In this week’s post for my blog about the crazy journey of coding, I will be talking about the SOLID principles. The reason I am selecting this topic is because it sets the tone on how to produce quality code. Many times, especially for most students like me, we rush to finish up any coding project we have and don’t live up to the potential that could have been put forth. Therefore, SOLID principle help give a guideline to follow for almost any programmer to outcome the best work.

Well S.O.L.I.D is actually an acronym that stand for five important principle of object-oriented programming by Robert C. Martin, who is commonly known by as Uncle Bob. Now if you have read my first blog you would know that I went to a lot more details on object-oriented programming and I would suggest everyone read up on that before reading this post. The essential purpose of the principles to create software that is easy to maintain and add onto in the future. These principles also help detect any minor problem in the code that could lead to bigger problems and help change around code any time on the code journey. Now let’s get into what these letters actually represent.

The S in the S.O.L.I.D principle stands for Single Responsibility Principle and it states that a class should have one and only one reason to change, essentially meaning a class should only have on job. This concept should be fairly easy to understand as one class should be responsible only for what it represents and all the methods in the class should correspond to that. The second acronym O stands for Open-Closed Principle and it states that objects or software entities should be opened for extension, but closed for modification. What this essentially means is that classes should be able to extend its behavior, but not be modified. This can be done in various different ways such as through inheritance or an interface, but the main guideline is not to modify.

The L in the S.O.L.I.D principle stands for Liskov Substitution Principle and it states that objects of a superclass can be replaced with objects of its subclasses without breaking the software application. What this simplifies too is that the objects of the subclass need to behave in the same way as objects of the superclass. The next acronym I stands for the Interface Segregation Principle and it states that no client should be forced to implement an interface that it doesn’t use or clients shouldn’t depend on methods they don’t use. These interfaces are difficult to maintain and change over time so it is best to avoid. The last acronym in the S.O.L.I.D principles stands for Dependency Inversion Principle and it states that software entities must depend on abstractions not on concretions. This is due to the fact that abstractions change less and so make it easier to change behavior.

I think personally these principles are all key to establishing good solid code. In the future, I expect myself to catch myself when I am coding and follow these principles. With this outlook, I will be able to keep a clear focus from start to finish of a project, and won’t compromise one thing for another. The principles create a clear road to follow and I have benefitted from learning about it.

To read more up on the S.O.L.I.D principles, here are some sources to check out which I have used for research:

View at Medium.com

https://scotch.io/bar-talk/s-o-l-i-d-the-first-five-principles-of-object-oriented-design

From the blog CS@Worcester – Roller Coaster Coding Journey by fbaig34 and used with permission of the author. All other rights reserved by the author.

As a student learning new things every day, I chose this topic because I was curious as to what it really entails in computer science as it is one of the topics that directly relates to the course. However, little did I know that it was an abbreviation for 5 important design principles employed in software programming to make software designs more understandable, flexible, and maintainable.  I selected this blog because it explains briefly but detailed about each principle of SOLID and definitions.

This blog talks about who introduced the acronym SOLID and its importance. Also, what it stands for, which are Single-Responsibility, Open-Closed, Liskov Substitution, Interface-Segregation and Dependency-Inversion Principles. Not only does it explain each principle, but explanations are concise and easy to comprehend. It has some links that provides detailed explanations to some of the principles, giving examples that enables one to grasp the concept fully. It also explains why each concept can help developers to build better software and the importance of cohesion and less coupling in software development.

In this blog not only did I learn about the 5 principles, but also learned that it is a part of object-oriented programming that enables one to write a better code that is robust. I learned in Single-Responsibility Principle that classes should have a unique responsibility and that will help reduce complexities, reduce dependency on other classes, ensure readability all in while leading to a stronger cohesion. I believe that the quote “do one thing and do it well” has come into importance in this principle as that will help me avoid fusing too much responsibility on classes in my future programs to make editing of codes easy.

In Open-Closed Principle, I learned that any class written or coded can be used as it is written. It can be extended but can not be modified. However this principle made me understand more about inheritance and polymorphism in the sense that classes can be open if attributes can be added but closed if it is available for use/extended/implemented by other classes. I always used to be a victim of modifying parent classes if there are any errors in my sub classes which should not be the case. Also, this principle improves readability.

When looking at sample programs using interfaces, I never understood why interfaces could not be segregated into one, rather such programs could have more than one interfaces. Also, one class could implement many interfaces. However, this blog made me understand why this is the case in Interface-Segregation Principle that an interface can be broken down into smaller interfaces that are specific rather than making it large. In addition, classes do not need to implement interfaces they do not use.

I will encourage other students to read this blog as it helps understand more concepts in Object-Oriented Programming to make them better programmers.

https://apiumhub.com/tech-blog-barcelona/solid-principles/

From the blog CS@Worcester – GreenApple by afua3254 and used with permission of the author. All other rights reserved by the author.

In today’s blog I’m gonna talk about UML diagram. This week in the past we learn how to draw email diagram and how it helps in software developing and designing. We also learned how programmers use this UML diagram to write code in class object and much more. This is directly related to the course materials in and computer science major this block will help the readers how to draw your UML diagrams and then write a code based on that.

i’m gonna start with what is your UML diagrams. UML, which stands for Unified Modeling Language, is a way to visually represent the architecture, design, and implementation of complex software systems. This language helps programmers to visualize the software and helps them developing code.I’m gonna talk about types of your mail diagram there are five component of uml diagram. Class, object, inheritance, Abstraction,and polymorphism. Below show definition of those component.

1. Class –A class in UML diagrams tells the basic idea of the structure and functions of an object used in class.
2. Objects –Objects help us break down large structures and allow us to modulate our behavior.
3. Inheritance –Inheritance is a process by which child/Subclasses inherit the characteristics of their parent/Superclasses.
4. Abstraction –It is the process by which implementation details are hidden from the user end.
5. Polymorphism –It is the method by which functions or entities are to show themselves in more than one foam.

   People chose this because UML Because it helps strategic value of software increases for many companies, the industry looks for techniques to automate the production of software and to improve quality and reduce cost and time-to-market. These techniques include component technology, visual programming, and pattern. The Unified Modeling Language (UML) was designed to respond to these needs. this tool is really easy to use when you understand everything. This diagram helps Support higher-level development concepts such as collaborations, frameworks, patterns and components. And Integrate best practices.

   There are many ways to write or draw UML diagram. You can Draw it by pen or pencil or online tool like visual-paradigm that Han help developer to draw class and object UML diagram FOR FREE.

   we all know that your UML diagram is REALLY difficult to write or draw. I am going to explain what each symbol and sign mean in UML Class diagram. Link below show how UML diagram can be drawn. There are things in there you can look at like UML Class Notation, Class Visibility, class attribution, Class operation, Parameter Directionality, Relationships between classes and much more…

SOURCE: https://www.techtravelhub.com/what-is-uml
https://www.visual-paradigm.com/guide/uml-unified-modeling-language/what-is-uml/

free UML diagram: https://online.visual-paradigm.com/diagrams/solutions/free-class-diagram-tool/

From the blog CS@Worcester – </electrons> by 3electrones and used with permission of the author. All other rights reserved by the author.

For this week “Apprenticeship Pattern” I have chosen Reading List. It is a pattern about keeping up a running list or more precisely a priority queue, as the author describes it, of books that are worth reading for amassing more knowledge about a given subject. The queue will change or be reorganized many times over the course of it, but it is worth having. Another useful advice in the pattern is to ask your mentors or people more knowledgeable bout a subject about which books they recommend reading.

What I like about this pattern is simply something that I have already started doing, it is interesting to me to find out that it is not only me who had this idea. I think this will be a very useful tool in anybody’s arsenal in their professional career. What I have done is essentially described in the pattern itself. I have talked to some of my colleagues at work as well as my bosses and figured out what books they recommend, after that I have done some research and based on other reviews of the mentioned books I have made my own list.

Not all the books in my opinion need to be about your work or career, if they are helpful in some way then they are worth reading. Any knowledge is good, the best knowledge of course is the one that helps us grow as a person.

One useful thing that I have learned from this pattern is to put my past books on my list and keep them there even after I have read them. This is to help me and other to reflect on them later and to better remember the contents and lessons acquired from the book. The pattern also states that better understanding of the subject at hand will help people refine and organize the list better. I agree with that and like the author states mentors are always a good source of said understanding and any good mentor will always steer you in the right direction. I’m feeling lucky because I have been able to find such a person. Currently due to my student status my reading has stalled to a degree, but I do plan to get back to it as soon as possible.

From the blog #CS@Worcester – Pawel’s CS Experience by Pawel Stypulkowski and used with permission of the author. All other rights reserved by the author.

For this week’s blog post, I decided to write about The White Belt.  This section is in Chapter 2 which is called Emptying The Cup, and if I remember the introduction for Chapter 2 correctly, this chapter 100% belongs in this section. Like all sections in this book, it is split up into 5 sections, context, problem, solution, action, and see also. The context is a short sentence that basically explains the reader is now confident in his abilities in a certain language, and people rely on them for help. I was actually shocked to read this because typically the white belt symbolizes the beginning, and this book’s description of a white belt is knowing a language and helping people. That’s shocking to me because that just means I have no belt because I feel like I’m in no position to be helping people with the skills I have now.

The next section is the problem. This section was also very short, but it should be because it is only discussing the issue. The issue for this section is that it is difficult to learn new things, and that your “personal development may have stalled” (Oshineye, Hoover). While this isn’t an issue for me yet because I am still learning my first language, this could very much be an issue in the future for me as I also struggle with learning new things.

The solution section urges the reader to start to learn new things by unlearning the things he already knows. They use real life examples as well as some code examples to get their point across. I particularly enjoyed the code section because I liked how they showed the same process being done with two “radically different” (Oshineye, Hoover). languages. They did this to show that because you have a solution in one language, you should still learn a new language to broaden your horizons.

This section was a really easy read for me. The part where they talked about how the white belt had to learn the way while the black belt knows the way really hit me because that was how my internship was. I had to watch and learn everyday before I could even do anything, and it was actually nice to learn along the way because I realized there was so much more that I had to learn before starting my real job.

From the blog CS@Worcester – My Life in Comp Sci by Tyler Rego and used with permission of the author. All other rights reserved by the author.

From the blog #Khoa'sCSBlog by and used with permission of the author. All other rights reserved by the author.

Further reading into chapter 2 I find that I relate to many of the patterns in this chapter, However, in my reading tonight I felt a specific interest in UnleashYour Enthusiasm. Unleashing Your Enthusiasm is about taking your passion for the work you do and exercising that passion. Think of it like starting at a new gym. You may not know what to do or the correct ways to do things, you may feel weak, confused, and embarrassed. Even with all of these negative feelings you know that you are excited to learn and get stronger. You may need to ask trainers for help and exercise your want for learning despite the embarrassment. This pattern is primarily about understanding that your passion used correctly is itself a valuable attribute to contribute to a team or teacher.

I find that this pattern goes hand in hand with Exposing Your Ignorance and that are one in the same. In order to unleash your enthusiasm you must be willing to expose your ignorance. If you are new to a team or project you are undoubtedly going to have to learn. You have to know that other more senior members will know more than you and will have to take the time to teach you, which for them may seem counterproductive. Being alright with your ignorance is the first step toward unleashing your enthusiasm. UnleashYour Enthusiasm is more about seeing the value in your ignorance. With this drive for knowledge it can help rekindle the flames of other more senior members who have plateaued and have their fire of passion die down to a smolder.

I find I experience the fear of exposing my ignorance quite often. At this point in my education I am always learning in everything I do. It sounds silly because it’s so obvious, but everything I have learned was once something I did not know. This means I had to overcome some fear and pursue that knowledge. Working with teams of my peers there is often a wide range of knowledge based on experience and backgrounds. It is scary to put myself out there and explain that I may not know something that they are all talking about it, but I have had the courage to do so. Many times I have done this and then had a pleasant conversation with my peers about having the drive for knowledge. It doesn’t pay to be afraid of taking the chance, that chance is knowledge and it gives others the opportunity to share something with you. I find that this unleashing of enthusiasm sparks a great pep talk for any team.

From the blog cs@worcester – Zac's Blog by zloureiro and used with permission of the author. All other rights reserved by the author.

Last week, I gave an overview of my planned independent study project. This week, I’ll give a bit more detail on what I’ve done.

I have a habit of preparing for classes before they start. I buy the text books, get an overview of the material, and prepare to apply learning techniques throughout the semester. This helps me identify problems before the semester starts and address them in class as I go. Likewise with this project, I had hoped to get as much as I could done with machine learning before this semester started to hit the ground running with the software portion. Naturally, my ignorance led me to assume the problem was easier than it actually is. After a great conversation with a communications professor, I realized the problems I was trying to solve had to be broken down.

Counter-intuitively, the broken down problem is more difficult. To recap, my project involves machine learning and audio signal processing. Although great leaps have been made in this field and many problems have been solved, they mostly use clever tricks to achieve the results they get. Take speech recognition for example: your text-to-speech software transcribes nearly 100% correctly. Machine learning models can use huge datasets of audio, as well as commonly-spoken phrases to decide which words you’re most likely to say. The result is that mumbling, stuttering, or ambient noise is a bit more forgivable. On the contrary, transcribing each and every syllable is not nearly as easy, and in fact it’s a problem that has yet to be solved. That’s a shame, considering I was hoping to transcribe an audio sample into phones as part of my process and I somehow doubt I can do it without first getting a PhD.

This realization has led me to take a quick course on machine learning problem framing. It teaches the process of developing an hypothesis and developing a model to prove it, as well as resisting the temptation to shoehorn a problem into machine learning when a heuristic solution is as good or better. I did manage to find examples of using machine learning to solve some of the problems I wanted to (dating back 20+ years, even), but unfortunately they were each limited in scope and would be difficult to use to make a cohesive app. My goal isn’t a Frankenstein project.

In an effort to dig deeper, I’ve also done an introduction to Pandas tutorial, and started on a Tensorflow tutorial. These are surface-level in and of themselves, but help in understanding the higher-level frameworks. My hope is that understanding the basics will allow me to create a model that has an exciting application. In the meantime, I can implement the prerequisite features in software: audio recording and signal processing.

I’m going to dive into more specific problems as the semester goes on and I get more comfortable with the topics. I’ve already come up with a list of ideas and find myself wanting to write posts on small things like Android project flavors and build configuration. Posting thoughts and lessons in a public place has been great for accountability, and my goal is to know these technologies inside and out 4 months from now.

From the blog CS@Worcester – Inquiries and Queries by James Young and used with permission of the author. All other rights reserved by the author.