Published: 2024-11-30 | Origin: /r/programming

In a meeting discussing a feature design, a designer inquires about the expected number of values in a dropdown, to which a database analyst responds with an average of six. However, upon implementation, the dropdown contains over a thousand options. This situation highlights the limitations of relying solely on averages, especially when outliers exist. Outliers can significantly skew averages, making them misleading. To better understand data distribution, the analyst suggests using standard deviation, which indicates how spread out the data is. A low standard

Published: 2024-11-30 | Origin: /r/programming

The author reflects on the complexity of implementing undo/redo functionality for a half-edge data structure while reviewing code. They emphasize the varying approaches programmers take, balancing development costs with the efficiency of solutions. The standard pattern involves two virtual functions: `undo` and `redo`, where `redo` executes a command and saves the state of the object before the operation, while `undo` restores the previous state. The discussion then shifts to the specifics of the flip operation, which changes the orientation of an edge

Published: 2024-11-30 | Origin: Hacker News

In an email, the author reflects on their thoughts about the software engineering field, particularly for newcomers. They draw parallels between mathematics and software, describing mathematics as a toolbox of abstractions that can provide various perspectives on problems. Similarly, they view software as a set of tools for solving issues with computers, which eventually leads to its own vocabulary and worldview. This "software's worldview" focuses on abstractions related to system complexities, signal vs. noise, and information management. The author argues that understanding software

Published: 2024-11-30 | Origin: Hacker News

The content discusses the importance of sleep, which constitutes a third of human life and is essential for various bodily systems. It poses the question of whether it is possible to reduce sleep duration while still feeling refreshed, drawing on examples of individuals with Familial Natural Short Sleep (FNSS) mutations. FNSS allows some people to sleep 1-2 hours less than the recommended 7-9 hours without adverse effects, making them healthier and more energetic. Research has identified five genes associated with FNSS,

Published: 2024-11-30 | Origin: Hacker News

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Published: 2024-11-30 | Origin: /r/programming

The content appears to reference LeetCode, a platform known for providing coding challenges and interview preparation resources. However, without additional context or specific information provided in the content you shared, it is difficult to summarize further. Please provide more details or specify what aspect of LeetCode you'd like summarized.

Published: 2024-11-30 | Origin: /r/ruby

JP Camara shares an experience of trying to calculate the largest known prime number, 2 ** 136,279,841 - 1, using Ruby 3.4.0-preview2. Initially, this version returns a warning and Infinity when attempting the calculation. However, with the upcoming Ruby 3.4 update, the issue is resolved, thanks to contributions from @mametter. Upon installing Ruby from the master branch, Camara finds that the calculation takes an excessively long time and considers

Published: 2024-11-29 | Origin: Hacker News

The content discusses a tutorial series by Retro Game Coders focused on creating text adventures using Commodore 64 (C64) BASIC, a programming language notable for its ease of manipulation of text strings. The tutorial includes various parts covering the introduction to C64 BASIC, installation of development tools, command usage (like GOSUB and FOR loops), game logic, file handling, and programming practices using Visual Studio Code. It highlights how 1980s gamers could create interactive experiences through text-heavy "choose

Published: 2024-11-29 | Origin: Hacker News

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Published: 2024-11-29 | Origin: /r/programming

In the 1960s, psychologist Stanley Milgram conducted a notable experiment that revealed the concept of "six degrees of separation," demonstrating that people are surprisingly close to one another in terms of personal connections. Participants were instructed to send a letter to a stranger in Boston by passing it through their acquaintances, and on average, the letters reached their destinations within six steps. This principle has parallels in Freenet, a decentralized network that efficiently locates information. Each node in Freenet connects to a limited

Published: 2024-11-29 | Origin: Hacker News

The author discusses the challenges of connecting vintage computer hardware, specifically an SAIC Galaxy 1100 running NeXTSTEP 3.3 and an Atari ST, to modern display systems. The Galaxy 1100 has a built-in flat panel with a non-standard refresh rate that complicates its use with standard VGA output. The author also shares their experience in trying to get a problematic Atari ST to display properly, noting that its high-resolution mode operates at a refresh rate of 71.2Hz,

Published: 2024-11-29 | Origin: Hacker News

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Published: 2024-11-29 | Origin: /r/programming

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Published: 2024-11-29 | Origin: /r/programming

The content discusses the common complaint among engineers about meetings hindering productivity, suggesting that the issue may lie in an organization's adaptive response to manage deployment capacity. The author cites Chuck Rossi's observation at Facebook that there is a limit to the number of changes manageable in a single deployment, which has led to an increase in deployment frequency over the years, driven primarily by the release engineering team. The author explores the concept of "changes per deployment" as a fixed metric that requires significant effort to improve. When the

Published: 2024-11-29 | Origin: /r/programming

Encore develops tools for creating distributed systems and event-driven applications. This blog post, crafted by Sam Rose, explores queueing strategies, focusing on their role in HTTP requests. Queues are a common part of everyday life and technology, serving as fundamental mechanisms in various contexts. The post starts with a basic scenario involving a single client and server, illustrating how requests travel from the user to the server. Readers are encouraged to interact by clicking a button to send requests and observe the server's processing. When multiple

Published: 2024-11-29 | Origin: Hacker News

The project aimed to enhance the author's understanding of machine learning and TensorFlow by creating a browser-based machine learning model capable of solving the 4Chan CAPTCHA with at least 80% accuracy (preferably over 90%). The author successfully achieved this goal and shared the code on GitHub. One of the main challenges was obtaining sufficient training data for the model, which involved two key aspects: collecting CAPTCHAs and their corresponding solutions. The author discovered that by modifying the HTTP request for a new

Published: 2024-11-29 | Origin: Hacker News

The author recently purchased a new car, an Opel Corsa Edition from 2020, after retiring their 12-year-old Peugeot 107 due to rising repair costs and ongoing faults. The new car comes with many features, prompting the author to read through a challenging manual, which contains information applicable to various models. One of the buttons in the car, connected to the OBD2 port, intrigued the author as it has no description in the manual or elsewhere, and flipping it has no apparent effect

Published: 2024-11-29 | Origin: Hacker News

Bell Labs has a rich history as a pioneering force in innovation and technology, particularly in supporting AT&T's telephone network. It uniquely blended the freedom of academic research with the resources of industrial labs, allowing scientists to explore long-term, potentially non-profitable projects while utilizing advanced equipment. This environment fostered significant inventions, like the transistor, and encouraged other corporations to establish their own research labs modeled after Bell Labs. By the mid-20th century, many companies, including DuPont and General Electric,

Published: 2024-11-29 | Origin: /r/ruby

The content discusses the shebang line in Python scripts and issues that arise when it is too long. A shebang (#!) informs the operating system which interpreter to use to execute the script. The author illustrates this with a simple "Hello World" Python program. When a longer shebang is used, it can lead to problems during script execution because the Linux kernel only stores the first 256 bytes of the file in a buffer (buf). The kernel then checks this buffer to identify which format handler

Published: 2024-11-29 | Origin: /r/programming

This article is the third installment in a series about bootloaders for microcontrollers, focusing on the algorithms that enable their functionality, particularly in Polyboot—an updater for devices with multiple microcontrollers. The author recommends reading the first article to understand the basics of microcontroller bootloaders. Previous articles discussed designing an algorithm resistant to sudden shutdowns and updating applications. This article aims to address how the bootloader can recognize when and where to update applications. Instead of using traditional partitioning methods like M