DEV Community: Rixio Barrios

Unlocking Success: Why Teaching How to Handle Code Challenges is Vital

Rixio Barrios — Thu, 14 Sep 2023 14:06:56 +0000

In today's ever-evolving tech landscape, landing a software engineering role isn't just about having a degree or certifications; it's about demonstrating your skills in real-world scenarios. That's why I believe in preparing students not just to code but also to ace the code challenges that are increasingly becoming a standard part of tech job interviews. In this article, I'll explore why teaching code challenges is vital for empowering underserved communities through tech education.

Bridging the Skills Gap

Many aspiring software engineers face a significant skills gap between their classroom knowledge and the practical requirements of the job market. Code challenges provide a bridge between theory and practice. They require students to apply what they've learned to solve real coding problems, preparing them for the challenges they'll encounter in the workplace.

Boosting Confidence

Job interviews can be nerve-wracking, especially for those entering the job market for the first time. Teaching code challenges not only equips students with technical skills but also boosts their confidence. When they can tackle coding challenges successfully, they approach interviews with a sense of self-assuredness that can make all the difference.

Real-World Relevance

Code challenges reflect the kind of work software engineers do on a daily basis. By teaching these challenges, we ensure that students are not just prepared for interviews but also for their future roles. They learn problem-solving, code optimization, and debugging skills that are invaluable in real-world scenarios.

Breaking Down Barriers

For many students, particularly those from underserved communities, breaking into the tech industry can seem like an insurmountable challenge. Teaching code challenges helps break down this barrier. It demonstrates that with the right skills and training, anyone can excel in tech, regardless of their background.

Staying Competitive

The tech industry is highly competitive, and employers are looking for candidates who stand out. Code challenges are a way for students to differentiate themselves in a crowded job market. By mastering these challenges, they showcase their abilities to potential employers.

Fostering a Growth Mindset**

Code challenges aren't just about the right answers; they're about the process of getting there. They encourage a growth mindset, where students embrace challenges and view mistakes as opportunities to learn. This mindset is not only valuable in interviews but also throughout one's career.

Building a Supportive Community

We shouldn't just teach code challenges; we should also create a community where students can learn from each other. Collaboration and peer learning are essential parts of their success. Students support and inspire each other, creating a network that extends beyond the classroom.

Conclusion

Teaching code challenges isn't just about preparing for interviews; it's about empowering students to excel in the tech industry. I recognize the importance of these challenges in bridging the skills gap, boosting confidence, and providing real-world relevance. By mastering code challenges, students are not only prepared for job interviews but also equipped for successful and fulfilling careers in tech.

As a student myself, I recognize the importance of learning how to tackle code challenges and the immense obstacle that could represent now knowing how to approach them.
Unfortunately a lot of organizations do not out time and effort into teaching how to manage and solve a code assessment.

Rails: Add a column to a table

Rixio Barrios — Wed, 07 Dec 2022 15:20:37 +0000

To add a column to an existing table on Ruby on Rails you would need to create a rails command to generate that migration. Also, there will be an opportunity to name your migration under the context of what you need.

rails generate migration AddImageColumnToListings image:string

This commands adds the image column to your listings table with the string content. A file would be added to your migrate folder.

class AddImageColumnToListings < ActiveRecord::Migration[6.1]
  def change
    add_column :listings, :image, :string
  end
end

At this point you can make any changes to the files before running

rails db:migrate

Replace 7 CRUD Routes on Rails with one Line of Code

Rixio Barrios — Thu, 17 Nov 2022 02:59:25 +0000

Nope, this is not click bate!. It's the syntax that resolves having to type all the 7 standard routes that a CRUD Rails app contains. Here is a quick glance at the routes:

get 'cars', to: 'cars#index'
get 'cars/new', to: 'cars#new'
post 'cars', to: 'cars#create'
get 'cars/:id', to: 'cars#show'
get 'cars/:id/edit', to: 'cars#edit'
patch 'cars/:id', to: 'cars#update'
delete 'cars/:id', to: 'cars#destroy'

Here is the keyword that contains the same standard routes:

resources :cars

The command creates each route with prefixes. Here is the equivalent of resources :cars:

get 'cars', to: 'cars#index'
post 'cars', to: 'cars#create'
get 'cars/new', to: 'cars#new', as: :new_car
get 'cars/:id/edit', to: 'cars#edit', as: :edit_car
get 'cars/:id', to: 'cars#show', as: :car
put 'cars/:id', to: 'cars#update'
patch 'cars/:id', to: 'cars#update'
delete 'cars/:id', to: 'cars#destroy'

Turning your Rails App into an API

Rixio Barrios — Wed, 16 Nov 2022 19:49:02 +0000

When you generate a scaffold in Rails you'll get the method
respond_to, this method would let you render data in other formats including JSON. To service the same data you are rendering on HTML as an end-point, you could make the following change under your controller using your own variables:

def index
# Using an @task model
respond_to do |format|
  format.json do
    render json: @task
  end
end

Alternatively, you could do this to render more formats and also use a shorter syntax:

def index
  @tasks = Task.all
  respond_to :html, :json, :xml
end

"Time in Words" Helper for Ruby on Rails

Rixio Barrios — Mon, 14 Nov 2022 15:04:30 +0000

One clever way to format time using Ruby is by using a Rails method called "time_ago_in_words". This method translates the hard to read default format for a date and time, making it more human friendly. Here is a quick example:

time_ago_in_words(Time.now)  # => less than a minute

Here is how to use it in a controller:

class UsersController
  def index
    helpers.time_ago_in_words(Time.now)
  end
end

My Madlibs Game on C#

Rixio Barrios — Fri, 04 Nov 2022 18:56:34 +0000

I had a lot of fun coding a very simple game of Madlibs during a training I had on .Net, SQL and C# once upon a time. Here is the entire game. Enjoy!

using System;

namespace MadLibs
{
    class Program
    {
        static void Main(string[] args)
        {
            Console.Title = "Super MadLibs";
            Console.WriteLine("Welcome to Super MadLibs!");
            Console.ForegroundColor = ConsoleColor.Cyan;
            Console.WriteLine("Press Enter To Start");
            Console.ReadLine();
            Console.Clear();

            Console.Write("Enter a Name: ");
            string name = Console.ReadLine();
            Console.Clear();

            Console.Write("Enter a Place: ");
            string place = Console.ReadLine();
            Console.Clear();

            Console.Write("Enter a Verb: ");
            string verb1 = Console.ReadLine();
            Console.Clear();

            Console.Write("Enter a Adverb: ");
            string adverb1 = Console.ReadLine();
            Console.Clear();

            Console.Write("Enter anoder Verb: ");
            string verb2 = Console.ReadLine();
            Console.Clear();

            Console.Write("Enter another Adverb: ");
            string adverb2 = Console.ReadLine();
            Console.Clear();

            Console.BackgroundColor = ConsoleColor.White;
            Console.ForegroundColor = ConsoleColor.Black;
            Console.Clear();

            Console.ForegroundColor = ConsoleColor.Black;
            Console.Write("Once upon a time I saw ");

            Console.ForegroundColor = ConsoleColor.Red;
            Console.Write(name);

            Console.ForegroundColor = ConsoleColor.Black;
            Console.Write(" at a ");

            Console.ForegroundColor = ConsoleColor.Red;
            Console.Write(place);

            Console.ForegroundColor = ConsoleColor.Black;
            Console.Write(". They had a super power that made them ");

            Console.ForegroundColor = ConsoleColor.Red;
            Console.Write(verb1);

            Console.ForegroundColor = ConsoleColor.Black;
            Console.Write(" really ");

            Console.ForegroundColor = ConsoleColor.Red;
            Console.Write(adverb1);

            Console.ForegroundColor = ConsoleColor.Black;
            Console.Write(". I wanted a super power too. So I drank a special posion. Now I can ");

            Console.ForegroundColor = ConsoleColor.Red;
            Console.Write(verb2);

            Console.ForegroundColor = ConsoleColor.Black;
            Console.Write(" really ");

            Console.ForegroundColor = ConsoleColor.Red;
            Console.Write(adverb2);

            Console.ForegroundColor = ConsoleColor.Black;
            Console.Write(". And everyone live happily ever after");
            Console.ReadLine();

        }
    }
}

How to Humanize a Boolean on Ruby

Rixio Barrios — Mon, 31 Oct 2022 15:22:55 +0000

Having a true or false output is fine when it comes to code no human is ever going to read but, when it comes to the human eye; We want to communicate our answer in the best way UX can handle. There is a simple way to handle this so you can make your method global.

module ApplicationHelper

  def humanize_boolean(value)
    case value
    when true
      "Yes"
    when false
      "No"
    when nil
      "Undefined"
    else
      "Invalid"
    end
  end

end

Add this handy method to your application_helper.rb and use anywhere on your "views" files.

<%= humanize_boolean(post.published) %>

Gitpod is amazing!

Rixio Barrios — Fri, 14 Oct 2022 15:03:31 +0000

Technology waits for no one. This is very true when it comes to web development. While in a new learning journey my instructor introduced us to Gitpod.io. This tool; as I understand it, is a virtual developing environment for everything. This possibly means the end of local files being stored in your computer while engineering software. Wow!

Experienced Jr. Web Developer?

Rixio Barrios — Wed, 12 Oct 2022 18:20:32 +0000

Employers seem to be "Dazed and Confused" when it comes to requirements in the Tech Industry. Especially in the case of Jr. Web Developers; the norm is to either have you take an impossible code challenge, know 3 coding languages, 3 frameworks, 4 libraries or simply ask you for at least 3 years in industry experience. I thought Jr. Web Developers where people who just started in the industry. Is safe to say that expectations among employers are above reality and below market demands.

Constants in Ruby

Rixio Barrios — Wed, 05 Oct 2022 17:26:34 +0000

For somebody who knows a little bit of Javascript; I am not stranger to constants. Constants in Ruby however, are represented in all caps. Who knew!?

Constants in Javascript:

const valueDoesNotChange = myValue

Constants in Ruby

VALUE_DOES_NOT_CHANGE = myValue