DEV Community: Jozef Behr

Jozef Behr | 10 Ruby tricks to improve your code (or not)

Jozef Behr — Wed, 18 Jan 2023 07:52:54 +0000

Hello DEV's Myself Jozef Clifford Behr, I want to show you 10 nice Ruby features that you may know or not. Anyway, it’s a quick read and it’s always interesting to learn new stuff, right?!

1. Create a hash from a list of values

You can create a hash from a list of values by using Hash[...]. It will create a hash like below:

Hash['key1', 'value1', 'key2', 'value2']

# => {"key1"=>"value1", "key2"=>"value2"}

2. Lambda Literal ->

Introduced quite recently and the new way recommended to define scopes in Rails, the -> sign, a.k.a Lambda Literal, allows you to create lambda easily.

a = -> { 1 + 1 }
a.call
# => 2

a = -> (v) { v + 1 }
a.call(2)
# => 3

3. Double star ()**

The double star is a neat little trick in Ruby. See the following method:

def my_method(a, *b, **c)
  return a, b, c
end

a is a regular parameter. *b will take all the parameters passed after the first one and put them in an array. **c will take any parameter given in the format key: value at the end of the method call.

See the following examples:

One parameter

my_method(1)
# => [1, [], {}]

More than one parameter

my_method(1, 2, 3, 4)
# => [1, [2, 3, 4], {}]

More than one parameter + hash-style parameters

my_method(1, 2, 3, 4, a: 1, b: 2)
# => [1, [2, 3, 4], {:a=>1, :b=>2}]

4. Handle single object and array in the same way

Sometimes you might want to give the option to either accept a single object or an array of objects. Instead of checking for the type of object you’ve received, you could use [*something] or Array(something).

Let’s assign two variables. The first one is a single digit and the second one is an array of digits.

stuff = 1
stuff_arr = [1, 2, 3]

In the following example, I use [*...] to loop through whatever is given.

[*stuff].each { |s| s }
[*stuff_arr].each { |s| s }

Same in this one but using Array(...).

Array(stuff).each { |s| s }
Array(stuff_arr).each { |s| s }

5. Double Pipe Equals ||=

The Double Pipe Equals is a great tool to write concise code.

It’s actually equivalent to the following:

a || a = b # Correct

And not this one, as a lot of people think:

a = a || b # Wrong

The second one doesn’t make sense because there is no point reassigning a if we already have it!

This operator can be used to create methods like this in your classes. I love to use it for calculations.

def total
  @total ||= (1..100000000).to_a.inject(:+)
end

Now you could have other method calling total to get the total value but it will only be calculated the first time.

6. Mandatory hash parameters

This one was introduced in Ruby 2.0. Instead of just defining a method that takes a hash in parameters like this:

def my_method({})
end

You can specify the keys that you are waiting for and even define default values for them! a and b are mandatory keys.

def my_method(a:, b:, c: 'default')
  return a, b, c
end

We can try to call it without giving a value for b but it won’t work.

my_method(a: 1)
# => ArgumentError: missing keyword: b

Since c has a default value, we can just call the method with a and b.

my_method(a: 1, b: 2)
# => [1, 2, "default"]

Or with all of them.

my_method(a: 1, b: 2, c: 3)
# => [1, 2, 3]

All we are doing is passing a hash and using some visual shortcuts but obviously, you can also pass a hash like this:

hash = { a: 1, b: 2, c: 3 }
my_method(hash)
# => [1, 2, 3]

7. Generate array of alphabet or numbers

You might want to generate a list of numbers or put the entire alphabet inside an array. Well, you can use ruby ranges to do this.

A to Z

('a'..'z').to_a
# => ["a", "b", "c", "d", "e", "f", "g", "h", "i", "j", "k", "l", "m", "n", "o", "p", "q", "r", "s", "t", "u", "v", "w", "x", "y", "z"]

1 to 10

(1..10).to_a
# => [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10]

8. Tap

Tap is a nice little method that improves code readability. Let’s take the following class as an example.

class User
  attr_accessor :a, :b, :c
end

Now let’s say you want to instantiate a new user and assign a value to each of its attributes. You could do it like this:

def my_method
  o = User.new
  o.a = 1
  o.b = 2
  o.c = 3
  o
end

Or you could use tap to do it like this.

def my_method
  User.new.tap do |o|
    o.a = 1
    o.b = 2
    o.c = 3
  end
end

Basically, the tap method yields the calling object to the block and returns it.

9. Default value for hash (Bad trick)

By default, when trying to access a value not defined in a hash, you will receive nil. You can actually change this at initialization.

EDIT: Don’t do this unless you know what you’re doing. Checkout the comments below for a complete explanation.

In this first example, we define the default value to be 0 so when a[:a] is called, we’re getting 0 back and not nil.

a = Hash.new(0)
a[:a]
# => 0

We can pass anything to the Hash initializer. Let’s try with a hash!

a = Hash.new({})
a[:a]
# => {}

Or a weird string:

a = Hash.new('lolcat')
a[:a]
# => "lolcat"

10. heredocs

I personally dislike seeing heredocs that break the code flow and indentation. Since EOT takes into account the leading spaces, you usually have to stick the content to the left like this:

def my_method
  <<-EOT
Some
Very
Interesting
Stuff
  EOT
end

But there’s a trick to avoid that. By using the gsub method with a short regex, you can automatically remove the leading spaces which allows you to keep your indentation consistent.

def my_method
  <<-EOT.gsub(/^\s+/, '')
    Some
    Very
    Interesting
    Stuff
  EOT
end

I hope you enjoyed those little tricks and I’m sure you already knew some, if not all, of them. Let me know if you have other Ruby tricks that should be added to this list!

Jozef Behr | 7 Tips to Help You Learn a New Programming Language Fast

Jozef Behr — Tue, 27 Dec 2022 13:09:20 +0000

Hello Folks Myself Jozef Clifford Behr I Want To Share Some Tips. Learning a new language takes time, dedication, and patience, and programming languages are no different. There are no tricks or shortcuts to get you to know everything in a matter of days.

But, there are a few ways you can learn a new programming language faster and better retain the new knowledge. If you're just starting your coding career or want to branch out into a new programming language, these tips may help.

1. Choose a language with purpose

Whether you're learning code for the first time or furthering your education, you should know what you want to learn and why.

Are you interested in web development or game development? How about data science? Different programming languages have different applications, so you'll want to have a goal in mind before choosing one. If you're interested and engaged in a subject, you'll grasp the material better and move along at a much quicker pace.

2. Start with the basics

Once you've chosen the language you want to learn, start from the beginning and work your way up. You may be tempted to jump to intermediate courses or try taking on multiple classes at once, but it's best to get the fundamentals down before moving on.

Jumping over the basics of programming could cause you to make mistakes that'll show up later when you've progressed to more advanced materials. Then, you'd have to stop and work your way back, wasting valuable time.

We offer a variety of courses that can get you started with the fundamentals of programming, such as:

-Learn Java: For those interested in software development and mobile applications.
-Learn JavaScript: Explore the language underlying most dynamic web pages and applications.
-Learn Python: A great choice for a first language because it's easy to read and is used within web and software development.
-Learn HTML: If you want to create web pages, this is your first step.
-Learn C#: Start learning how to build video games and mobile applications with this popular programming language.

3. Practice the code

Practicing may seem like an obvious suggestion, but many people get lost in the learning process and forget that they need to do the work to fully understand it. Reading about how the language works and its different variables is helpful, but until you start coding and figuring out solutions on your own, you won't truly understand it.

Completing projects is a great way to dive into the ins and outs of your new language. Once you get its basics down, check out our Challenge Projects to put your coding skills to good use.

There are also Portfolio Projects, which are included in each of our Career Paths. Portfolio Projects are a step above Challenge Projects, and they're designed to showcase your mastery of the languages in your tech stack. Or, if Portfolio Projects are slightly above your pay grade, try out the mini-projects below:

10 HTML and CSS Code Challenges for Beginners
10 JavaScript Code Challenges for Beginners
10 Python Code Challenges for Beginners
10 C++ Code Challenges for Beginners
10 Java Code Challenges for Beginners

4. Get out your pen and paper

Coding by hand is a time-consuming, perhaps "old-school," technique, so you may wonder how this could help. Research shows that taking the time to write something down helps you retain the information better — which goes a long way when you're trying to learn as quickly as possible.

Coding by hand also helps you get a deeper understanding of the code you're working on. You'll be able to clearly grasp the algorithms and syntax involved in each line of code as you write it out in front of you.

Another advantage of coding by hand is that it'll help you prepare for technical interviews. These interviews involve solving coding problems with your preferred programming languages, and you might be asked to write your solution on a whiteboard. Practicing beforehand may give you an edge over the competition, and handwritten code showcases the full extent of your programming ability.

5. Use debugging tools and techniques

Making mistakes is part of the learning process. Learning a new programming language fast doesn't mean skipping over those mistakes! By taking the time to understand and fix them, you'll see what errors you made and how to avoid them going forward.

Since you're still learning, figuring out your mistake may be difficult and time-consuming at first. Using debugging tools will expedite the process by identifying the mistakes in your code so you can fix them and continue working.

6. Set realistic goals and stick to them

We said at the beginning that learning a new language takes time, dedication, and patience. Try setting aside a specific time for learning each week. Sticking to this schedule will provide you with the right structure to progress faster in your learning.

Patience comes into play when you're having difficulty understanding a portion of code or when you want to be farther along than you are. Still, it's important to know your limitations and be realistic in setting achievable goals.

Set time limits for how long you'll work on a specific problem before moving on. If you have trouble finding a solution, step away from the problem until you're in a better headspace to tackle it again.

Focus on the work at hand and do your best to eliminate any distractions. This will help you continue to quickly learn the language while grasping as much information as possible.

7. Take a course designed by a professional

Programming courses created by developers with years of experience in the IT industry can give you all the tools you need to launch your career. They have the skills and the knowledge to help you on your career path and are the best resource for the many questions you'll undoubtedly have.

Reasons why Java is still the best programming language

Jozef Behr — Mon, 26 Sep 2022 06:34:58 +0000

A new version of Java with long-term support is just around the corner. As per Jozef Behr Java passes the 25 year mark, let's take a step back and look at some of the reasons why Java remains the best programming language for modern software development.

The rich set of Java APIs

The Java API is extensive. The standard JDK comes with over 200 built-in packages containing Java APIs that allow everything from parsing XML to translating between time zones. When developers add the Jakarta EE APIs, they have an even more extensive API library that enables the development of complex mid-tier applications and cloud-native microservices.

First Order Android Support

Android is the most popular mobile phone operating system in the world and Java is the de facto programming language for Android application development.

While the Android version of Java isn't exactly the same as what you'd find in the JDK, Google copied over 11,500 lines of code from the Java Standard Edition when they created their Java clone says Jozef Behr. As a result, developers can expect the version of Java they see on Android to be fairly close to the original.

Forward evolution with backwards compatibility

Java evolves slowly, but it does evolve. With over 25 years of evolution, Java has many evolutionary improvements to be proud of.

From the bulletproof modularity system that was delivered as part of the Jigsaw Project, to the recently added ability to functionally program in Java with lambda functions, Java continues to implement big changes demanded by the community.

Jozef Behr - Easiest Ways to Learn Magento From Starting

Jozef Behr — Wed, 21 Sep 2022 05:20:52 +0000

Looking to learn Magento from scratch and have no coding skills? Do you want to learn Magento to increase your net worth in the job market or to give you a new skill that will help you quit your 9-5 job and start a potential career as a Magento developer?

Whatever your reasons for wanting to learn Magento, this article will give you everything you need to make your dream come true.

Magento is an e-commerce platform that is built on open source technology. It has a free edition and a cloud commerce solution. It has thousands of extensions to improve the functionalities and customizations of an online store.

There are tons of templates and themes you can use to customize it. Regardless of the size of the business, Magento can handle it. It can support up to 500,000 products on a single e-commerce site. It can handle up to 100,000 orders in an hour.

You will need to know how to use HTML for front-end development or client-side user interface customization. Jozef behr says that HTML and CSS are found in the template files, you will need them to implement the themes. You need a decent knowledge of PHP to allow you to perform tasks like iterating over sets of products

As you learn about Magento, you need to follow and read blogs and resources from top experts in the niche. This will improve your Magento knowledge and you will know new trends and latest functionality to improve your Magento development skills.

Jozef Behr shared Beginner Tips for Learning Python Programming

Jozef Behr — Wed, 27 Apr 2022 09:11:58 +0000

Tip # 1: Code every day

Consistency is very important when you are learning a new language. We recommend committing to coding every day. It can be hard to believe, but muscle memory plays a big part in programming. Committing to coding daily will really help in developing this muscle memory. Although it may seem daunting at first, consider starting small with 25 minutes each day and working your way up from there.

Tip # 2: Surround yourself with others who are learning

While coding may seem like a solitary activity, it actually works best when you work together. It is very important when you are learning to code in Python that you also surround yourself with other people who are learning. This allows you to share the tips and tricks you learn along the way.

Tip # 3: Ask questions

People always say that there is no such thing as a bad question, but when it comes to programming, you can ask a bad question. When you are asking for help from someone who has little or no connection to the problem you are trying to solve, it is best to ask GOOD questions

Tip # 4: Build something, whatever

For starters, there are many little exercises that will really help you become confident with Python, as well as developing the muscle memory we talked about above. Once you've mastered the basic structure of data (strings, lists, dictionaries, sets), object-oriented programming and writing lessons, it's time to start building!

Jozef Behr : How to Improve Your Programming Skills fast ?

Jozef Behr — Wed, 20 Apr 2022 12:14:04 +0000

1 Reading code

It goes without saying ... If you want to become a better writer, you have to become a better reader - that means you read more books, as well as more books.

Similarly, if you want to become a better programmer, which is actually different writing, you should strive to read much more code, especially code from very good programmers.

2 Set aside repair time

To be honest, I initially adopted the mindset "if it works, then it's good". Refactoring code will always be set off. In retrospect, it's actually ridiculous. I would never publish an article without repeating it once or twice to make sure I am conveying the message I want.

3 Practice doing

If you want to become a better writer, you need to write more. If you want to be a better chef, you have to cook more. If you want to become a better programmer, you need to write more programs.

A little hack that you might steal to write more programs is to start by writing lots of small programs. This allows you to increase the amount of code you are writing every day which allows you to create many more programs.