Category Archives: cs-wsu

Nurse to Developer

One woman’s journey from animal medicine to tech

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After 12 years in the veterinary medicine field as a nurse, I am actively focused on a career shift into computer science, specifically in software engineering.

This blog is where I will document my technological discoveries, achievements, setbacks, and anything else that contributes to conquering my career goals.

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From the blog cs-wsu – Anna The Dev by Adrianna Frazier and used with permission of the author. All other rights reserved by the author.

Sprint 3

During sprint 3, I kept working on the frontend, like the last sprint, I had been stuck trying to get the backend up, while trying to work on the frontend. I had a teammate work with me for this sprint to complete it. We worked on two different branches, mine and Jason’s.  Inside my branch, I was having a problem starting up the frontend through development mode, so I decided to see the original branch and work back into the updates I had made. Jason was able to start the frontend without the backend using dev. This gave me the advantage of designing the frontend and seeing what would work. Working with someone this sprint improved the sprint overall for me because last sprint, everyone else was in the backend while I was working in the frontend. My teammates were helpful, but without working with someone directly in the frontend, it was difficult to get help on exactly what I needed.  

First starting on the design, I had noticed that I had to make the banners and everything the perfect size, or it wouldn’t be eye-appealing. Small things like having the top and bottom borders being same size were important. One of my biggest problems was attempting to make sure the page could fit on one page without having to scroll, because, first, designing the front end, there would be empty white space that wasn’t needed, or having the logos be too small. But I was able to persevere and have a design that I was proud of. I also have to give credit to Byron, who posted his design, which I translated into my design. It helped in choosing what logos should be prioritized and gives the frontend a coherent design.

  For this sprint, I would choose Kindred Spirits as the pattern that most resonated with me. This pattern highlights the importance of working together and working with someone who is like-minded and is determined to learn and accomplish their goals. This is great to have in a team because it allows teammate to grow together while also accomplishing their tasks. Working with a teammate this sprint greatly affected the amount of work I was able to accomplish. I was able to complete more in a shorter amount of time given. Directly working with Jason during this sprint gave me more insight into the issues we faced and helped me grow faster and feel more supported. Before this sprint, as I mentioned, I was isolated, working on the frontend by myself. It was difficult to troubleshoot my work with others because they were working on different aspects of the project, mostly in the backend. My teammates were helpful in what they could help me with, but there was always a disconnect because I didn’t want to slow them down on their work, and they were working on the backend. Working in collaboration with Jason allowed me to exchange ideas and confirm each other’s work. It gave me more confidence to ask questions because we were working in unison on the same problem. If I had been aware of this pattern earlier, I would have gotten a partner sooner because working in isolation isn’t a deterrent to just you but to the whole team.

From the blog cs-wsu – DCO by dcastillo360 and used with permission of the author. All other rights reserved by the author.

Sprint 2

During this sprint, I switched up the work I did compared to the last sprint instead of working on the backend I was given the task to oversee the front end. First going into the front end blindly I didn’t know exactly how far the front end was already and had to accommodate myself to the code. First opening the frontend I noticed it was missing several files that would hold great importance in starting the frontend. One of my first fixes was the docker-compose file left by the other group was the backend file the same so I created a new file that would hold both servers of the front end and the backend. I updated some of the documentation that had been outdated compared to what we were working on currently. I created a new way to start the frontend server because it was missing that and added an up.sh, down.sh, and rebuild.sh for the front end. I also updated the outdated docker file. After I had a basis for what was needed I decided to go in and organize it better to read the new files in an organized manner to see what files were missing. Had to add new assets and components including new pictures of Libre food pantry and any other ones that were needed. 

During this sprint, I worked well working alone but I should have checked more often with my teammates because of the issue that would later fall upon me. I was making progress every week but I hadn’t yet seen the biggest fault was the backend would crash on me. Next time I should check in with my teammates sooner instead of making progress on my own. I just didn’t want to slow down my teammates with my work. That is a fault in itself I shouldn’t be scared for help because the team will fail if I do this. 

This time around the apprenticeship pattern that resonated with me the most was breakable toys because it is the basis of each sprint. You must create a small project where you can make mistakes in order to learn and be better. During this spring I was learning the ins and outs of the front end on something someone else created that I had to update and fix. This pattern could have made me more confident in messing up because it’s now wrong to mess up. Failing would help with issues that would come up that would show me what to do in other scenarios. Another pattern I would choose is to learn how you fail. I had many times during this sprint where I was head scratching to find an answer or come to an understanding of something but picking up on the patterns of how I failed I could change for the next issue that would come up. This issue opens my mind to being more intentional with my work and picking up on my common mistakes even if sometimes simple mistakes are the biggest headaches. Errors can be preventable by understanding why you do something and adapting to catch them next time. During this sprint, I learned a great deal about my project and I hope in the next sprint I will be able to learn more.

From the blog cs-wsu – DCO by dcastillo360 and used with permission of the author. All other rights reserved by the author.

Sprint 1 Retrospective

My first sprint was a trial of figuring things out. Had to get accustomed to my team members and the program that was already created before. I was assigned to the reporting system and going in with my teammates and I didn’t know how far along the project had been. We had to first get settled and understand what updates needed to be done to complete our first sprint. Our sprint planning went well we understood the issues left before from a different class could be used for our sprint in this class. We all selected an issue that each one of us would resolve including some minor ones that came later on. I was chosen to Determine the startup procedure for MongoDB and RabbitMQ in the development environment. 

At first, I was confused with understanding what I had to do but after reading the comments made I began to understand what needed to be done. It was more of a test by creating another docker-compose file to run the Rabbimq without the backend. I created a devDocker-compose to achieve my goal. I then created another index.js file. I did this to run the developer versions or production of the up scripts. I did minor updates during the sprint including updating devcontainer so it would work better on Macs. There were several things we had to update so we split up the work and committed the corresponding ones to the main. I helped my teammates in their projects as well by working in their branches and accepting their merges when needed. As a team, we worked united and we always made sure we were all on the same page. During this sprint, we learned new things that we could incorporate into our team including updating each other on what we are working on today to be on the same page. We never let any team get lost and we were always there to pick each other up. One moment I could recall is that one of our member’s computers was having issues and we all as a unit came to find the issue which we did. Even for minor mistakes like commit messages, we made sure to edit and fix them to pass the pipeline. 

The pattern I would choose from the Apprenticeship Patterns book would be to expose your ignorance. It’s great to work alone and do your own thing but if you get stuck don’t be scared to get help from teammates instead of figuring it out alone. It’s great to get feedback and ask questions to everyone. This pattern is key for the growth of a developer and being able to be humble when addressing gaps of knowledge. You don’t have to act like you know everything because of pride or embarrassment but be willing to learn and be curious without fear. During this sprint, if I didn’t ask for help in certain scenarios I wouldn’t have known how to continue my project but being able to discuss boosted my work progress. When you are first joining a team you want to be reliable instead of a burden but asking questions as a whole will strengthen your team. During this spring I wouldn’t have hesitated to ask more questions that I had figured out on my own.     

From the blog CS@Worcester – DCO by dcastillo360 and used with permission of the author. All other rights reserved by the author.

Apprenticeship Patterns Chapter 1 and Chapter 2-6 Introductions

“Apprenticeship Patterns Guidance for the Aspiring Software Craftsman” by Dave Hooper and Adewale Oshineye was interesting. This reading allowed me to reconnect my work to the text. The simple route would be to create a technical guideline but instead, this book goes into greater depth that mentality is the key. The mental fortitude to be humble and to always be open to learning new things from anyone to master your craft.

All the chapters hold great importance to me, I found chapters 3 and 5 to be the standouts. Two key things that stood out to me mainly were developing a long-lasting career and being adaptable in any situation. I am just beginning my career and one goal that I have to achieve before the rest is starting to create a long path to success. Not everything is going to happen in a day but taking it one day at a time and not focusing on the short term can come a long way. Slowly progressing and making small strides is the way to go. Adaptability is self-explanatory but with technology always changing and advancing, you must always be ready for the change. If you don’t adapt to it, technology will leave you behind. Some people may not like change but it’s great to always learn new things and change the way you used to do something for something better. An open mind is better than a closed one.

After reading this I have come to a new understanding of my career. It has taught me to have more purpose when I learn even the smallest things because to fully master something you must understand the big concepts and the small ones. When Learning you should focus on being competent on something instead of just acquiring it and moving on. Also, this is a long-term goal so don’t focus on the short term but look at it from a broader point of view where small increments can lead to bigger strides in the end. The main key to becoming a software craftsman is mentality because technical skills can only get you so far when you always must be moving forward and being able to adapt on short notice.

From the blog cs-wsu – DCO by dcastillo360 and used with permission of the author. All other rights reserved by the author.

Task 5

I found the website of Libre Food Pantry to be interesting I like the setup of the site and like the aesthetic. It looks very professional and the colors coordinate with the webpage. The section about GitLab stood out to me. It is great to be open to the public where we work on our project. It gives anyone easy access to our work without being able to edit it but look at it and give us feedback. I chose to write about this because sometimes it is hard to find the source of people’s projects but it being easy to see is very useful. In Thea’s food pantry, I found the community section the most important. This should be the first thing that should be clear to anyone working on this project. It tackles a lot of problems that may be up to interpretation but gives clear answers so nobody is confused. For me, the one that stood out the most was the definition of done. To certain people, this may be simple but in reality, it is much more complicated than it is. To be done with code can be a multi-step process. This gives importance to the expectation that everyone must reach when working on this project.

From the blog CS@Worcester – DCO by dcastillo360 and used with permission of the author. All other rights reserved by the author.

Working as a Front end developer

Now that I have heard about people’s experiences working on the back end, I was curious about people’s experiences working on the front end. Reading personal experiences taught me a lot about working on the back end. You can learn a lot and avoid mistakes by seeing others take similar paths. Also, it can prepare you for problems that you may face in the future. Mistakes are inevitable but being able to adapt or being able to recognize it and fix it goes a long way. Working on projects especially those that have to do with coding errors is always a step away. You can try to get a step ahead on these problems by seeing other people work and implementing it on your stuff. That is why I found an article about working as a front-end developer. These articles are very engaging and always give me a new perspective.

This article is written by Selim Enes who has done freelance work in the past but is currently working as a developer. When he first started he was working on small things like CSS edits until he proved himself. One of his major projects was a blog project where he had to create the display of the UI. He was involved in all operations after 2 months. When he proved to the team that his code wouldn’t crash the project he gained access to the company’s main project. The company’s main project entailed a webinar application that used technologies like WebSocket. One thing that made him know he was going in the right direction was being able to develop features like push-to-talk by himself. There are some negatives to his work with his boss being very hasty on projects. He believes all tasks are urgent and make some work very stressful. Plus with the recent economic regression, he doesn’t believe he will be able to get a raise anytime soon. He has learned to have a full-stack blog project for himself and has an e-commerce project his about to start working on. He is working while also building his portfolio outside of work.

Reading this article was very insightful. It made sense that when you first start working for a company they won’t give you the keys to everything just yet. They ease you up into it until you have gained their trust. Working on his portfolio outside of work motivated me to do the same too. You can sometimes become complacent at your job because you have a living but you shouldn’t. You should always try to improve and hope to find better opportunities elsewhere

View at Medium.com
https://medium.com/@sellimenes/1-year-experience-as-a-junior-front-end-developer-39766fad5c34

From the blog CS@Worcester – DCO by dcastillo360 and used with permission of the author. All other rights reserved by the author.

Week 15

Working inside the backend made me curious about people’s real-life experiences working in their company’s backend. I found articles about the backend but have yet to gain experience working inside it. It would be helpful to get insight into someone’s real-life experiences. By seeing others’ experiences you can learn from them and avoid any mistakes they made starting. Many beginner mistakes are big headaches when they happen, but if someone else can stop you from making them, it will be a huge lifesaver. We learn sometimes the hard way but the biggest help to prevent this is to learn from other paths. Some may think it better to go in blind I think differently. Being prepared for me is always the better option

Blessings James starts the article by advising readers that starting it may be difficult but to trust the process because the feeling after you accomplish your task is another feeling entirely. Her favorite project was working on a to-do list application with a backend using Python. It was difficult for her to work while also being data efficient. By doing research she was able to find a scalable model that worked. She also discovered some libraries including Flask-login that would do a lot of the heavy lifting. This was key for security which is often overlooked. Debugging is always a problem that comes up but she was able to gracefully fix them. API design was also a key feature wired on but swagger made it a lot easier. 

Reading this article gave me a lot of insight into someone working in the backend for a real company. There were some similarities to what were doing now including swagger. Swagger seems like the for the API design. We haven’t used all the features of Swagger but using Swagger Preview did help when doing assignments and homework. Our code was automatically able to be seen updated. One thing that interested me was Flask-login. I didn’t know you could use outside libraries but it makes sense if it is open to the public anyone can use it. It can save time by being able to use different libraries and cut your workload by half. Reading that article there was a big emphasis on security and I feel at times is overlooked. You have seen with a lot of companies when it is overlooked the outcomes are drastic. It becoming a bigger issue every day and security should be the first task on everyone’s list.

View at Medium.com
View at Medium.com
View at Medium.com
article
View at Medium.com
View at Medium.com
https://medium.com/@blessingjames1047/an-article-on-backend-ff90312c05b2

From the blog CS@Worcester – DCO by dcastillo360 and used with permission of the author. All other rights reserved by the author.

AI Revolutions in Large-Scale Application Development

The advent of Artificial Intelligence (AI) is changing the software development landscape, making the creation of big project and their related application code faster, smarter, and more efficient. From automating repetitive tasks to optimizing code and enabling predictive analysis, AI empowers developers to achieve more with less effort. This blog explores how AI actual facilitated in normal coder and tester related workers and their tangible benefits give more reliable outcomes without any more works.

               AI acts as a force multiplier in software development, streamlining workflows, reducing errors, and enhancing productivity. Before AI the possibilities of traditional works are very lengthy and so much effort of manual strategy, particular for large projects. By using machine learning, natural language processing, and advanced algorithms, AI tools and platforms help developers at every stage of the application lifecycle, thus easing those challenges.

Key Areas where AI Growing:

Code Generation: In GitHub Copilot AI tools helps developers by generating raw codes, suggesting snippets, and writing full code according to their descriptions.

Bug Detection and Fixing: AI tools like Deep Code analyses coders code and give accurate and deeper result so it gives actionable recommendations in real bugs and fixes their uses in just one click.

Automated Testing: Machine learning algorithms can generate large scale test on minimum time so it actual carry the whole process testing in their application so workers can get time and effortless comprehensive testing.

Real-World Examples of AI in Action

  1. GitHub Copilot: This AI coding assistant generates suggestions in real time, helping developers write efficient and accurate code faster. It makes big projects easier to handle by lowering the amount of manual labor required for repetitive coding chores.
  2. Chatbots for DevOps: AI-powered chatbots doing multiple things automatically like server deployment, monitor application health, and resolve issue in one time so human interventions growth reduced.

Challenges and Limitations is also part of this AI skills. AI-generated code may require careful validation so might be Accuracy Dependence is requirement in project-specific parts. It may be necessary to make an initial training expenditure in order for developers to comprehend how to use AI tools efficiently. Using AI in proprietary projects brings up issues related to biassed algorithms and intellectual property so ethical issue is also fixed it our terms and modifications.

               As AI continues to evolve, its role in software development will expand further. Innovations such as generative AI for full-stack applications, intelligent debugging systems, and adaptive learning platforms will redefine what’s possible in large-scale application development. In conclusion, AI is not just a tool for coders; it is one robot which give accurate result without any further large skills task. Diverse controlling in AI based application is sometime give innovation and creativity and every computer fields.

Citations:

  1. GitHub Copilot Documentation. (n.d.). https://github.com/features/copilot
  2. Amodei, D., Olah, C., et al. (2016). Deep Learning in AI Systems. OpenAI Research Papers.
  3. Applitools AI Testing Tools. (n.d.). https://applitools.com
  4. How AI is Revolutionizing Software Development [YouTube Video]. (2023). Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IGQChbLYFqY

From the blog CS@Worcester – Pre-Learner —> A Blog Introduction by Aksh Patel and used with permission of the author. All other rights reserved by the author.

Week 14

We have collaborated on the backend for the last few weeks. It is the central workload of our work, so I wanted to find an article about it. It very much intertwined with what were doing in class and outside of class with the homework. It is a great opportunity to see other people’s experiences working in the back end and real-life experiences. You can understand more things that we didn’t dive into the class by doing research and expanding our knowledge. That is why this week I found an article that specifically goes into detail about backend development.

The article starts by mentioning the importance of the backend and how it’s often overlooked because most of the spotlight is on the front end. The back end is like what is under the hood of a car you are happy when it works without having to open the hood. That being said the front end and back end work in tandem it’s not always necessary but for this scenario yes. The front is more the user-facing elements of a website. Like the text that is being displayed, graphics, buttons, and or anything the user interacts with.While the backend focuses on the behind-the-scenes work to make the website function. Outside of a car is the front end and its engine and other components are the back end. The backend is important to complete any user request by being safe and efficient. Security and efficiency are key processes of the backend for the user experience. This is why both backend and frontend developers must work in unison to create successful applications. The main importance backend developers should go for is innovation. Technology is always evolving and people must adapt to it becoming stagnant won’t be successful in this field.

Reading this article made me understand more about backend development. Backend development has so much more to it with data and security. It makes sense because security is often overlooked at times. The more information is stored online the more we have to make the effort to secure people’s data. Nobody will want to use your application if there is a breach of security. My main takeaway was their statement about innovation. Their final message to the reader was a hopeful one stating that a developer must change with the times because they are in the epicenter of it. Technology goes far out including healthcare solutions that might not be important to some but are highly integral to a lot of people.  

https://www.ciat.edu/blog/understanding-backend-development/

https://www.ciat.edu/blog/understanding-backend-development/

From the blog CS@Worcester – DCO by dcastillo360 and used with permission of the author. All other rights reserved by the author.