TLDR WEB DEV 2023-11-10

HOW TO DO A TYPESCRIPT CONVERSION

This article addresses two popular approaches to converting a JavaScript-based application to TypeScript: do it as you go, or convert the code base in a “leaves-first” order where no module is converted without first having types for all of its dependencies. Most developers tend to take the first approach, However, there are two major problems with this. First, you will end up having to propagate changes to various files over and over and over again. Second, you cannot rely on the things you have already converted to actually be safe when taking this approach. The rigorous approach is harder but is a better option.

A COMPREHENSIVE GUIDE TO ANGULAR’S DEFER BLOCK

Angular v17 introduces a powerful feature called the "defer block" designed to improve performance and optimize component loading. Components, directives, or pipes placed within a defer block are loaded based on specific conditions or events, allowing for lazy loading. Defer blocks can be enhanced with @loading, @placeholder, and @error blocks for a more comprehensive user experience. This article uses code examples to explain the many ways defer blocks can be used.

WHAT I LEARNED GETTING ACQUIRED BY GOOGLE

Socratic was an educational app that was purchased by Google in 2018. In this post, the founder of Socratic shares his lessons from getting acquired, many of which focus on what Google’s software engineering culture is like compared to that of a startup. For example, even at Google’s scale, most Google Search improvements are still manually reviewed on spreadsheets through a side-by-side comparison.

HOW TO BURNOUT A SOFTWARE ENGINEER, IN 3 EASY STEPS

Burnout doesn't necessarily result from excessive working hours. This article shares two personal experiences of burnout, one at a startup and another at a large tech corporation. Both cases were triggered by factors such as micromanagement, a lack of trust in engineering teams, the implementation of unnecessary processes, delays in delivering code to customers, and overcommitting. The article offers valuable insights on how software engineers can effectively manage and address burnout.

TYPING FAST IS ABOUT LATENCY, NOT THROUGHPUT

While professional developers may only need to produce a limited amount of text or code per week, fast typing offers advantages in terms of quickly iterating, restructuring, and maintaining a flow of thoughts. The ability to type quickly allows for more efficient exploration of different sentence structures in writing and better organization of code thoughts. Even small improvements in typing speed can significantly reduce the "pause in thoughts" during the writing process, leading to increased productivity and a smoother workflow.

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NANGO

Nango simplifies the integration of external APIs with your product. It can create integrations quickly, maintain control over the logic, and access over 100 API templates for authentication, data synchronization, and more. It also provides features like handling rate limits, retries, strong typing, webhooks, monitoring, and an admin dashboard for a comprehensive integration experience.

REACT-GOOGLE-MAPS

This is the first “Google-sponsored library” for integrating Google Maps’ JavaScript API components in a React app. It comes with a collection of React components for creating maps, markers, and infowindows, along with a set of hooks for using some of the Maps JavaScript API Services and Libraries.

ASKED TO DO SOMETHING ILLEGAL AT WORK? HERE’S WHAT THESE SOFTWARE ENGINEERS DID

This post discusses three real-life cases where engineers and engineering managers faced ethical dilemmas in their workplaces. At FTX, engineering director Nishad Singh discovered potential fraud but chose to stay and attempt to resolve it, resulting in legal consequences. In contrast, an engineer refused to fabricate user data and faced no legal consequences at a startup called Frank. A deliberate double charging incident occurred at Pollen and the engineer involved expressed regret for their actions.

DON’T BUILD AI PRODUCTS THE WAY EVERYONE ELSE IS DOING IT

This blog discusses ways you can build differentiated AI apps that deal with the problematic sides of LLM such as its cost, slowness, and lack of customization. The solution is to build your own toolchain of models connected by normal code. The trick is, as strange as it sounds, to avoid using AI for as long as possible in your project. Then, when you start finding particular problems that standard coding doesn't solve well — but well-established AI models can — start generating your own data and training your own models with a wide variety of tools you can find off-the-shelf.

HOW WE ORGANIZE OUR VERY LARGE PYTHON MONOLITH

This article covers how Kraken Technologies organizes its large Python monolith, consisting of around 28,000 Python modules. Kraken implemented a layered architecture pattern to prevent code complexity and enforce clear dependencies. The top-level modules and subpackages serve as layers, ensuring that components do not depend on those higher up in the stack. This structure is maintained using a linter that enforces layering and independence rules.

INTERNAL AUTOMATTIC MEMO (THREADS POST)

An internal Automattic memo is making the rounds on Tumblr, indicating that the company has failed to get Tumblr activity/revenue up since its 2019 acquisition. It will now be maintained by a skeleton crew of Trust & Safety and support folks.

VIMGPT

GPT-4 is given the ability to browse the web on its own.

SINGLETON CLASSES WITH TYPESCRIPT

The Singleton design pattern ensures that there is only a single instance of a class in an application. This article teaches how to create a singleton class in TypeScript.