DEV Community: GageHarmon

Sessions & Cookies. Yum.

GageHarmon — Sun, 23 Apr 2023 13:02:48 +0000

When you're browsing the internet, you've probably noticed that some websites remember your preferences or keep you logged in, even when you close the browser and come back later. This magic is made possible by sessions and cookies, two methods used by web developers to store information about users. In this blog post, we'll explore the basics of sessions and cookies and how they work together to provide a seamless browsing experience.

Cookies: Small pieces of data stored in your browser.
Cookies are small text files that a website stores on your computer or mobile device when you visit it. They contain information about your preferences, login status, and other data that the site needs to keep track of.

There are two main types of cookies:

Session cookies: These cookies are temporary and only exist for the duration of your browsing session. They are deleted when you close your browser.

Persistent cookies: These cookies remain on your device even after you close your browser, allowing websites to remember your preferences or login status across multiple sessions.

Sessions: Keeping Track of User Data on the Server
While cookies are stored on your device, sessions store user data on the server side. When you visit a website, the server creates a unique session identifier (ID) for you. This session ID is then stored in a cookie on your device, allowing the website to recognize you when you navigate between pages or return later.
Sessions can store a variety of data, such as your login status, items in your shopping cart, or preferences like language and theme. Since this information is stored on the server, it's more secure than storing it directly in cookies.

How sessions and cookies work together
Sessions and cookies work together to provide a seamless user experience. Here's a simple example of how they interact:

You visit a website for the first time.

The server creates a unique session ID for you and stores it in a session cookie on your device.

As you browse the website, any preferences or data you enter are stored in the session on the server.

When you close your browser and come back later, the website checks for the session cookie on your device.

If the session cookie is found and the session hasn't expired, the server retrieves the stored data and continues your browsing experience as if you never left.

Security and privacy concerns

While sessions and cookies are essential for a smooth browsing experience, there are some security and privacy concerns:

Cookie theft: If an attacker can steal your cookies, they may be able to impersonate you on a website and gain access to your personal information.

Tracking: Persistent cookies can be used by third parties to track your browsing habits and serve targeted advertisements.

To mitigate these risks, developers should implement secure practices, such as using secure cookies (transmitted over HTTPS) and regularly expiring sessions. As a user, you can adjust your browser settings to block or delete cookies, but keep in mind that this may affect your browsing experience on some websites.

Conclusion
Sessions and cookies are can be a beneficial part of the web, enabling websites to remember your preferences, maintain your login status, and provide a consistent experience across multiple visits. By understanding how these technologies work and the security implications involved, you can better appreciate the seamless browsing experience they provide and make informed decisions about your online privacy.

Python vs Javascript: The differences.

GageHarmon — Fri, 31 Mar 2023 19:30:58 +0000

Python or Javascript?

Python and JavaScript are among the most popular languages used by developers everywhere. Both languages are very different in terms of syntax, structure, and how they are used. As a new software engineer, understanding the differences between Python and JavaScript can be important if you are unsure of what type of work you would prefer to do on the job.

In this post, I will cover the key differences between Python and JavaScript to help others that are new to the field get an idea of what they may enjoy learning about or working with the most.

Syntax and Structure
In terms of syntax, Python is known for its clean and easy-to-read format, which is heavily influenced by its use of whitespace. JavaScript, however, has a much more complex syntax, which can make it more a little more difficult for newcomers to understand.

In terms of structure, Python is labeled as object-oriented programming (OOP), meaning it uses objects and classes to organize code. JavaScript can be used for both OOP and functional programming making JavaScript a little more flexible in terms of code organization.

How they are used
Python is quite popular for data science and machine learning. It has a large number of libraries and frameworks that make it easy to write complex apps very quickly. Python is also known for its readability, making it a popular choice for writing scripts and automation tools, or even being the first language somebody will learn.

JavaScript is almost always used for web development, but it has been increasingly used for server-side applications and mobile app development. JavaScript is the language of the web, and it is used quite often in front-end development to create interactive web pages and applications.

Performance!
Python is an interpreted language, meaning it executes code line by line as it is read. This can make it slower than compiled languages like C++ and others. However, Python has several libraries that make it easy to optimize code for performance which can help in some of its downfalls.

JavaScript is compiled at runtime rather than ahead of time. This can make it faster than interpreted languages like Python. However, JavaScript can also suffer from performance issues if not written well or optimized.

Community and Support
Python has a large and active community of developers, which means there are a lot of resources available online for collaboration and learning. Python also has several active open-source resources allowing for many libraries and frameworks to be available for anyone to use.

JavaScript also has a large community of developers, but it can be spread a bit thin due to the wide variety of use cases and different frameworks available. That being said, JavaScript has a strong presence on platforms like Stack Overflow and GitHub, leaving tons of resources available for learning or experienced alike!

Conclusion
In conclusion, both Python and JavaScript are powerful programming languages with their strengths and weaknesses. Python is a great choice for data science, machine learning, and some cases of web development, while JavaScript is the language of the web and is used extensively for front-end development. Ultimately, the choice between Python and JavaScript will depend on your specific project requirements and personal preferences as a developer, but it is always good to be informed when deciding what to learn or how to build a project.

React: useState Hooks

GageHarmon — Fri, 10 Mar 2023 21:14:55 +0000

React is one of the more popular libraries used for building the front end in your JavaScript. It provides Developers with quite a few powerful tools, one of those being the useState hook.

So what is useState?

The useState hook is a function provided by React that allows us to add "state" to a functional component. Before the introduction of hooks, the state could only be managed in class components using the setState method.

The useState hook takes an initial state value and returns two values: the current state value and a function that can be used to update the state value.

Below is an example of how to use useState in your React component:
///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
import React, { useState } from 'react';

function Example() {
const [count, setCount] = useState(0);

return (

You clicked {count} times

setCount(count + 1)}>
Click me

);
}

In the above code snippet, we define a component named "Example" that uses the useState hook to add a state to our component. We define a state variable called count and a function called setCount that will be used to update the value of the count.

When the component is initially rendered, the starting value of count is set to 0. We then render a "p" element that displays the current value of count, followed by a button element that, when clicked, calls the setCount function and updates the value of count.

So how does useState work then?

Behind the scenes, React keeps track of the state value and re-renders the component whenever the state value changes. When the setCount function is called, React will update the state value and trigger a re-render of our component.

It's important to note that calling the setCount function does not immediately update the state value. Instead, React schedules an update and batches multiple state updates together for performance reasons. This means that if we call setCount multiple times in a row, React will only perform a single re-render after all the state updates have been applied.

Another important thing to keep in mind is that state updates in React are asynchronous. This means that if we need to perform some action after a state update has occurred, we should use the useEffect hook to run our code after the component has re-rendered.

Below is an example of using the useEffect hook to run some code after a state update:
///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
import React, { useState, useEffect } from 'react';

function Example() {
const [count, setCount] = useState(0);

useEffect(() => {
document.title = You clicked ${count} times;
}, [count]);

return (

You clicked {count} times

setCount(count + 1)}>
Click me

);
}

In the above example, we implement the useEffect hook to update the title of our page whenever the count state value changes. The useEffect hook takes a function as its first argument and an array of dependencies as its second argument. Whenever any of the dependencies change, the function will be called.

In conclusion a useState hook is a powerful tool provided by React that allows us to add a state to functional components. We can build more dynamic and interactive user interfaces by understanding how it works and how to use them.

ChatGPT & Beginner Programmers

GageHarmon — Fri, 17 Feb 2023 16:34:36 +0000

In the following article, I will talk about ChatGPT and individuals who are learning to code for the first time. I do not endorse copying every bit of code from ChatGPT when you need it, however, I do believe it has other benefits, specifically for those that are new to the field. As a beginner programmer knowing how to Google search for solutions efficiently. Usually, the answer to your coding problem is just a Google search away on StackOverflow or a similar site, but finding the right information can be frustrating and a time-consuming process. Fortunately for us, ChatGPT, developed by OpenAI, can make this process easier and more efficient.

To understand this, here is a quick explanation (hopefully accurate) of what ChatGPT is in case you don’t already know. ChatGPT is an artificial intelligence program that uses machine learning to understand user input and generate responses. It has been given vast amounts of text data from the internet, such as books, news articles, and many other sources. This means that it has a huge amount of data, which it can use to assist beginner programmers to find the information they need.

One of the ways that ChatGPT can be helpful is by acting as a more efficient Google search. When you search for something using Google, the results can be quite a lot. You may get hundreds of links to web pages, many of which are not relevant to your specific problem. You then have to sort through those websites to not only find relevant sites but also sort through the information on those sites to find what you need. This can be frustrating and very time-consuming.

A great example of this is if you are looking for information on how to write a function in JavaScript, you might search for something like "JavaScript function tutorial." However, then you need to sort through all the forums and videos to find the example of what you are looking for. ChatGPT can analyze your question and generate a much more specific answer (usually). You could ask it "How to (insert function needed)” and receive instructions plus an example of how to write the function you requested. This may not always give you the exact answer you need, but it will likely have something relevant or at least a skeleton of some code that you can work off of.

Another way that ChatGPT can be helpful for beginner programmers is by helping with fixing bad code. This can be controversial since ChatGPT isn’t perfect of course, and its code should be taken with a grain of salt. That being said, as a beginner you may make mistakes in your code that are not immediately obvious. For example, you might forget to close the parenthesis or use the wrong variable name. These mistakes can cause your code to fail, and it can be difficult to figure out what went wrong.

It is still important to learn how to find these mistakes yourself, but ChatGPT can help by analyzing your code and providing suggestions for corrections when in a pinch. For example, if you have a syntax error in your code, ChatGPT can point it out and suggest the correct syntax. This can save you a lot of time and frustration, as you won't have to spend too much time trying to figure out what went wrong.

Here is a simple example of how ChatGPT can help.

Bad code:

let toggleButton = document.querySelector("#checkbox");

toggleButton.addEventListener('click', funtion () {
document.body.classList.toggle("dark-mode")
);

This code has syntax errors and misspellings in a few places. If you tried to run this code, you would receive some sort of syntax error. This can be frustrating, especially if you are a beginner or have a time constraint with bigger issues to focus on.

Corrected code using ChatGPT:

let toggleButton = document.querySelector("#checkbox");

toggleButton.addEventListener('click', function () {
document.body.classList.toggle("dark-mode");
});

In this corrected snippet, ChatGPT has suggested adding a semicolon after the ("dark-mode"); along with the misspelling in ('click', function () {. This simple correction can save you a lot of time and frustration, which I think we all could enjoy.

It is easily understood how ChatGPT can harm newcomers to the coding community as well. Once again specifically with beginners, ChatGPT can lead to bad practices, and sloppy code, and even have an impact on how well an individual ends up absorbing some of this information. An example of this is having the AI essentially write an entire block of code or a majority of their project, while not learning what they are programming and why.

In conclusion, I believe that ChatGPT can be beneficial if used properly. Just like anything else it has its drawbacks, and those that will abuse it. However, it can also be a powerful tool if understood and used efficiently.