Dynamic programming is a powerful algorithmic technique that can solve a wide variety of optimization and counting problems efficiently. It is an essential tool in any professional programmer or computer scientist‘s toolkit. In this article, we‘ll dive into what dynamic programming is, understand the characteristics of problems it can solve, look at classic examples, and…
In a previous article, we looked at some elementary sorting algorithms like bubble sort, selection sort and insertion sort. While these algorithms are easy to understand and implement, they don‘t scale well for large datasets due to their quadratic time complexity. In this article, we‘ll dive into some more advanced sorting techniques – namely Merge…
As a professional developer, I‘ve been fascinated by the potential of quantum computing to solve challenging problems across science and industry. Microsoft has been at the forefront of this field with their Quantum Development Kit and the Q# programming language. In this article, we‘ll take a comprehensive look at Q# from the perspective of a…
Programming paradigms are the different fundamental styles or ways of structuring and organizing code. Each paradigm embodies a particular perspective and set of concepts for how a program should be built. Understanding the various programming paradigms is important for all developers, as it expands your arsenal of problem-solving tools and allows you to select the…
Object-oriented programming (OOP) is a programming paradigm that organizes code into reusable structures called objects, which have attributes and behaviors. OOP helps make code more modular, maintainable, and easier to reason about by modeling real-world concepts in code. The Ruby programming language, created by Yukihiro Matsumoto (Matz) in 1995, was designed with object-orientation at its…
Garbage collection is a critical feature of modern programming languages, but it‘s often misunderstood. As a full-stack developer, having a solid grasp of how automatic memory management works can help you write more efficient and robust code. In this in-depth guide, we‘ll take an animated look under the hood of the most common garbage collection…
Impostor syndrome, the persistent feeling of inadequacy and self-doubt despite evident success, is an all-too-common experience among software developers. The tech industry in particular is notorious for making people feel like they don‘t measure up or aren‘t "real" engineers. As someone who transitioned into software development from a completely different field, I‘ve certainly had my…
As an expert in data structures, one of the most important and fascinating structures to understand is the tree. Trees enable us to organize data hierarchically and provide efficient ways to search, insert, and delete items. In this comprehensive guide, we‘ll explore everything you need to know about tree data structures, from the fundamentals to…
As a full-stack developer and professional coder, I know firsthand how critical it is to have a solid understanding of Big O notation. Whether you‘re preparing for a coding interview, optimizing your production code, or designing a scalable system, Big O is a fundamental concept that you absolutely must master. In this comprehensive guide, we‘ll…
Parity checks have useful applications in error detection during data transmission. Image credit: Wikimedia Commons Parity is a fundamental concept in computer science that indicates whether a number has an odd or even number of bits set (ones) in its binary representation. If the number of set bits is odd, the parity is 1. If…
Dear future developer, I‘m writing you this letter from the cluttered comfort of my home office, where my journey as a software engineer began over a decade ago with nothing more than a second-hand laptop and an unrelenting passion for problem-solving. Like you, I once dreamed of transforming my love for technology into a fulfilling…
Have you ever wondered how the apps on your phone or the websites you use every day are made? Or maybe you‘re curious about what it means to "code" or "program". As a professional software developer, I‘m here to give you a friendly introduction to the world of programming. By the end of this article,…