and the learning steps for work are becoming the assigned time. We ran into various technical issues during the development process, which resulted in delays; the team and I had a fantastic mid-round in finishing all of the items listed on the sprint backlog. These delays are different learning experiences that require better comprehension and learning new specialties to avoid those misconceptions and repeated attempts resulting from communication breakdowns. The problems may avoid by increasing knowledge and diving into the serious issue with the other group collaborating. 

In conclusion, in the second sprint, our team had good objectives and executed them, though we succeeded wildly better after the First-Sprint. We overcame some obstacles and learned about new topics while working through the complex pipeline and completing one of the assignments.

From the blog Andrew Lam’s little blog by Andrew Lam and used with permission of the author. All other rights reserved by the author.

week-7

Hello, final week (seventh). It is spring break week is almost over, even with the book. I got a comment about needing clarification on the chapter 2 blog; I needed to have understood the number of pattern selections as I chose more than one pattern. So I went back to week-1 (chapter 2) for a quick review; I chose one of the topics. It is “The Deep End.”

This pattern connected with me by feeling stuck and needing to challenge myself with more significant projects to grow my skills, confidence, and even a portfolio. By jumping in at the deep end to take on challenging jobs and doing things that push over the limits. It highlights that taking risks is an opportunity seen through anxiety and responsibility to counteract the threats by finding mentors and creating feedback loops. Yet, I agree with aspects of that technique. It shows taking the list of your projects to measure project complexity and other proportions while using this idea to see where your career is heading and make choices based on it.

Have you noticed that the practice has changed how you consider the type of work you want to undertake or your desired career path?

This practice allowed me to jump at the deep end and take on challenging projects for future careers in tech companies. I have developed various skills highly valued in the tech industry of experience in different areas like project management, problem-solving, and cross-functional collaboration. This can help me become more flexible and better equipped to handle different roles and responsibilities in the future. I am then building a solid portfolio that showcases my skills and experience to possible companies. It tracks projects and provides results to help people stand out and increase their chances of getting hired or promoted. Lastly, taking on challenging projects and pushing to become more confident and stable for tech companies operating and looking for individuals who are fast-paced and rapidly changing environments can settle on challenges and work under pressure. Also, I can become better prepared to guide the injunctions of the tech industry and succeed in my career.

From the blog Andrew Lam’s little blog by Andrew Lam and used with permission of the author. All other rights reserved by the author.

week-6

Hello, and welcome to week six. I’m on spring break this week, so I will experience some activities like going to a resort or doing wild things for fun outside my comfort zone. However, I still need to complete the complex and lengthy tasks of studying and returning to school for some exams and schoolwork related. After finishing the fifth chapter, I’ll continue with the book’s sixth chapter. I read and picked what stuck with me was the reading selection “Dig Deeper.”

This pattern connected with me since it applies to everyone who has engaged themselves in a subject that might be thought-stimulating. Workers may want assistance with code maintenance and clarification of skill levels due to the issue of developers needing a basic understanding of the tools and methodologies. It can stand the resources and knowledge support while putting them above the creative process. One can prepare to support the time and effort necessary to read primary sources, comprehend ideas’ historical and cultural context, and practice what they have learned.

However, I can only partially agree with aspects of that technique; it provides a comprehensive understanding of software development features, which is essential when analyzing current open-source implementations. Together with a blog post, it has some gaps in the papers and articles.

Have you noticed that the practice has altered how you think about the work you want to do in the future or the overall career path you want to take?

Learning how to tackle and troubleshoot complicated problems, this activity can help me become a better problem-solver. Also, they can better pinpoint areas where deep thinking might enhance performance through code optimization. The practice can boost my self-confidence and capacity to produce value early with solid expertise in a particular field to take on new challenges and offer quick answers, such as finding pieces and enhancing the project. It can combine improved teamwork and communication by explaining challenging concepts and ideas to other team members and stockholders. Even more job opportunities to stand out, looking for developers with deep knowledge and the ability to provide expertise in specific industries.

From the blog Andrew Lam’s little blog by Andrew Lam and used with permission of the author. All other rights reserved by the author.

Sprint-1

Hi, and welcome to the Sprint Retrospective Blog. I have completed these tasks on GitLab for the group project; the team and I have been assigned to decide whether to implement these changes when necessary. For myself, I have done there is one activity that does require modifications, while the other three do not. These ISSUES weight totals are reasonable and easy to do once getting to the mindset of the work and practice.

 The Issues:

My challenge concerning these works is that I took the time to review the codes, and everything seems to be great, so it does not require any modification. Even if it means setting aside some time so that you can go to the next activity or task in the sequence. On the other side, it makes it appear that all I have done is read the codes and determine that there is no need to update them, making me feel bad because I haven’t worked as hard as I should have been working on this project. To improve myself as an individual to have goals that include conquering negative emotions, recognizing that the quality of the job has been maintained, and making additional recommendations to the team regarding acceptable actions. In the upcoming year, is to improve my time management abilities and all of these measurements so that I can finish all of my work within the assigned time window. I need to improve my technical skills and knowledge to contribute to the team significantly.
 

The team and I had a rough start in completing all the tasks on the sprint backlog; we encountered some challenges along the way. We faced several technological challenges during the development process, leading to delays. Additionally, some communication breakdowns led to misunderstandings and duplication of efforts. To improve on those issues by strengthening our technical skills and knowledge. This work can be achieved through regular training and knowledge-sharing sessions. We also need to establish better communication channels to ensure that everyone is on the same page and that there are no misunderstandings. Additionally, we need better tracking and monitoring mechanisms to ensure we are on track with our goals.

In conclusion, our team had a rough start, but we got through a lot of success during the first sprint. We overcame some of the obstacles while working through the sprint backlog and completing some of the assignments.
 

From the blog Andrew Lam’s little blog by Andrew Lam and used with permission of the author. All other rights reserved by the author.

Sprint Retrospective- Sprint 1

In this Sprint the Biggest take away I had was coming to the realization that every aspect of working in the class either it be doing the research required or diving directly into the code itself it must be recorded and accounted for was time spent working. Being able to properly weigh the tasks that we had to do on the first time around was tricky as we always seemed to spend much more time on issues that we thought would take only a couple of minutes, but the beautify of it was that we could always go back and adjust the weight of the issues afterwards.

            The thing that worked the best for us was being able to delegate issues to ourselves and others who had the capacity to solve those issues relatively quickly and with little to no support required from others that would take away from the time that they would spend on their own work. The other big aspect that worked for us was being able to come together and support one another when we had issues in our separate tasks. I can think of many times where kelvin offered his support when I was having Problems with my committing in the backend issue I was working on during the sprint, and I can say that others in the group stumbled at moments when someone else came and gave input that allowed for the issue to be solved.

            The biggest change we would need to make as a team would be to definitely work on creating more issues when we are planning our Sprint, when we started this one we were under our target weight at around 28, in order to make sure we hit out goal weight we need to make issues no matter how simple we think the solution to issues may be. When we looked over all the issues, we had on our boards we realized that some of the issues we created could be broken up into more issues and some could even be weighted more.

            The change I would make as an individual is to focus more on the smaller issues as well as doing research on the bigger overarching issues that require more attention. Front end was the longest I had spent on issues during the sprint was looking over the front end as it was the one aspect the GuestInfoSystem that I had not touched, even in the previous class. I spent most of one week just doing as much research into VUE as well as how to navigate the front end and it was still difficult to wrap my head around what needed to be done for the issue. While this research was important and necessary I could have also spent time completing issues on other aspects of the System of which I had more experience on, however I was interested in seeing if I would be up to the task of taking on the FrontEnd.

https://gitlab.com/LibreFoodPantry/client-solutions/theas-pantry/guestinfosystem/guestinfobackend/-/issues/69

This issue was solved removing any of the Get/guest parameters from the GuestInfoAPI, which was found primarily in the listGuests.yaml

https://gitlab.com/LibreFoodPantry/client-solutions/theas-pantry/guestinfosystem/guestinfobackend/-/issues/69

This issue was solved by removing many parts of the guest.js file as well as using the updated API from the other repository and importing it into this backend.

From the blog cs@worcester – Marels Blog by mbeqo and used with permission of the author. All other rights reserved by the author.

week-5

I want to say hello in the fifth week of my blog and write a new entry. March is my favorite month, so I’ve enjoyed myself as much as possible. In Boston, there are many things to do, including drinking and attending social and entertaining events simultaneously. I have an upcoming spring break relatively soon. It will be enjoyable to go over everything and take care of tasks in preparation for the impending graduation from college.

Now that I’ve finished the information presented in chapter 4, I will go on to the fifth chapter, which is about ongoing education. Throughout my research, I encountered an important theme: “Reflect As You Work.“

This pattern appeals to me since it is relatable to anyone who puts in the effort and gets things done; that way, people may reflect on what they’ve learned and how they’ve improved. This pattern appeals to me since regular introspection and questioning of one’s practices are vital to preparing for elevation to senior posts. Regular introspection and questioning of one’s courses are something I do. Even with explicit reflection and noting changes in one’s set of methods, it is possible to develop fresh ideas by observing more experienced developers and reflecting on their rules.

But, I disagree with other components of the practice by not believing that experience automatically equates to expertise; becoming proficient should be the aim.
On the other hand, it is possible to urge individuals to sketch out a Personal Practices design to investigate and challenge existing practices and contemplate the possibility of adopting alternative methods of accomplishing goals.

Have you noticed that the way you think about the work you want to do in the future or the career path you want to take as a whole has changed due to the practice?

In engaging in the “Reflect As You Work” exercise, I can get insight into the things I have accomplished, the shifts I have made, and the areas where there is room for improvement and enhanced quality of life. When it comes to employing this strategy sets the stage for my future profession, as it will allow me to save some time and avoid some hassle while also providing me with a fresh learning experience that I can share with others who face the same challenge.

From the blog Andrew Lam’s little blog by Andrew Lam and used with permission of the author. All other rights reserved by the author.

week-4

 Hello, here is a blog post for the fourth week; I feel stressed and relaxed simultaneously because the beginning of March is winding down for enjoyable activities and nearby spring break.

Now that I have reached the end of chapter 3, I will turn my attention to chapter 4, which discusses apprenticeship models. Throughout my reading, I found a pattern that could prove highly useful; I named it “Find Mentors.” I like this pattern because it starts with becoming a software craftsman; you first need to find mentors. You can do this by enrolling in a training course or teaching yourself independently.

This pattern is one of my favorites because it has a “recommend” option. This pattern appeals to me because it includes a “recommend” option that assists someone who needs direction and assists in making better decisions for entering the tech field or interested-related tech. This helps someone who needs advice and assists in making better decisions for entering the tech field or interested-related tech.

Nevertheless, there are some aspects of the practice that I can’t entirely agree with because there isn’t a lot of information or because it’s uncommon for somebody who needs or can’t have a mentor or guidance because there are a lot of different reasons or options when there is additional time. I like to express my disagreement with these aspects of the pattern in the following way: I could not find and have any mentors. After all, it was covid because it affects people’s attitudes, and they needed to focus on themselves rather than trying to predict what would happen next.

Have you noticed that the way you think about the work you want to do in the future or the career path you want to take as a whole has changed due to the practice?

This practice pushed me to think more about expanding my network connections to get more experience and work alongside people in the same field. For suggested action in finding mentors by signing up for an active mailing list, lurk, and seek outpatient teachers for informal advice at the next conference.

From the blog Andrew Lam’s little blog by Andrew Lam and used with permission of the author. All other rights reserved by the author.