TLDR Index
TLDR Web Dev

TLDR WEB DEV 2024-05-27

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01ARTICLES & TUTORIALS

MEDIOCRE ENGINEER'S GUIDE TO HTTPS

The internet operates as a network of interconnected computer networks with a layered structure, where each layer provides specific functionalities. HTTP requests travel through these layers, starting with the sender's request and ending with content rendering on the client's screen. HTTPS is a secure version of HTTP that uses TLS for encryption and verification, where the TLS handshake process establishes a secure connection and generates session keys for encrypted communication between client and server.

links.tldrnewsletter.com13 min read

HOW PYTHON COMPARES FLOATS AND INTS

Python's comparison of floating-point and integer numbers can lead to unexpected results due to the lack of implicit type promotion and the use of infinite precision integers. CPython, a reference implementation of Python, uses a complex algorithm to compare floats and ints, which involves comparing signs, magnitudes, exponents, and actual values. That's why it's recommended to use library functions for comparing floating-point values to avoid unexpected results.

blog.codingconfessions.com19 min read

ABUSING GO'S INFRASTRUCTURE

Arbitrary data, including non-Go code, can be uploaded to Go's checksum database and proxy. This is possible because the checksum database automatically fetches and stores module data if it's not already present. This mechanism can be exploited for malicious purposes, such as bypassing download restrictions, storing malware payloads, or implementing command and control (C2) channels.

reverse.put.as10 min read

02OPINIONS & ADVICE

THE DESKILLING OF WEB DEV IS HARMING THE PRODUCT BUT, MORE IMPORTANTLY, IT'S DAMAGING OUR HEALTH – THIS IS WHY BURNOUT HAPPENS

Web devs are experiencing high levels of burnout and churn due to the unrealistic expectation for developers to be experts in multiple specialized fields. Developers are having a hard time keeping up with the pace of change in each area of expertise. Companies are deskilling the industry by pushing for the use of tools like AI to replace skilled developers, leading to lower wages, job insecurity, and worse software.

baldurbjarnason.com10 min read

WRITE CODE THAT YOU CAN UNDERSTAND WHEN YOU GET PAGED AT 2AM

Clever code is difficult to understand. “Clever code” can stem from valuing complex code over readability, premature abstraction, or over-adherence to the DRY (Don't Repeat Yourself) principle. Devs should instead try to write simple code that their future selves can easily understand.

pcloadletter.dev6 min read

03LAUNCHES & TOOLS

Sponsored

WARP: A REIMAGINED RUST-BASED TERMINAL WITH AI BUILT-IN

Great software starts on the command line. Warp makes it faster and easier to write commands with IDE-style editing [10], and smart completions. You can even ask AI to help you out [10] when you're looking for the right command or stuck on a programming problem. No

warp.devSponsor

DATAHERALD

Dataherald is a natural language-to-SQL engine built for question answering over relational data. It allows you to set up an API from your database that can answer questions in plain English.

github.comGitHub repository

LO

LO is a simple programming language that targets WASM. It's easy to use and modify and it has very few dependencies.

github.comGitHub repository

04MISCELLANEOUS

CLOUDFLARE TOOK DOWN OUR WEBSITE AFTER TRYING TO FORCE US TO PAY 120K$ WITHIN 24H

This author's company was using Cloudflare's Business plan for years when it was suddenly asked to upgrade to Enterprise at a much higher cost within 24 hours or face website takedown. Despite negotiations, Cloudflare purged all of its domains, which caused it significant downtime and loss of customer trust.

robindev.substack.com10 min read

TO THE BRAIN, READING COMPUTER CODE IS NOT THE SAME AS READING LANGUAGE

MIT neuroscientists discovered that reading computer code activates the multiple demand network in the brain, a region responsible for complex cognitive tasks, rather than the language-processing areas. This means that understanding code is a distinct cognitive process different from both language and math. Experienced programmers don't rely on language regions for coding tasks.

news.mit.edu5 min read