I’m writing an ebook and compiling a repository of Docker solutions for developing Node.js applications… and I need your help!
It’s All Or Nothing … Right?
We, as software developers and people in general, share a romanticized mythology of the “all or nothing”, diving in head-first, method of learning or doing something new. But is the all-or-nothing mentality the right way to look at things? Can we re-build an existing software project, from scratch, in a new technology? Will this effort […]
What Work Should You Delegate?
In the previous video, I talked about the balance between delegating work with a “toss is over the fence” mentality vs checking in to see how things are going. But I never asked, nor answered, the question of what work should be delegated, in the first place. Unfortunately, the only valid answer – like everything […]
Custom Errors w/ Clean Stack Traces in Node.js
Some recent discussion in the WatchMeCode slack spawned a bit of research into creating custom errors through factory methods, while keeping the stack trace for those errors clean, in Node.js After a bit of digging, I found a good solution using Node’s Error.captureStackTrace method, and recorded a quick screencast to highlight it’s use. The Screencast […]
My Favorite Thing To Do With Code
There are a lot of great aspects of software development, including writing code, solving problems, and generally working with cool technology and toys. But of all the things that I do as a developer, there is 1 thing in particular that I absolutely love doing. And that one thing? It’s not solving problems, surprisingly (though […]
The High Barrier To Entry For ES2015 (ES6)
It’s no secret that I’m a fan of various ES6 features. I use a lot of the new syntax options and methods on various objects whenever I can – in browser based apps as well as node.js apps. But I recently stumbled upon on a situation that had me wondering if the barrier to entry is really worth the cost, right now.
What Are Developers Really Paid To Do?
It’s a question that most developers have a fast answer for: “WRITE CODE!” … but, is that really what you’re paid to do? In this episode of Thoughts On Code I’ll explain why I don’t think your job is to just write code, after all.
Optimize Code For Readability, Not Write / Edit Ability
A lot of people talk about code optimization, and most of the time they mean memory and performance. But there are a lot of aspects of code that can and should be optimized – including the ability to easily read and understand the code. In this quick video, I’ll talk about why I think code […]
Don’t Be Afraid To Unravel Your Hard Work
Last night, I spent 2 hours working on a new technique for crocheting a hat. The technique creates a stitch that looks like it was knitted. I had only practiced this technique once, but I set out to create a hat anyways. It was going to be a fun project! A new stitch technique, with […]
Using Express Sub-Apps To Keep Your Code Clean
Express is one of the most flexible web hosting libraries I have used in my career. I love how simple it can be, and how it allows you to grow your system as needed. One of the areas that has continued to bother me in my own code, though, is my lack of ability to […]