Programming Concepts

The 6 Fundamental Ways Users and Programs Interact Through the Terminal

The 6 Fundamental Ways Users and Programs Interact Through the Terminal

Discover the six essential ways programs and users communicate through the terminal. This beginner-friendly guide covers stdin, stdout, stderr, …

Read More
What Is a Variable in Programming? A Simple Guide for Beginners

What Is a Variable in Programming? A Simple Guide for Beginners

How do computer programs store and manipulate information? The answer lies in variables, the fundamental building blocks of programming. This …

Read More
Microservices Data Evolution: Avoiding Breaking Changes with Compatibility

Microservices Data Evolution: Avoiding Breaking Changes with Compatibility

Microservices data structures change constantly. Learn why designing for evolvability and implementing a strategy for backward and forward …

Read More
Dependency Hell: 5 Strategies to Manage Open Source Risks (The Dependency Dilemma)

Dependency Hell: 5 Strategies to Manage Open Source Risks (The Dependency Dilemma)

The question is: To import or not to import? A library saves weeks of coding, but introduces Dependency Hell risks. This article shares a painful, …

Read More
Source Code to Machine Code: The Two Paths to Executable Programs

Source Code to Machine Code: The Two Paths to Executable Programs

Explore the two main paths—compilation and interpretation—that transform human-readable source code into machine-executable instructions, and …

Read More
The `1ms` Lie: Why `sleep()` Breaks Real-Time Code—Resolution & Jitter Fixed

The 1ms Lie: Why sleep() Breaks Real-Time Code—Resolution & Jitter Fixed

If you’ve ever built a real-time system, a data simulator, or a game loop, you’ve tried using sleep() to control timing. And if …

Read More
Tired of Debating Code Style? Automate Your Way to Consistency

Tired of Debating Code Style? Automate Your Way to Consistency

Tired of debating code style? Learn how automated code formatters can bring consistency to your projects, reduce friction in code reviews, and speed …

Read More
Enums vs. Constants: Why Using Enums Is Safer & Smarter

Enums vs. Constants: Why Using Enums Is Safer & Smarter

Are you still using integers or strings to represent fixed categories in your code? If so, you’re at risk of introducing bugs. Enums provide …

Read More
How a Program Binary Becomes a Running Process

How a Program Binary Becomes a Running Process

Have you ever stopped to think about what really happens when you run a program? Not just clicking “Run” or executing a command in the …

Read More
You Should Format Names in Your Code

You Should Format Names in Your Code

In my code, I need to define a variable to represent my new item. But how should I name it? Does it even matter how I format the variable name—or any …

Read More
Make Numbers More Readable in Your Code

Make Numbers More Readable in Your Code

Have you ever seen a giant number in your code, like 100000000, and thought, What even is this? I explored 50 top programming languages to see which …

Read More
Descriptive Variable Names Are Not Always Good

Descriptive Variable Names Are Not Always Good

When naming variables in a program, the usual advice is to use descriptive names. But is this always the case? Let’s explore when shorter, less …

Read More
Software Development Tools: A Comprehensive Overview

Software Development Tools: A Comprehensive Overview

When I learn a programming language, one of the first things I try to understand is how to transform written code into a deployable (installable) and …

Read More
Elements of Computer Programs and Programming Languages

Elements of Computer Programs and Programming Languages

What can we liken computer programs to? To me, they’re like instruction manuals. From a functional perspective, an instruction manual provides …

Read More