TLDR Index
TLDR Web Dev

TLDR WEB DEV 2024-10-21

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01GENERAL

02ARTICLES & TUTORIALS

UNLOCKING THE POWER OF JSON PATCH

JSON Patch is a standardized format for describing modifications to JSON documents that offers a simple and efficient method for applying partial updates (especially over HTTP). It works by applying a sequence of atomic operations, each specifying a type of change and a path within the JSON document. This allows for precise modifications, efficiency through transmitting only changes, atomicity for rollback, and idempotency for safe retries.

zuplo.com11 min read

SAMPLING WITH SQL

For efficient SQL sampling techniques for large datasets, the A-ES algorithm can be used for weighted sampling without replacement. This article explains a novel SQL-based approach for sampling with replacement, using the A-ES algorithm and showing off its effectiveness through a biased coin flip simulation.

blog.moertel.com20 min read

THE PART OF POSTGRESQL WE HATE THE MOST

PostgreSQL's Multi-Version Concurrency Control (MVCC) has shortcomings. Despite PostgreSQL's overall popularity, its MVCC design suffers from several problems: excessive data duplication, table bloat due to dead tuples, secondary index maintenance overhead, and difficulty in managing the autovacuum process.

cs.cmu.edu19 min read

03OPINIONS & ADVICE

OVERWHELMED AT NEW FAANG JOB (REDDIT THREAD)

This Reddit user is overwhelmed by the immense size and complexity of the codebase at their new FAANG job, which involves over 8 million lines of legacy code with lost knowledge. Their task is to replace an outdated build process with a new one using currently unsupported technologies. Comments suggest that the author should prioritize understanding the existing codebase, document their findings, build relationships with colleagues who possess relevant knowledge, and write test cases for legacy code before starting to make changes.

reddit.com

WHY I'M SKEPTICAL OF REWRITING JAVASCRIPT TOOLS IN “FASTER” LANGUAGES

The trend of rewriting JavaScript tools in "faster" languages like Rust or Go overlooks JavaScript's capabilities for optimization that haven't been fully explored. The perceived speed gap is often attributed to low-hanging fruit and the advantages provided by browser-based optimizations like bytecode caching and JIT compilation. Moving away from JavaScript would create a more complex and inaccessible ecosystem, hindering contributions and debugging.

nolanlawson.com8 min read

SOFTWARE ENGINEER TITLES HAVE (ALMOST) LOST ALL THEIR MEANING

The industry has rampant title inflation, with developers being labeled "senior" with minimal experience. This devalues the title and undermines the meaning of career milestones. The root of this problem lies in a combination of fierce competition for talent, personal branding pressures on social media, HR departments struggling to categorize specialized roles, and companies using title promotions as a retention tactic.

trevorlasn.com6 min read

04LAUNCHES & TOOLS

Sponsored

BUILD A DAILY WORKOUT TRACKER WITH CLERK, CONVEX, AND EXPO

"Daily Reps" is a workout tracker app designed to set daily goals and track progress toward workouts, resetting each day. Built with React Native and Expo, it uses Clerk for user management and Convex for real-time data, creating a powerful cross-platform solution for fitness tracking.

go.clerk.comSponsor

SVELVE V5 RELEASED

Svelte 5 has been officially released. It introduces runes, a new feature that utilizes signals to simplify state management and prop handling. Runes replace Svelte 4's stores and complex syntax.

npmjs.comTool

GOMPONENTS

Gomponents is a Go library for building reusable HTML components that makes it easy to create web applications in Go without needing complex template languages.

gomponents.comTool

DRASI PLATFORM

Drasi is a data processing platform that simplifies detecting changes in data and taking immediate action by tracking system logs and change feeds, evaluating them for relevance, and automatically initiating appropriate reactions.

github.comGitHub repository

05MISCELLANEOUS

DID AUTOMATTIC COMMIT OPEN SOURCE THEFT?

Automattic, the company behind WordPress, has been accused of open-source theft by its competitor, WP Engine, after it took ownership of a popular plugin called Advanced Custom Fields (ACF) and replaced it with a fork called Secure Custom Fields. This act involved silently migrating over 2 million users to the new plugin and is considered ethically questionable.

blog.pragmaticengineer.com11 min read

SPLIIT BY THE STATS: USAGE, COSTS, DONATIONS

Spliit is an open-source expense-splitting app that has seen over 150,000 visits and over 29,000 users sharing group links. While the app is free to use, it costs the developer around $115 per month in hosting fees, primarily for database usage. The app is currently funded through donations, ranging from $6 to $107 a month.

spliit.app6 min read

THE AI INVESTMENT BOOM

The AI boom is driving a surge in US investment in physical infrastructure, particularly in high-end computers and data centers. This demand is leading to record-high construction rates, increased imports of computer parts, and massive investments from companies like Amazon, Google, and Microsoft. While the AI boom has led to increased employment in sectors like semiconductor manufacturing and construction, it has not really impacted the traditional software engineering job market.

apricitas.io12 min read