teleren/devto huggingface dataset:
Just Code Challenge
Tags: code, contest, challenge, xojo
Published: 2018-06-20 13:32:53

---
title: Just Code Challenge
published: true
description: Do 1 coding project a week this summer
tags: Code,Contest,Challenge,Xojo
---

I’m often asked by both kids and adults: “how can I get started in programming?” or “how can I start coding to make my own programs/apps?”

Obviously [Xojo](http://www.xojo.com) is a great language to start with, but even with Xojo, *how do you get started*? You could dive into the free [Introduction to Programming book](http://www.xojo.com/learn) or maybe watch some of the [100+ videos available on the Xojo channel](http://www.youtube.com/goxojo). But many people just want to **jump right in**. In the early 80s when I started programming, this is actually what I did when I first learned to program using [BASIC](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atari_BASIC). I started by just trying things to see what worked and what didn’t. I also looked at other people’s programs (using magazines and books since there was no Internet back then) and modified them. In short, one of the best ways to start is to **just code**.

So let’s kick off a little Summer Contest. I call it the **Just Code Challenge** (#JustCode). The idea is for you to make one program (or app) a week throughout the summer. These apps don’t have to do anything fancy, although they should do something that is at least a little bit useful or fun. Any type of app counts — desktop, iOS or web.

This contest is a great way for people new to coding to see what it takes to make an  app, and to see how much fun coding can be. But even if you already know how to code, I think you’ll find that this contest will also be a great way to bring the fun back to coding. After all, it’s not always about just making business apps!

The Just Code Challenge starts on June 18 and ends on September 21. You should have a new program or app ready to share each Friday. There are 14 Fridays so you could end up having coded 14 apps!

I’ve started a forum conversation called “[Just Code Challenge](https://forum.xojo.com/48375-just-code-challenge)”. You can go there to share ideas, ask questions and post your projects. 

Speaking of that, each Friday you should post to the forum conversation with a download link to the project and perhaps a screenshot. I also encourage you to share your experience by blogging, tweeting, etc. If you don’t have a blog, I highly recommend you just use dev.to, after all you're already here!

I’ll be doing the Just Code Challenge as well! Each week I will post my project in a blog post on Friday and later I'll have a separate blog post highlighting the projects that people have created.

Those who post projects for at least 10 weeks will get a free Xojo t-shirt (while supplies last) and be entered in a drawing to win a Xojo Pro license ($700 value). Plus you’ll hopefully also have had a bit of fun.

So what are you waiting for? Go on, just code!


*Original post: [Jump right In! Just Code Challenge](https://blog.xojo.com/2018/06/18/jump-right-in-just-code-challenge/)*
As a Chief tech fella (say CTO), what tech-stack would you like to choose for your project and what are the exact reasons?
Tags: discuss, mobile, web
Published: 2018-06-20 12:02:39

---
title: As a Chief tech fella (say CTO), what tech-stack would you like to choose for your project and what are the exact reasons?
published: true
description: Imagine a situation where you're in charge of a high-end project as a chief tech fella. Among usual technologies which ones would you choose And in what circumstances? Where would you pick Java (JVM family), Python/Ruby or Node.js and PHP? And other scenarios where you'd take other paths.

tags: discuss, mobile, web
---

Imagine a situation where you're in charge of a high-end project as a chief tech fella. Among usual technologies which ones would you choose And in what circumstances? Where would you pick Java (JVM family), Python/Ruby or Node.js and PHP? And other scenarios where you'd take other paths.
How I let my Twitter followers choose the logo for the next project
Tags: vue, webdev
Published: 2018-06-20 11:11:45

---
title: How I let my Twitter followers choose the logo for the next project
published: true
description: 
tags: vue, webdev
---

This week I finished writing a [free Vue.js ebook](https://vuehandbook.com/) which I'll launch next week.

I set out to create a little landing page for it, and I decided to create a logo. I'm no designer, so this was my first attempt, combining a [Twemoji](https://twemoji.twitter.com/) with the Vue logo.

![](https://storage.googleapis.com/indie-hackers.appspot.com/articles/8QCjAla1OAajyteO5VB1EuApro63/@fla%7C810d9c7581/Screen%20Shot%202018-06-20%20at%2009.45.02.png)

I thought it looked good. 

Until recently this was enough to go on. But recently I discovered Twitter Polls and enjoyed using them.

So I asked my 1800ish Twitter followers if they liked it. They said **NO**.

😔

So I tried another iteration.

![](https://storage.googleapis.com/indie-hackers.appspot.com/articles/8QCjAla1OAajyteO5VB1EuApro63/@fla%7C810d9c7581/Screen%20Shot%202018-06-20%20at%2009.49.17.png)

They liked it better, but I decided to throw some more ideas to the wall.

![](https://storage.googleapis.com/indie-hackers.appspot.com/articles/8QCjAla1OAajyteO5VB1EuApro63/@fla%7C810d9c7581/Screen%20Shot%202018-06-20%20at%2009.51.08.png)

#3 hit a cord:

![](https://storage.googleapis.com/indie-hackers.appspot.com/articles/8QCjAla1OAajyteO5VB1EuApro63/@fla%7C810d9c7581/83e1236f84.png)

I iterated, made the logo smaller and the words take less space, and I think this hit the right balance:

![](https://storage.googleapis.com/indie-hackers.appspot.com/articles/8QCjAla1OAajyteO5VB1EuApro63/@fla%7C810d9c7581/d73638ccfd.png)

Now I realize the initial logo I came up with looks pretty ugly in comparison.

It looks pretty nice in the landing page I built, which lives on Netlify at [vuehandbook.com](https://vuehandbook.com/)

![](https://storage.googleapis.com/indie-hackers.appspot.com/articles/8QCjAla1OAajyteO5VB1EuApro63/@fla%7C810d9c7581/51fa7bfa5d.png)

In the end, I really liked the process, it was fun seeing what people voted and also very motivational towards getting to a good result that was appreciated.

Again, I'm no designer but I think this is good enough for me at this point. 

The inverted colors also make for a nice GIF 😁

![](https://storage.googleapis.com/indie-hackers.appspot.com/articles/8QCjAla1OAajyteO5VB1EuApro63/@fla%7C810d9c7581/4f9a5cbad0.gif)

Off to work on the final touches to the ebook.

I hope this was a nice story to read 🙂
How To Get Prepared For The 2018 GDPR Deadline?
Tags: dataprotection, privacy, gdpr, security
Published: 2018-09-07 12:59:59

---
title: How To Get Prepared For The 2018 GDPR Deadline?
published: true
tags: data-protection,privacy,gdpr,security
canonical_url: 
---

The EU [**General Data Protection Regulation**](http://www.wenso.co.uk/gdpr-consulting-services/) (GDPR) replaces the Data Protection Directive 95/46/EC and is intended to synchronize data privacy laws across Europe, to safeguard and allow all EU citizens data privacy and to reform the way organizations across the region move toward data privacy. There is a sizeable impact on organizations that function globally.

![](https://cdn-images-1.medium.com/max/638/0*JMDQz3e5jQIkghc1.jpg)

With the help of **GDPR Assessment** programme, we can find the do the **GAP analysis and Risk Assessment**. The Best practices laid down for cybersecurity establishes a robust framework to address all the queries related to the **GDPR compliances**. This kind of assessment is applicable and valuable for all kinds of enterprises regardless of its size.

{% youtube CKJahUG3FMM %}

The basic objective of GDPR is to bring forth the current privacy and security structure of the organization. It also helps in understanding the plan and action of the organizations laid down for the implementation of GDPR. This also enables the organization to strategically plan and make their own tactical decisions.

At the onset of 2018 GDPR companies are busy in preparing themselves to meet the deadlines given for its implementation. The preparations are mandatory as Heavy fines will be levied in case of non-compliance with the policies. The implementation deadline is driving the organizations to aggressively begin their work GDPR. The starting step they can take is by making clear strategies in Data classification, Making guidelines for Data usage and Retention and baseline security controls. By doing this background work they can automate the entire process of [**GDPR compliance implementation**](http://www.wenso.co.uk/gdpr-consulting-services/gdpr-compliance-implementation/)and can also bring down the cost.

The basic objective of GDPR is of Data Protection rights to its citizens. These list of rights outlined in the GDPR are extensive and is certainly going to affect the various Business Models and processes in multiple ways.

_Originally published at_ [_www.wenso.co.uk_](http://www.wenso.co.uk/news/how-to-get-prepared-for-the-2018-gdpr-deadline/)_._
The Book Every Programmer Should Read
Tags: discuss, books
Published: 2018-06-20 10:23:49

---
title: The Book Every Programmer Should Read
published: true
description: 
tags: discuss, books
---

What are the books that every developer should read at least once in their life?

I suggest

[Robert "Uncle Bob" Martin's "Clean Code: A Handbook of Agile Software Craftsmanship"](https://www.amazon.com/Clean-Code-Handbook-Software-Craftsmanship/dp/0132350882/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&qid=1529462881&sr=8-1&keywords=clean+code&linkCode=sl1&tag=vnbrs04-20&linkId=4bfcc2b3d97cc5b6b5e2d78baf2a2190)  is the clean coder programmer bible. This book talks about code, behaviour, automated tests and so on.
Why Twitter?
Tags: discuss
Published: 2018-06-20 09:49:55

---
title: Why Twitter?
published: true
description: should every developer and engineer use Twitter for professional purposes? why?
tags: #discuss
---
Hi 👋 I just started noticing that a lot developers and engineers are on Twitter, at the beginning I thought that most people here use the platform just for registration purposes but after few weeks I can see that a lot of you are actually active Twitter users.

In your opinion, should every developer and engineer use Twitter for professional purposes? why?
HTML ~ Hide broken images, or replace then gracefully
Tags: html, css, fallback
Published: 2018-06-20 06:58:50

---
title: "HTML ~ Hide broken images, or replace then gracefully"
published: true
description: "HTML ~ Hide broken images, or replace then gracefully"
tags: html, css, fallback
---

{% gist https://gist.github.com/McKabue/8ef798803cd9a59430ada62b57aa32c5 %}

    onerror="this.src='fallback-img.jpg'"
    onerror="this.src='fallback-img.jpg'"
Setting Minimum and maximum CSS values for `font-size`, `padding`, `margin`, and many more not just `height` and `width`
Tags: sass, css, minheight, maxheight
Published: 2018-06-20 06:54:52

---
title: "Setting Minimum and maximum CSS values for `font-size`, `padding`, `margin`, and many more not just `height` and `width`"
published: true
description: "Setting Minimum and maximum CSS values for `font-size`, `padding`, `margin`, and many more not just `height` and `width`"
tags: sass, css, min_height, max_height
---
**SEE GIST BELOW**

	Usage:
	 ======

	 /* Single property 
	 html {
	   @include fluid-type(font-size, 320px, 1366px, 14px, 18px);
	 }

	 /* Multiple properties with same values */
	 h1 {
	   @include fluid-type(padding-bottom padding-top, 20em, 70em, 2em, 4em);
	 }

	////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

	div {
		@include fluid - type(font - size, 600px, 1200px, 16px, 32px);
	}

	@media screen and(max - width: 600px) {
		div {
			font - size: 16px;
		}
	}

	@media screen and(min - width: 1200px) {
		div {
			font - size: 36px;
		}
	}

{% gist https://gist.github.com/McKabue/567418ed2aca99161ad6164c8bbe0ea7 %}
Design for a time clocking app
Tags: timeclocking, appdesign
Published: 2018-06-20 06:16:05

---
title: Design for a time clocking app
published: true
description: 
tags: timeclocking, app design
---

I have been tasked with designing the server side application for a time clocking app. The application is supposed to keep track of when employees resume work each day and when they leave. The bottleneck I am experiencing is that the device for clocking in and clocking out is a fingerprint scanner and only one device is supposed to manage the two actions. For the sake of calculations and all, I intend to keep both data on their individual tables however I do not know how to. In one solution, I intend to create a single endpoint which when called will check if the employee has checked in for that day and then move the log to a different table or if I should keep the data on one table and just do my computations of clock in and clock out.

P.S. I do not also know if the device can be programmed with multiple endpoints.
Do you issue pull requests on your own personal repositories?
Tags: discuss
Published: 2018-06-20 04:56:27

---
title: Do you issue pull requests on your own personal repositories?
published: true
description: 
tags: discuss
---

As I have recently graduated and have had a bit more time to work on projects, I found myself creating pull requests on my own repositories that no one else will review except me.

I am of the belief that a pull request offers a good time to reflect on code that you have written in a very easy-to-view way.

Does anyone else do this, or am I just _crazy_? Thanks for the input! 😄
Hey remote workers, how do you work remotely?
Tags: remote, development, work, discuss
Published: 2018-06-19 22:28:52

---
title: Hey remote workers, how do you work remotely?
published: true
description: Share some advices to fellow remote workers
tags: remote, development, work, discuss
---

Obviously, remote working requires a good internet connection, nevertheless which field of work you do.

More specifically - I'm a web developer that's working remotely but I feel like I'm not using that remote "advantage" the best way. But I think my questions could apply to any field of work you do via your PC, from a distant spot (duh).

Questions I'd like to get answered would be:
 
- How can you tell that a place you visit will have solid/stable connection for you to work with?
- Do you get any external devices that ensure you're always connected to a stable internet? Which devices? 
- How do you manage to travel & work, how do you organize time? 
- Any more advices you wanna share?

Looking forward to replies :)
What does it mean that a neuron fires, in layman terms? What is the output usually?
Tags: machinelearning, neuralnetworks, explainlikeimfive
Published: 2018-06-19 19:03:46

---
title: What does it mean that a neuron fires, in layman terms? What is the output usually?
published: true
description: 
tags: machinelearning, neuralnetworks, explainlikeiamfive
---

I am reading some texts for deep learning, but everyone seems to take it as self-explanatory. :)

My understanding is that the activation function gets a `WX + b` which equals, lets say 1.745, as an input and returns a...value. What does this value represent? Is it just a new "weight"? Is it something else?
Sub-tasking before estimation?
Tags: scrum, discuss
Published: 2018-06-19 17:28:01

---
title: Sub-tasking before estimation?
published: true
description: Should we sub-task before we estimate?
tags: scrum, discuss
---

Based on the book, we should first estimate and then we should sub-task our stories. 

I personally have some issues with that. I find, sometimes, that doing an estimation on a task where we (as a team) are not 100% sure what it involves is difficult, and results frequently in underestimation.

I've the feeling, that sub-tasking first before the estimation could help with that. As it will show exactly what it takes to full fill the task and even team members who don't know that part of the codebase could better estimate it. 

I've been told, that this could lead to blowing up stories, as it is not time boxed at the time of sub-tasking. But I think, if the product owner is clear with the acceptance criteria, this shouldn't be an issue and would rather produce a more honestest estimation. 

What do you think?
A better way to handle magic values and constants?
Tags: discuss
Published: 2018-06-19 17:15:30

---
title: A better way to handle magic values and constants?
published: true
description: 
tags: discuss
---

It seems pretty well known that "magic values" in code are a bad idea and should be given descriptive names instead. Instead of this:

```
throw new Exception("invalid state: 0x02")
```

it's preferred to define "magic values" as constants:

```
Integer STATE_OK = 0x01;
Integer STATE_BAD = 0x02;
...
throw new Exception ("invalid state: {STATE_BAD}")
```

This works well thus far. However, what the user sees in either case is: 

```
$ invalid state: 02
```

I am thinking of frameworks and tools designed for technical users here, not non-tech end users.

In my actual use case I was able to find the source code and search out the constant name of the value reported to discover the actual problem, but this is rather inconvenient and not always possible like when using closed source tools or the user isn't familiar with the given language.

As a developer I am interested in how this experience can be improved. On the surface it seems string values would be an improvement but that clearly doesn't scale well. Is this just a documentation failure and no better way to deal with it in the code? Ever see a drastically different approach?
Breaking Changes in ArduinoJson 6.0
Tags: json, arduino, discuss, opensource
Published: 2018-06-19 15:44:38

---
title: Breaking Changes in ArduinoJson 6.0
published: True
description: ArduinoJson version 6.0 was recently released, and it included a breaking change
tags: #json #arduino #discuss #opensource
---
We have a quick update for you if you are handling JSON with any Arduino related project. 

If you are using the library `ArduinoJson` to make your life easier, you may run into a problem with tutorials written prior to now (Including some of ours), where your code doesn't compile with errors related to the declaration of the `jsonBuffer`.

Don't worry, we have the solution for you.

[ArduinoJson](https://github.com/bblanchon/ArduinoJson) version 6.0 was recently released, and it included a breaking change which is most likely the cause to JSON related problems.

In the latest version, the concept of `JsonBuffer` has been replaced with the concept of `JsonDocument`. 

Previously, you could create a JSON object like this:

`StaticJsonBuffer<512> jsonBuffer;
JsonObject& root = jsonBuffer.createObject();
`
With the new changes, here's how you wpuld achieve the same thing:

`StaticJsonDocument<512> jsonBuffer;
JsonObject& root = jsonBuffer.to<JsonObject>();
`
In the previous version of ArduinoJson, you would use the `printTo()` method to serialize json into a string, eg:

`data.printTo(dataStr);`

Now, you'll need to use the new `serializeJson` function:

`serializeJson(data, dataStr);`

For more information about other changes in ArduinoJson 6.0, check out [this article](https://arduinojson.org/2018/06/07/version-6-0-0/).
How to deal with being laid off?
Tags: work, job, development, discuss
Published: 2018-06-19 15:30:43

---
title: How to deal with being laid off?
published: true
description: How to deal with being laid off?
tags: work, job, development, discuss
---

I am about to be laid off, it is 100% certain to happen. This was my first dev job and this will also be my first time being laid off. I have always had another job lined up and ready in the event that something was to happen or if I was planning on leaving. But, I was enjoying myself so much, learning day in and day out what being a developer is like and honing my craft that I felt like it would never end. This job allowed me to work remotely if I wanted or go into an office, though being fully remote would be awesome. I mainly worked in front-end QA, working with selenium and protractor and even automated our whole testing setup using Jenkins. I have some DevOps experience as well, I have a computer science degree and a certification as a Certified Developer - Associate through AWS. 

This was a kick to the pants and a complete surprise, I have never been caught off guard like this at a company and would love some information on what I should do next. And if anyone has connections in the Chattanooga, TN area or they have remote positions, let me know. 

I feel like I threw a lot out here, I am just panicking. I love being a developer, I love learning something new every day and I really enjoy my work. 

Thanks,

Rob
5 Reasons You Should Write That Blog Post
Tags: career, beginners
Published: 2018-06-19 15:03:29

---
title: 5 Reasons You Should Write That Blog Post
published: true
cover_image: https://thepracticaldev.s3.amazonaws.com/i/lm5dmieg3wo2129u9l1m.jpg
description: You want to start putting yourself out there in the universe to share your knowledge.. but when you sit down to write, you thoroughly convince yourself you have no business doing so.  Stop it. Go write.
tags: career, beginners
---

#1. Your Experience is Unique
Your past is not parallel to anyone else's. Things that happened as a kid, choices you made, your parents made, landed you to where you are today. For example: My experience is unique because I wasn't really exposed to computers growing up. I grew up in a very rural area, and didn't discover programming as an option until a class in college I admittedly signed up for as a misunderstanding. I HAD NO IDEA what I was doing and quite frankly had no business doing it. Do you think there's others coming into this field that are also stumbling their way through this? Yup.

#2. Help Shed Perspective for Others
When I was a junior developer, I didn't feel like I had enough pull or knowledge to share with the world. But what I realized when I gained some experience is that there were people behind me just trying to accomplish what I did - getting their first job, or landing an internship, or attending a career fair. All those things are valid experiences that someone attending their first milestone will surely look up advice for.

#3. Make a Name for Yourself
As you blog, you'll begin showing up in Google searches from people looking to learn more on what you wrote about. You have already marked yourself as knowledgeable on that topic! Now imagine this, when a recruiter searches for you, they find your blog where you share about ALL the things you know! How impressive does that look? 

#4. A Coding Trail
Have you ever had to do some tricky code that you have to look up every single time you use it? I know I have. The best decision I made was to blog about it, so the next time I needed to look it up, I knew right where to look.
The other dynamic of this is that you have a trail of how far you've come. Sure it's embarrassing to find your old code out there.. but everyone grows and improves. It can also be a fun exercise to look back at some old posts and improve on them. 
 
#5. You are amazing at what you do. Show it off!