A software development methodology is the methods and the different sets of workflow techniques that are used in order to design different I.T. software solutions. As I’ve been learning, there are many different types of these methodologies. According to Synopsys, the four most popular methodologies are Agile development methodology, DevOps deployment methodology, Waterfall development method, and Rapid application development. In my class, I’ve been learning about the Agile development methodology and the Waterfall development method. I think it is really interesting how there are so many different methods in developing software that all lead to the same outcome, and I’m interested in learning more about other methods. I think it will be very helpful to learn these different methodologies as some are more effective in certain situations. Synopsys has really helped me because it shows two of the methods I already know and allows me to get a better understanding of them, but also allows me to learn a couple new methods.

The first methodology that I learned about, the Agile development method, involves repeating all of the steps in short increments. The main reason that this method is used is to help minimize risk when adding new functions to the software. These risks can include bugs, changing requirements, and cost overruns. Like all of the methods, the Agile development method has both pros and cons. Some pros include allowing the software to be released in different iterations, not just one. This helps the developers fix bugs and change things early on in development. Another pro is that it allows users to learn the benefit of the software earlier, rather than waiting for the entire software to be incremented. However, there are also some cons to this methodology. One major con is that new users are often behind and not able to get up to speed, as they don’t have the documentation needed. This is because it relies on real-time communication. Another major con is that Agile development methods may not be as helpful in large organizations as they are used to other methods, such as the waterfall method.

The second method that I learned about is known as the Waterfall method. Unlike the Agile method, the Waterfall method performs each step in order and doesn’t move on to the next step until the previous step is completed. On top of that, each step is only performed once. The Waterfall method consists of different steps, otherwise known as sequential phases, which each have their own goals. These phases are Requirements, Design, Implementation, Verification, Deployment, and Maintenance. This method is also known to many as the traditional method, as many different companies use it. A major pro to using this method is it being easy to understand and manage, as there is only one step with one goal going on at a specific time. This allows less experienced teams and managers to understand and benefit from this method. A major con to this method is that is can be very slow and also very costly. This is because of the way that it is structured, as well as its tight controls. I haven’t learned about the other two methods on Synopsis, the DevOps deployment methodology and the Rapid application development, but I think this website is a great source to learn more about them, and I’m excited to do some more research on these topics.

Synopsis: https://www.synopsys.com/blogs/software-security/top-4-software-development-methodologies.html

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.

Addressing Merge Conflicts on GitHub

In the fast-paced world of software development, collaboration is the lifeblood that fuels innovation. One of the most powerful platforms for collaborative coding is GitHub, a platform that has revolutionized the way developers work together on projects. However, this collaborative utopia is not without its challenges, and one of the most notorious hurdles developers face is the dreaded “merge conflict.” To shed light on this issue, I recently explored the blog post titled “How to Resolve Merge Conflicts in GitHub” on HubSpot’s website. In this blog post, I will share my insights and lessons learned from this valuable resource.

Understanding Merge Conflicts

The HubSpot blog post begins by elucidating the fundamental concept of merge conflicts. A merge conflict transpires when two or more contributors to a Git repository make concurrent modifications to the same file or lines of code. When an attempt is made to merge these conflicting changes, Git finds itself in a quandary, unable to discern which version to prioritize. The result? A conflict that requires manual resolution.

Resolving Merge Conflicts

The most invaluable takeaway from the blog post is the comprehensive guide on resolving merge conflicts. Here’s a summary of what I’ve learned:

1. Identify the Conflict: GitHub will promptly notify you if your PR encounters a conflict. These conflicts usually arise in files that have undergone concurrent modifications on different branches.
2. Locate the Conflict: Git marks the conflicting sections within your code with distinctive markers, including <<<<<<< HEAD, =======, and >>>>>>> branch-name.
3. Manually Resolve the Conflict: The HubSpot blog offers a detailed walkthrough on how to address these conflicts manually. It involves carefully reviewing the conflicting code, deciding which changes to keep, and removing the markers.
4. Commit the Changes: After successfully resolving the conflict, you need to stage the modified file using git add and commit the changes using git commit -m "Resolved merge conflict in file-name".
5. Update the Pull Request: By pushing the resolved changes to your branch with git push, the blog explains how to update your PR automatically with the resolved conflict.
6. Merge the Pull Request: Finally, once the conflict is resolved, and your PR meets all criteria, it can safely merge into the main branch, ensuring the seamless progression of the project.

   Through this journey, I’ve not only learned how to merge an issue on GitHub but also gained insights into resolving conflicts using Git. So, the next time I encounter a merge conflict, I won’t panic—I’ll simply follow these steps, and I’ll be well on my way to becoming a Git pro. Happy coding!

   My blog was based on the new things that I read on this blog link https://blog.hubspot.com/website/merge-conflicts-github

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

For this week’s blog post, I chose the article “Code Documentation: How to Do It Right” by the editorial team of SkillReactor. I chose this article in particular because it aligns well with the code documentation section of the syllabus. This article goes into great depth about code documentation and its benefits, as well as how it is best implemented. In this blog post, I will specifically be going over the code documentation tools discussed in the article and how the article discusses overcoming documentation challenges. Prior to reading this article, I wasn’t very familiar with code documentation tools, but I learned much about their function and how some of the tools mentioned can be used with multiple programming languages.

The article mentions a few specific code documentation tools that are commonly used in software development. One of the tools mentioned that caught my attention is Doxygen. “Doxygen is a versatile tool that supports multiple programming languages and generates documentation in HTML, LaTeX, and RTF formats.” Doxygen is very interesting because of its benefit of functioning alongside multiple programming languages and creating documentation in HTML, which, in my experience, can be very difficult to navigate without some form of documentation guiding you. I also found Sphinx to be fascinating because the article mentions that it makes use of automated API documentation generation. “Sphinx, primarily used for Python codebases, offers automated API documentation generation and support for reStructuredText markup language.” This tool having the capability to generate documentation for your code automatically can be immensely helpful; it being automatically generated can also help with accidentally using jargon or slang that may not be understood by others reading through your code. Another essential aspect that the article discusses is overcoming some challenges associated with creating code documentation.

Writing documentation into your code comes with great benefits, but often, it can be difficult to implement into your project. One of these challenges being maintaining up to date documentation with a project. “Although code documentation offers numerous advantages, it comes with its own set of challenges. Managing updates to documentation can be a daunting task, particularly in large projects where multiple developers are working simultaneously.” Another challenge that comes along with creating documentation is avoiding redundancy. “Another challenge is avoiding redundancy in documentation. When multiple code sections use the same functions or variables, it can be tempting to copy and paste documentation, resulting in redundant documentation and confusing code.” However, these challenges can be overcome with enough diligence. “To overcome these challenges, it is essential to establish specific standards for documentation management and to incorporate documentation review processes into the development workflow.” As long as these standards can be maintained and code documentation is regularly reviewed, the documentation implemented with your projects should be of high quality and make understanding your projects much easier for your fellow developers.

Article: https://www.skillreactor.io/blog/the-importance-of-code-documentation-and-how-to-do-it-right/

From the blog CS@Worcester – P. McManus Worcester State CS Blog by patrickmcmanus1 and used with permission of the author. All other rights reserved by the author.

For the entirety of this course so far we have been working and getting familiar with the version control tool git. In this week’s blog I will be writing about a blog called “What is Git | Explore a Distributed Version Control Tool” by Reshma Ahmed. I have chosen this article in particular to see how it came to existence, the roles they play in companies, and to get a further understanding in addition to what we have learned in class.

From the article I have learned the different types of version control such as centralized version control system and distributed version control systems. Git was created in 2005 by Linus Torvalds designed to “handle small to large projects with efficiency”. Git is a distributive version control system which is a system that prevents corruption and crashes that were caused from having a server hosted in a single repository such as in centralized version control systems due to everyone having a copy on their machine of their local repository. When reflecting back to the course we have been practicing with pushing and pulling from repositories, branches, as well as removing and adding commits. The GitKit activities worked on in class shown us practical issues that one may face with git such as merging issues as well as issues involving different versions of commits.

The article describes some of the features of git which we have looked at in class such as being open source as well as being secure. Open source software encourages transparency, collaboration, and accessibility similar to the FOSS communities mentioned in the first GitKit activity done in class. The article reads “Git uses the SHA1 to name and identify objects within its repository”. This concept becomes apparent from seeing in the GitKit activities done in class when applying commands such as “git log” that shows a commits’ hash as well as the date a commit was made.

Git not only is used in the software development community but plays a detrimental role in companies with more and more companies using git as their go-to version control system. Some of these companies include tech giants such as “Facebook, Yahoo, Twitter, eBay, Salesforce, [and] Microsoft” which shows the significance of git.

When reflecting for my personal future use of git, practical applications of git in the field of machine learning and data science is using git to manage datasets to ensure reproducibility as well as data integrity. In addition, I plan on using git for my data mining course project when collaborating with other peers.

Links

https://www.edureka.co/blog/what-is-git/#companies_using_git

From the blog CS@Worcester – Anthony Duong CS Blog by anthony duong and used with permission of the author. All other rights reserved by the author.

From the blog CS@Worcester – Kyler's Blog by kylerlai and used with permission of the author. All other rights reserved by the author.