In this podcast episode from Stack Overflow by Ben Popper with special guest Ryan Donovan, discusses the evolution of documentation and the future of technical writing. The whole episode is about the nature of writing documentation is changing fast. With the advent of generative AI and other tools like linters that can automatically write or run tests make technical writing more automated now more than ever. One of the first talking points is why documentation is being pushed a lot more now. Increasingly because programmers don’t like writing documentation this job is delegated to technical writers. Who will go into code repositories and write documentation.These technical writers end up being some of the most important people when it comes to code structure. Since they write the documentation that defines how the program is specified and built. 

After moving through some background information the next talking point is the future of technical writing. This was of the most interesting parts to me because it discusses not only just the AI aspect, but things like how other tools play a role. The question then becomes will AI replace technical writers? The answer they concluded was no. Although it is able to generate and automate documentation. Often that documentation needs to be looked over. For the moment AI is not able to create fully functioning documentation to that level yet.

I chose this podcast because it directly relates to what we have been doing in class lately. Looking at the Open API yaml and documentation related files. I don’t think there is a specific lesson to be learned from this podcast. More about just thinking about the future of technical writing. As programmers, we will all have to interact with documentation at some point. Whether that be something like java docs or yaml files. I think it’s important to know what goes into making documentation and the people who write. Because it really is a career all in of itself. Like I mentioned before, one of the most interesting aspects of technical writing is how AI is changing the landscape. Like many areas right now, people are worried if their jobs are in danger. I think with a lot of other cases human supervision is still needed. Another point that I didn’t really think about before now is the importance of documentation other than just information. Like in the case of yaml files that define structure. Is how important it is because it literally specifies how software operates. Like the definitions of endpoints that must be fulfilled and other specifications.

Citations

https://the-stack-overflow-podcast.simplecast.com/episodes/your-docs-are-your-infrastructure/transcript

From the blog CS@Worcester – Code Craft by Kyle Tucker and used with permission of the author. All other rights reserved by the author.

Design patterns are extremely useful within software design. Essentially they are like established solutions to common problems within various contexts. We have learned a lot about design patterns this semester, especially creational, structural, and behavioral. Since we have talked about them and worked with them a lot, I thought it would be a good idea to write a post about what each is. A blog I found while researching more into the topic is called “Intro to Design Patterns” by Saverio Mazza. I think this blog does a great job at giving a brief overview of each of the three different design patterns and how they work. They are extremely helpful for anyone working in software design, and I feel like they will be used in any career I choose. I’m very grateful that I was able to learn more about these design patterns, and I hope my blog post will help you learn more too.

Creational Patterns: As it mentions in the name, creational patterns have to do with the way that objects are created. According to Mazza “They aim to abstract the instantiation process, making a system independent of how its objects are created, composed, and represented. Some examples of creational patterns include the singleton pattern, the factory method pattern, the abstract factory pattern, the builder pattern, and the prototype pattern.

Structural Patterns: These types of patterns deal with how classes and objects are composed in order to form larger structures. They make sure that when one part of a system changes, the rest of it doesn’t need to. Similarly, they make sure that parts of the system are decoupled and can improve the system’s flexibility and reusability. Some examples of structural patterns include the adapter pattern, the composite pattern, the proxy pattern, the flyweight pattern, the bridge pattern, and the decorator pattern.

Behavioral Patterns: Behavioral patterns deal with algorithms and the assignment of responsibilities between objects. They describe the patterns of communication between objects and classes as well as the patterns between them. They let you concentrate just on the way that the objects are interconnected. Some examples of behavioral patterns are the observer pattern, the strategy pattern, the command pattern, the state pattern, the visitor pattern, the mediator pattern, the memento pattern, and the template method pattern.

If you want to learn more about the specific patterns mentioned, I highly recommend checking out the linked blog for more information!

Link: https://medium.com/@saverio3107/intro-to-design-patterns-66f1aebe5be5

From the blog CS@Worcester – One pixel at a time by gizmo10203 and used with permission of the author. All other rights reserved by the author.

In software development, technical debt refers to the extra work required in the future when quick, easy solutions are chosen instead of more thorough, time-consuming approaches. This concept is explored in the article “What is Technical Debt & How Can Companies Manage It?” by Coder Academy.

The article defines technical debt as the accumulation of suboptimal code or design choices made to deliver projects faster. While these shortcuts may lead to quicker releases, they often result in higher maintenance costs and reduced code quality over time.

Key Factors Contributing to Technical Debt

• Time Constraints: Meeting tight deadlines can lead to hasty decisions that prioritize speed over quality.
• Evolving Requirements: As project requirements change, older code may no longer align with the current needs.
• Lack of Documentation: Poor documentation can create misunderstandings and increase errors, contributing to technical debt.

Strategies for Managing Technical Debt

The article suggests several ways to manage technical debt effectively:

• Regular Code Reviews: Consistently reviewing code helps identify and address suboptimal practices early.
• Refactoring: Improving existing code without changing its functionality can enhance readability and maintainability.
• Comprehensive Documentation: Thorough documentation supports better understanding and future modifications.
• Prioritization: Address technical debt based on its impact on the overall project’s progress and quality.

I chose this article because technical debt is a common issue in software development and is closely related to our course material. For Computer Science students, learning how to avoid technical debt is critical. If technical debt becomes a habit, it can lead to poor time management, less active learning, and weak decision-making skills. Understanding its causes and management strategies is essential for maintaining code quality and ensuring project success.

The article provided valuable insights into technical debt and its consequences. I learned that while quick fixes may save time initially, they often lead to higher maintenance efforts and system issues later. The importance of regular code reviews and refactoring stood out, as these practices can help reduce technical debt and improve code quality.

I also appreciated the visual diagrams and tables in the article, which made it easier to understand what technical debt is and how to manage it. I particularly liked the advice on avoiding technical debt and understanding its long-term impacts as a programmer.

By adopting the strategies outlined in the article, I aim to contribute to developing sustainable, high-quality software solutions. This knowledge will help me avoid accumulating technical debt in my future work. I am motivated to build new habits, such as maintaining good documentation, participating in regular code reviews, and prioritizing refactoring. These practices will help me become a more effective and skilled programmer.

Sources:
What is Technical Debt, and how can you manage it?

Citation:
Academy, Coder. “What Is Technical Debt, and How Can You Manage It?” Medium, Medium, 18 May 2016, medium.com/@coderacademy/what-is-technical-debt-how-can-companies-manage-it-1af08992f6d0. 

From the blog CS@Worcester – CodedBear by donna abayon and used with permission of the author. All other rights reserved by the author.

We have discussed REST APIs in class and are learning to use them with a practical, hands-on approach. This approach is faster for the course and is better for my understanding of the material, but I thought it would be a good idea to learn the history of REST APIs and expand my general knowledge of the subject. I found The Postman Team’s blog post, “What Is a REST API? Examples, Uses, and Challenges,” which discusses the fundamentals of REST APIs, including their history, standards, functionality, uses, benefits, and challenges.

The blog starts by explaining how REST APIs evolved from a simpler alternative to SOAP APIs, becoming the backbone of the modern web. With the advances in the internet during the early 2000s, developers and companies needed to be adaptable, which SOAP API was not the tool for. The post expands on the disadvantages of SOAP APIs and explains why they were less valuable at the time. SOAP APIs were not scalable and too restrictive, making it difficult for developers to innovate. REST APIs, on the other hand, gave companies and developers the flexibility and scalability needed to keep up with the internet as it evolved. Another key feature it had was independence. REST APIs are not tied to a platform or language and have client-server separation. The adaptability and simplicity made REST APIs an obvious choice for companies like eBay and Amazon.

The post also discusses some of the challenges involved with REST APIs. Some include maintaining consistent endpoints, managing multiple versions, and dealing with differing authentication methods. All these issues complicate the development and maintenance of REST APIs which is why there are standards used to mitigate problems in the future.

The blog’s final section showed REST API examples, including Amazon S3, Twitter, Instagram, and Plaid. It explained how each API has its own specialization, like Twitter’s registration process or Amazon’s ability for developers to incorporate AI.

What I found most interesting about the blog post was the timeline for REST APIs’ evolution, the big names that pushed REST APIs forward, and the reasons behind their actions. Major companies we know today, like eBay and Amazon, got ahead of the curve, leading the way for companies like Twitter and Facebook. Learning the reason behind its success and its practical uses was interesting. I will use what I’ve learned to approach future projects with a stronger understanding of REST APIs, ensuring I design scalable, adaptable, and efficient code.

Blog: https://blog.postman.com/rest-api-examples/

From the blog CS@Worcester – KindlCoding by jkindl and used with permission of the author. All other rights reserved by the author.

The first time I was taught about ‘Smells’ in code it was in connection Robert C. Martin’s “Agile Software Development, Principles, Patterns, and Practices“. For those who have not read it, starting from Rigidity we have Fragility, Immobility, Viscosity, Needless Complexity, Needless Repetition, and Opacity. All of these are categories of red flags in code, they are problematic because over time they make the code “hard to understand, modify, and maintain”. In an earlier post of mine, I talked about design patterns which are proven solutions to common coding problems. So when I saw an article talking about smells that can come from these design patterns I was intrigued. This eventually lead me to find out that the Singleton design pattern specifically is considered by many to be never good to use.

In an article titled “Examining the Pros and Cons of the Singleton Design Pattern“, Alex Mitchell first explains how the goal of the singleton design pattern is to “ensure a class has only one instance, and provide a global point of access to it.” He then goes on to list the pros, which, for those who do not know or remember, are; it insures only one instance exists throughout the code, it allows for that one instance to be called globally, and it limits access to that instance. Then he gets to the cons, first of which is it violates the single responsibility principle. Next up is the pattern’s tight coupling followed by how it complicates testing and finished with it obscuring dependencies. He then offers an alternative to singeltons in the form of Monostate or dependency injections and then a nice conclusion to wrap it up.

Lets go in order for the cons. Con #1: on a second look this seems obvious, the singleton class is simultaneously controlling its creation and managing access to itself. Con #2: again on second blush its because there only being one instance of the object means you cant use polymorphism or alternate implementations. Con #3: you cannot test in isolation since a singleton persists globally across tests. Con #4: the dependencies are not explicit when the singleton is used. The Monostate pattern allows for multiple instances to exist while having the same logical state, so while config1 and config2 can both change configValue, getting configValue from either config1 or config2 would return the same value. Dependency injection is, as far as I understand it, passing the singleton into the class that uses it, so rather than referencing the singleton it just has the singleton inside the class.

From this article I have come to a better understanding of dependency injection and will probably be using this framework in my future code since apparently a lot of code still uses the singleton pattern and dependency injection seems to best handle existing singletons.

Link:
https://expertbeacon.com/examining-the-pros-and-cons-of-the-singleton-design-pattern/

From the blog CS@Worcester – Coder's First Steps by amoulton2 and used with permission of the author. All other rights reserved by the author.

In software development, code smells are subtle yet significant indicators of potential problems within a codebase. Much like how an unpleasant odor hints at deeper issues, code smells signal areas in the code that might lead to bigger challenges if left unaddressed. The article linked below is exploration of this concept, highlighting the importance of […]

From the blog CS@Worcester – CurrentlyCompiling by currentlycompiling and used with permission of the author. All other rights reserved by the author.

A key aspect of frontend development is creating websites that perform well and provide a seamless user experience. However, due to time constraints in class, we didn’t have many opportunities to dive deeply into frontend implementation techniques. To fill this gap, I explored the blog “Frontend Development Best Practices: Boost Your Website’s Performance“. It’s clear explanations, organized structure, and bold highlights made it an excellent resource for enhancing my understanding of this crucial topic.

The blog provides a detailed guide on optimizing website performance using effective frontend development techniques. Key recommendations include using appropriate image formats like JPEG for photos, compressing files with tools like TinyPNG, and utilizing lazy loading to improve speed and save bandwidth. It stresses reducing HTTP requests by combining CSS and JavaScript files and using CSS sprites to streamline server interactions and boost loading speed. Another important strategy is enabling browser caching, which allows browsers to locally store static assets, reducing redundant data transfers and improving load times. The blog also suggests optimizing CSS and JavaScript by making files smaller, loading non-essential scripts only when needed, and using critical CSS to improve initial rendering speed. Additional practices include leveraging content delivery networks (CDNs) to deliver files from servers closer to users and employing responsive design principles, such as flexible layouts and mobile-first approaches, to create adaptable websites.

I chose this blog because it addresses frontend implementation topics that were not deeply explored in our course. Its organized layout, with bold headings and step-by-step instructions, makes the content accessible and actionable. As someone who plans to build a website in the future, I found its advice easy to understand.

Reading this blog was incredibly insightful. I learned how even small adjustments—such as choosing the right image format or enabling lazy loading—can significantly improve website performance. For example, understanding browser caching taught me how to make websites load faster and enhance the experience for returning users. The section on responsive web design stood out, emphasizing the importance of creating layouts that work seamlessly across different devices. The blog’s focus on performance monitoring and continuous optimization also aligned with best practices for maintaining high-performing websites. Tools like Google PageSpeed Insights and A/B testing offer valuable feedback to help keep websites efficient and user-focused over time.

In my future web development projects, I plan to implement the best practices outlined in the blog. This includes using image compression tools and lazy loading to improve loading times, combining and minifying CSS and JavaScript files to reduce HTTP requests, and utilizing CDNs alongside browser caching for faster delivery of static assets. I will also adopt a mobile-first approach to ensure websites function smoothly across all devices.

This blog has provided invaluable insights into frontend development, equipping me with practical strategies to optimize website performance. By applying these techniques, I aim to create websites that not only look appealing but also deliver an exceptional user experience.

From the blog CS@Worcester – Live Laugh Code by Shamarah Ramirez and used with permission of the author. All other rights reserved by the author.

YAGNI – You aren’t going to need it. In the simplest terms, the principle (initially created by Ron Jefferies) means don’t overengineer before it is necessary. It means to find the solution that works for what is needed today without engineering for POTENTIAL future scenarios. Outside of software engineering, this principle is applicable to everyday […]

From the blog CS@Worcester – CurrentlyCompiling by currentlycompiling and used with permission of the author. All other rights reserved by the author.