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Problem Solving Big Projects with Alexandra Waite
52:16 with TreehouseThis talk provides beginner programmers an essential view of how to tackle big projects, the importance of reading code, examining the error stack, and more.
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[MUSIC]
0:00
Welcome to Sessions, y'all.
0:04
I'm Toni again.
0:05
Hope y'all are having a great time.
0:07
Well, our next speaker is
a Bay Area local, Alexandra.
0:09
I'm sorry, Alexandra Waite, or Alex,
has gotten into coding with a friend
0:15
told her that it's possible to become
a software engineer without a degree.
0:20
And she probably said, what?
0:25
So now she's here to
tell you about her story.
0:28
So she joined a coding boot camp to
embark on a journey that led her to
0:30
working as a software engineer at Pandora,
0:34
where she is continuing her
professional development.
0:37
Please welcome Alex.
0:41
>> Hi, thank you so much.
0:45
[LAUGH] Awesome.
0:47
So one moment while I share my screen.
0:49
Awesome, so here we go.
0:55
[COUGH] Hi, everyone.
0:58
And thanks for coming today.
1:01
My name's Alex Waite, and
I'm a software engineer at Pandora Media.
1:02
And I'm currently living in Huichin,
also known as Oakland,
1:07
California, on occupied
Chochenyo Ohlone land.
1:12
Today, I'm gonna talk about some knowledge
I've picked up over the last couple
1:16
of years working at my job and
problem solving through some big projects.
1:22
And please double tap this portion of
the presentation to make it larger
1:27
on your screen.
1:32
So first off for the agenda,
1:36
we're gonna go over some common
architectural patterns for projects and
1:38
then go over how you can utilize them
to identify your project's pattern.
1:43
Then we'll go over
the importance of reading code,
1:50
how to best navigate code,
some problem-solving techniques, and
1:54
common pitfalls leading
to problems in projects.
1:58
And then at the end,
we're gonna have some time for Q&A.
2:03
All right, so let's start with
application architecture and
2:09
how knowing it can really help
you out with problem solving.
2:13
App architecture is used
to define the skeleton,
2:21
the high-level components of a system,
and how they all work together.
2:24
An architectural pattern is
a general reusable solution for
2:31
a commonly occurring
problem in your software.
2:34
Identifying and understanding your
project's architectural pattern will help
2:38
you to navigate the project and allow you
to work more quickly with more confidence.
2:43
As new features are added,
2:50
it will be clear which part of
the architecture needs to be modified.
2:52
And you and your teammates will then be
able to work together on different parts
2:56
of application at the same time and
with ease.
3:01
And here's some common
architectural patterns.
3:07
Up first we have MVC, or
Model-View-Controller, and
3:11
it's probably the most well-known
architectural pattern.
3:14
Because of this, we're gonna go into more
detail in this pattern in the next slide.
3:18
But in your own time, check out some of
these other architectural patterns and
3:23
read more about them, as you're
likely going to encounter various
3:28
flavors of them throughout your career.
3:31
So Model-View-Controller, or
MVC, one of the most widely
3:37
used architectural patterns in web and
app development.
3:42
Here, the model represents the structure
of the data in your project and
3:49
how it's stored.
3:53
On a client-side project,
the model can be a Redux store.
3:56
This code can hold raw data or define the
essential components of your application.
4:01
So for example, if you're building
a to-do app, the model would define what
4:08
a task is, and what a list is, since those
are the main components of that app.
4:13
And then the view.
4:20
The view is the user interface,
and it makes up components and
4:21
functionality that a user interacts with.
4:25
Views utilize the model and present
data in a form that the user wants.
4:29
And finally, the controller.
4:35
The controller acts as a connector
between the view and the model.
4:37
It receives user input via this
user action from the view and
4:42
then translates that input
to grab data from the model,
4:47
which then passes that
data back to the view.
4:51
And here's an example file structure
we can break down to determine its
5:00
architectural pattern.
5:05
I found this nicely organized
project on goodfirstissue.dev,
5:08
which is a site that provides easy issues
for your first open source contribution.
5:12
So this example is an app called
Guppy that helps beginners build
5:18
React applications.
5:22
It provides a graphical user interface for
common React tasks,
5:24
like creating new projects and
running a development server.
5:28
It's an electron app,
meaning it's a desktop application written
5:33
with web technologies such as React and
Redux.
5:38
I really like how the directories in
this project are clearly named and
5:43
grouped by type.
5:47
All of the app code lives
in this source directory.
5:49
Then, within this source directory,
there's a directory for
5:53
components, reducers, services, and etc.
5:57
But here we don't see files or
folders specifically named model,
6:03
view, or controller.
6:08
And this goes to show that it's often
not immediately clear what a project's
6:10
architectural pattern is based off
the names of the directories and
6:15
the files alone.
6:20
But with some knowledge of React and
Redux,
6:22
we're able to work out how these
translate to the MVC pattern.
6:25
In this project,
the actions serve as a controller, and
6:30
they fire actions here in
this actions directory and
6:35
handle that logic here in
the reducers directory.
6:39
And then the Redux store is
the model in this project,
6:45
since it holds all of the app's
data here in this store directory.
6:48
Finally, React is the view
layer of this project.
6:55
And React views are generally gonna be
located in a components directory here.
6:59
So with this understanding of the various
components of our project and
7:05
how they relate to each other,
7:10
it helps us in developing our
understanding of the codebase as a whole.
7:12
Once we've identified the architectural
pattern of the project to use as a guide,
7:20
the next important piece that
will help us problem solve big
7:25
projects is actually reading the code.
7:29
Reading code is the vast majority
of a software engineer's job.
7:34
And being able to read code is just
as important, if not more important,
7:38
than being able to write code.
7:43
It fosters familiarity and
comfort with a codebase.
7:45
When reading code,
7:49
you start to pick up on the styles of the
developers working within that project,
7:50
allowing you to adopt and then continue
that style when contributing to the code.
7:55
Making it easier for
the next contributor to follow.
8:00
The more code you read, the easier it
gets to understand other people's code.
8:05
You also get faster at it, and
8:10
this makes the entire process of
coding more fun and more enjoyable.
8:12
Trust that understanding and
8:19
skill will develop over time with
continued practice and effort.
8:21
And now here's some tips for
some more constructive code reading.
8:29
Tip number one, just concentrate on
a general understanding in the beginning.
8:36
Skim the project at first to
get a rough overview, but
8:42
if you try to understand each and
every piece before moving on to the next,
8:45
you'll get lost and
bogged down in the details.
8:50
So don't focus too much on
the implementation details early on.
8:54
The first thing you wanna
get is a high-level
8:58
general understanding of what
the code is trying to do.
9:01
A text editor feature that I use
to make this process easier and
9:06
less overwhelming is code folding.
9:09
By folding the code within a function or
a method, I'm able to hide all of
9:13
the nitty-gritty details and
only show the names of those functions.
9:18
This way, I'm taking in only the relevant
information that I need to get an idea of
9:24
what the code's doing.
9:29
I can always expand code when
I wanna go in more depth.
9:32
But this process helps me to stay
conscious of not going down a rabbit hole,
9:36
since that can be really easy for me.
9:40
And tip number two, run your project and
9:44
interact with it as a user
to see how it behaves.
9:48
And to better inform your understanding
of how the code is functioning.
9:52
Try out different use cases and
explore all of its features.
9:57
Then choose a part of that project, and
then dig into that part of the code.
10:02
Many start with the project's entry point.
10:08
This could be a main function,
or a controller, and
10:10
then follow how the code
branches out from there.
10:13
For me, I generally start with
the view portion of the code.
10:17
I pick a user action, or
a view that interests me.
10:22
And then I find it in the code, and
see how it's implemented there, and
10:25
figure out how it displays the data.
10:30
Then from there, I'll see how the
controllers are manipulating that data.
10:34
And then I can move on to the model layer.
10:38
Tip number three,
while digging in and exploring code,
10:44
just try to focus on one piece at a time.
10:48
Make it a goal to understand one piece,
just enough before moving on to the next.
10:52
Utilize documentation to improve your
understanding of the code as you're
10:58
reading it.
11:03
In addition to documentation, you should
pay special attention to the comments in
11:05
the code whenever you run into them.
11:10
Comments are there for a reason.
11:13
And it's usually because it isn't
immediately clear what the code is doing,
11:15
and it needs additional context.
11:19
Git commits are another
extremely helpful way, and
11:22
form a documentation explaining
why each line of code was added.
11:26
So make good use of git blame
as you're reading through code,
11:32
through better insight.
11:36
And reading and processing code
drains a lot of mental energy,
11:42
so it's important to be cautious
conscious of taking breaks.
11:45
Too often, I find myself hitting a wall in
my understanding hours into working, and
11:50
then I reach a point where I
realize I've just hit my limit.
11:55
And I'm not gonna do my best work, or
11:58
improve my understanding by reading a line
of code over and over with a headache.
12:00
So please remember to take
breaks throughout the day.
12:06
For me, breaks could look like having
a snack, doing a workout, going outside,
12:10
or listening to music, whatever feels
like it fills me up and recharges me.
12:16
These may vary in length, but generally,
the longer the break, or the more
12:22
fulfilling the activity, the fresher I
feel when I come back to the screen.
12:27
And if you don't take my word for
it on the importance of reading code,
12:35
you can take software expert Robert C
Martin's, the author of Reading Code.
12:39
Reading code isn't always
the most fun activity.
12:45
But it gets easier over time.
12:48
And we can take solace in knowing
reading code makes it easier to write,
12:50
in turn, making us better programmers and
problem solvers.
12:55
Keeping these tips in mind, and using
them as a guide, please don't feel bad
13:01
when you find yourself in the weeds,
or down a rabbit hole.
13:06
Don't expect it to be a linear process,
and
13:10
don't expect to understand
everything fully.
13:13
Remember, code bases can take months, or
13:17
even years to become familiar with,
so give it time.
13:20
Now, let's go over some
ways to best navigate code.
13:28
It's important to dedicate time to
learning how to quickly and efficiently
13:35
navigate large projects to help you
problem solve them, and level up in them.
13:40
We'll cover some tools for optimizing
productivity while doing this work.
13:45
Learn and implement shortcuts for
common development tasks in your editor,
13:54
or any other applications related
to your projects development.
13:59
These are some of my favorite
shortcuts and snippets on a Mac.
14:06
For Windows, you can generally
replace the CMD key with the CTRL key.
14:10
In VS Code, I use Shift+CMD+K
to delete an entire line, or
14:15
highlighted section without having
to hold down the backspace key.
14:19
CMD+P opens an input box for
me to type in the name of the file,
14:24
and go straight to that file.
14:29
Shift option up or down copies whatever
line your cursor is currently on,
14:31
and places that above or below the code
without having to copy and paste.
14:37
Ctrl+G takes you to a specific line.
14:43
CMD+D lets you select the variable name or
a piece of code,
14:47
and then find every match of
that selection in a file.
14:52
CMD+Shift+F allows you to
search an entire project.
14:56
And then we have one of
my favorite snippets.
15:01
And a snippet is essentially
an alias you create for
15:04
any code you want to run,
without having to type it out.
15:07
So I use this one a lot, clo tab.
15:12
It creates this pre-written
console log statement,
15:15
allowing me to type what I wanna log,
and then a message describing it.
15:18
I also updated my OS keyboard settings,
this key repeat and delete until repeat,
15:25
so that my cursor travels extremely
fast when I navigate an editor, or
15:31
a terminal with my keys.
15:36
Here's some ways to implement shortcuts or
snippets.
15:41
Shortcutfoo was something I used when I
started programming to practice shortcuts.
15:45
It gamifies learning shortcuts for various
text editors, apps, and the commandline.
15:51
You can also search for extensions in
your editor for whatever language or
15:58
framework that you use the most.
16:02
I google shortcut cheat sheets for
all of the applications that I use, and
16:05
then I bookmark those for easy reference.
16:10
Workspace organization applications
offer a great way to utilize shortcuts,
16:13
and to boost productivity.
16:18
You can use apps to organize your
workspace, like Spectacle or Magnet.
16:21
You can also make your own shortcuts and
snippets in your editor, or
16:27
your operating system.
16:31
I use Hammerspoon,
which allows you to create shortcuts for
16:33
window organization, and
lots of other OS automation tasks.
16:37
Now problem solving.
16:46
Now that we've identified some
architectural patterns, and
16:50
how to best read and navigate code,
16:54
we can dive deeper into the logistics
of actually problem solving code.
16:56
When coding, you're inevitably
going to run into errors.
17:04
This will happen at all
stages of your career, so
17:08
it's crucial to get comfortable with them.
17:10
This is something I struggled
a lot with starting out,
17:14
because it felt like every
error was a failure.
17:17
It seemed like the majority of my
coding time was spent hitting errors,
17:21
rather than having my code
actually runs successfully.
17:24
But over time, you realize that this
is expected and totally normal.
17:29
So getting comfortable with errors
makes the process of coding a lot
17:34
less frustrating.
17:38
Let's get more familiar with errors, and
17:40
then go over how we can utilize
them to help us problem solve.
17:42
The two types of errors you're likely
to encounter are compile time and
17:49
runtime errors.
17:54
Compile time errors are caught early.
17:56
And they're often syntax errors, like
missing a parentheses call in a function,
17:59
IDs, and some text editors
with syntax highlighting.
18:04
Highlighting and
18:09
linters will often alert you of
compile time errors as you write code.
18:10
Otherwise, they'll get triggered
when you try to run the code.
18:15
Runtime errors are errors your code
encounters when the code is running.
18:19
You'll know you've had a runtime error
when you encounter an error message and
18:24
a stack trace.
18:28
This can show up in your browser console,
in your terminal, your IDE, or
18:30
in your logs.
18:35
An error stack trace is a printout
of information about the call stack
18:39
at the time the error occurred.
18:44
Since our errors will often show up
with a message and a stack trace,
18:46
we wanna be sure we
understand their structure.
18:50
So what is a call stack?
18:56
You can think of a program as pushing and
popping methods from a stack.
19:00
This stack is known as the call stack.
19:05
Whenever there's a function call,
19:09
you can visualize it being
pushed on top of the stack.
19:11
And after it finishes running, it then
gets removed, or popped from the stack.
19:15
When no methods are left
in the call stack,
19:20
that means the program
has finished running.
19:23
And understanding code as a stack helps
us make sense of an error stack trace.
19:26
An error stack trace shows you each
line of code that your program's called.
19:35
Somewhere in that stack of calls,
an error was triggered, and
19:41
the system was unable to continue
popping items off of the stack.
19:45
So let's take an example.
19:50
Here, we can start by reading
the error message this provides.
19:52
Type error dB101 is not a function.
19:56
Now we can move into the stack trace.
20:01
Generally, the cause of the error is going
to be coming from this first line in
20:04
the stack trace.
20:08
A lot of the information below
this line isn't really helpful,
20:11
because you didn't run much
of this code knowingly.
20:14
It happens at a lower level.
20:18
Each line includes a variable name,
the file paths, and then a line number.
20:21
So we can go and examine in our code
using these to devise a solution.
20:29
I recognize the variable name here,
this getCityById.
20:36
So I can go to the line 17 here
in this cities_js actions file.
20:40
Now that I've isolated where
exactly the error is coming from,
20:48
I can return to the message.
20:51
I didn't write this function
from scratch though.
20:55
It's coming from this external DB library.
20:58
Since it's complaining
it's not a function,
21:02
I can go through a checklist in my head,
and figure out why that is.
21:05
Did I misspell it somehow?
21:10
Yep, yeah, this method, one or none.
21:13
It's supposed to be one or none, [LAUGH]
but I misspelled it here and forgot an n.
21:17
And while this is a fairly minor error,
it's a common one.
21:24
And having a process in place
helps us to solve it quickly.
21:29
Sometimes the stack trace is referencing
code you wrote, like it is here,
21:34
but that's not always the case.
21:39
Sometimes the most nebulous stack traces
are those in which the error was caused by
21:42
a third party library.
21:47
If this is the case, still try to do your
best to read through the stack trace, and
21:49
reason about what part of
the code broke and why.
21:54
Now that we're familiar with errors and
their stack traces,
21:58
we can look into more
tools to help debug them.
22:02
Logging and printing.
22:08
Logging print statements are a perfectly
valid practice for debugging.
22:10
As a JavaScript developer, adding console
logs is a very common way to debug.
22:15
Print statements can be used
similarly in other languages.
22:21
It's a good practice to add
a descriptive string to the log, so
22:26
you can easily find it among your output.
22:30
The limitation though with log and
print statements is that developers
22:33
need to deliberately select
which information to log.
22:38
Which can result in a lot of trial and
error, as well as leave out the program's
22:42
bigger picture, Googling the error.
22:46
Looking up the error on Google is always
the go-to option that offers helpful
22:53
results more often than not.
22:58
When googling your error,
try to keep it generalized, and
23:00
include only the keywords in the error.
23:03
Try to leave out specific variable names
from your code, or details related to
23:07
your local machine, as they might prevent
the most useful results from appearing.
23:11
It can also be helpful to include the
framework, or the library you're using,
23:17
and the search term,
if the error is not library specific.
23:23
I'm sure many of you have already had
plenty of practice googling errors.
23:28
And that's something you're gonna
continue throughout your career,
23:32
as you're constantly learning and
keeping up with technologies.
23:36
So refining the skill will come with time,
and
23:39
you'll develop a practice
that feels best for you.
23:42
I generally start with copying
the base error message, and
23:47
I try to keep it as short and
specific to the error as possible, but
23:51
not too specific to my particular code.
23:55
And I include the associated language or
library if necessary.
23:59
And depending on the caliber of results,
I'll continue editing that search to
24:06
either be more or less specific, maybe
adding quotations to parts of the error
24:10
that I absolutely want to see results for
until I find the most useful result.
24:15
If the error is specific to my
company's proprietary software,
24:21
instead of googling first,
I'll utilize the same process, but
24:25
search the error in our
communications channel.
24:29
There have been plenty of times where
doing this unblocked me right away, and
24:33
then saved me from going down a googling
path that likely wouldn't have helped.
24:38
Debuggers, debuggers solve the pain
points of printing and logging,
24:47
by allowing developers to walk through
a program step by step as it's running,
24:52
and stopped to examine variables
with more fine tuned control.
24:57
Doing this allows you to see a variables
are assigned to their expected values,
25:03
and to go through the programs flow, and
ensure that it's executing properly.
25:08
There are many ways to use a debugger.
25:14
If you're running JavaScript,
you can use the inspector and
25:17
set break points as your code runs in
the browser, like in this example here.
25:20
If you're in an IVE, or a text editor,
you can set break points in
25:26
the code before running your
code to utilize the debugger.
25:31
And tests,
25:39
tests serve as documentation to understand
the intent behind code in your project.
25:40
Reading through existing tests in parts of
the code base where your problem solving
25:47
can help you to understand
the codes expected behavior, and
25:52
hopefully provide some clarity for a fix.
25:55
After resolving an issue,
be sure to update us to account for
25:59
the bug you fixed.
26:03
And if there aren't any tests, then add
them for the person coming after you.
26:06
If none of the previous methods help you,
you can always ask for help, or
26:14
request a pairing or knowledge share
session with a teammate on the project.
26:19
When asking for help, be sure to provide
as much relevant information as possible.
26:25
Include the technologies you're using,
the version numbers,
26:31
the error in the stack
trace you encountered, and
26:35
all the steps that you've exhausted
already in trying to debug it.
26:38
This is easier said than done,
26:44
especially as a new programmer
coming into this field.
26:46
Asking for help has been one of my biggest
struggles, because it requires a lot
26:50
of vulnerability in admitting your
struggles, and what you don't know.
26:55
And it opens up the potential for
judgment.
27:00
But the reward of overcoming that fear and
getting unblocked is always worth it.
27:04
You may be surprised to learn that others
more senior than you had gone through
27:11
the same thing.
27:15
Doing this publicly also helps
those who come after you, and
27:17
encounter the same error in the future
by reducing hardship on their end.
27:21
So you can also think of
it as paying it forward.
27:27
And finally, I'll go over some common
pitfalls that I've encountered when
27:34
working in problem solving and
large projects.
27:38
Misspellings, a very common source of
error is the result of misspellings or
27:44
small typos, especially early on.
27:50
Like what the error stack that I shared
earlier, sometimes I'll get an error, and
27:54
then I get lost in
the stack trace details.
27:59
And I don't catch on a first glance
that maybe one letter's off,
28:01
and then causing my code to go haywire.
28:06
And it sends out either the package that
incorporates a spell check in my code to
28:10
save me from these issues in the future,
which I highly recommend.
28:14
Also, make good use of your
projects linting setup.
28:19
Having clear style rules defined, and
28:23
then utilizing a linter extension in
your editor can save you time and
28:26
trouble by showing you typos and
syntax errors as you're coding.
28:32
And they can fix them for
you by simply saving the file.
28:37
Version issues, when working on a project,
28:44
be sure to thoroughly read the readme,
or documentation for development setup.
28:47
And ensure you're using the correct
versions of libraries and
28:53
packages specified in the project.
28:57
Version issues have been one of the most
common source of errors for me, and
29:00
often trigger cryptic errors from deep
within libraries that aren't clear
29:04
about how they relate to my code.
29:08
Usually, if I encounter errors like this,
before going to Google,
29:11
I check if all of my versions I'm
on are compatible with the project.
29:16
Many times, the versions of libraries
on my local machine might have diverge
29:21
after some subsequent installs,
without my knowledge.
29:26
Or I forgot to activate and
run the project in a virtual environment.
29:31
And that environment is the one that
contains the appropriate versions.
29:36
Undefined variables,
in JavaScript, look out for
29:44
undefined variables which
can throw runtime errors.
29:48
These are generally easy to catch,
but they can happen often.
29:53
For example, if a value didn't come back
from an API call that you were expecting
29:57
Or you're pulling data, or a property
from an object that doesn't exist.
30:03
Environment variables, sometimes you
may have a bug where the environment
30:12
variable you need to get
data isn't being set.
30:17
For example, the API key
variable you need isn't set, or
30:21
the application is maybe trying to pull
a URL from a certain environment variable.
30:25
And that's not being set,
or the secret key, or
30:31
some key you need to grab
sensitive data isn't being set.
30:34
Missing these values in your environment
variables, or having them change, and
30:40
then being out of date with
them can cause errors.
30:44
So if you're running into errors making
API calls, or trying to retrieve data,
30:47
checking the state of your environment
variables is always a good call,
30:52
especially if you've been scratching your
head and trying to debug for a while.
30:56
To wrap up, we've gone over identifying
a project's architectural pattern,
31:05
the importance of reading code,
and how to read code.
31:11
Code navigation,
some debugging techniques, and
31:15
common culprits for errors, and
31:19
apply these guides in a way that feels
best for you in any order you wish.
31:22
None of these are set in stone,
but they're all useful for
31:28
leveling up your knowledge in
a project and problem-solving skills.
31:32
It's important to acknowledge that
coding is a journey with ups and downs,
31:37
and developing these skills takes time.
31:42
Please be gentle with
yourselves when it gets hard.
31:46
Trust that you'll get more comfortable
with the unknowns over time,
31:49
and take solace in the fact
that you're not alone.
31:53
We're all on the same journey together.
31:57
And there's guaranteed someone is in
those same position as you are right now.
32:00
Wherever you are right now is perfect,
and it's exactly where you need to be.
32:06
Thank you so much for coming to my talk,
and thank you to treehouse for having me.
32:11
It's an honor to be here.
32:15
And I'll now open it up to some questions,
if there are any.
32:17
Okay, great, pulling up Q&A.
32:24
Okay, from Prashant, can you please
explain that last snippet part?
32:31
How would I do that?
32:38
Let's go back here to the snippets slide.
32:39
Yeah, so again, depending on your IDE,
or a text editor,
32:48
it's likely to have a lot of
extensions where you can search for
32:53
either an extension, or a plugin.
32:58
And just search whatever language.
33:01
Or maybe if you're using react,
33:03
the framework that you're using
in a project, essentially,
33:06
you can just search any of
the technologies in your project in
33:12
an extension search, and then look for
any snippet applications.
33:17
So for me, I don't remember the exact
name of the extension package,
33:23
but I just looked up JavaScript.
33:29
And it was one of the first
extension results, and
33:31
they have so
many useful snippets like clo,
33:36
where you just hit this with tab,
and then it puts a cursor
33:40
on both the log message, and
whatever you want to log.
33:46
And you can just go right in there,
33:51
plus lots of other useful ones,
like just a console log, or
33:54
importing a file once to react,
just to set up a component.
33:59
There's so many.
34:05
But yeah, they have ones that
are premade for you like this.
34:06
Or you can dig in more into your text
editor settings, and be able to update.
34:11
There should be a snippets file where
you can create your own shortcuts,
34:17
or snippets even similar to these.
34:22
You can essentially make a short cutter
snippet for anything you do in a project.
34:25
And it will generally be in some sort
of settings, or configuration file, and
34:30
there are plenty of tutorials online.
34:35
I literally Google [LAUGH] how do I
create my own snippet in my text editor?
34:38
And there's plenty of tutorials that step
by step walk you through how to do it.
34:43
So yeah, hopefully that
provides more insight there.
34:51
And let's see, from Roberto, does stack
tracing run top bottom or bottom top?
34:58
Excellent question.
35:05
So yes, for stack traces, you're gonna
look at them from top to bottom.
35:08
The error, whenever the stack trace
appears, and your program's in error,
35:17
the top line is where the error
was encountered in your code.
35:24
So here, it ran the code, and
35:30
then when it got to this get city by
a D function in my travel project,
35:32
it encountered the error
here within that function.
35:38
And again, gives you all of this
useful info, like the line number,
35:44
the character count on that
line where exactly it happened.
35:48
So always start with the top.
35:53
And then if it's useful, sometimes
it's useful to continue reading below.
35:55
Essentially, the stack
trace gives you a better
36:02
idea of the program when
this error occurred.
36:07
So it ran this function, and
36:13
this function was called
within this function.
36:16
And again,
kind of having this visual helps me a lot,
36:22
cuz you can think of as okay,
this program is the main call.
36:27
And then after the program is called,
36:34
the first function called
is this print square.
36:36
Then that gets on top.
36:40
And then inside print square, we called
square n, so that gets put on top.
36:42
And so you can just think the concept
of call stacks use Last In,
36:49
First Out, so whatever call is on
top was the last call that was made.
36:55
And then once that call finishes,
it gets popped off.
37:04
So that might be a little helpful
visual to keep in mind when you
37:08
run into an error stack trace,
can be okay, this is the top of the stack.
37:13
So this was the last function
called in my program.
37:20
And if this program were to
have continued running without
37:24
any errors,
then this would have been popped off.
37:29
And then these functions would all
continue getting popped off until there
37:34
aren't any more left, and
that means your program ran successfully.
37:38
So yeah, hopefully that was a bit useful.
37:43
And then Paula asked,
37:48
do you import or install a debugger?
37:51
This generally varies.
37:56
But I'm not sure if you necessarily
need to install the debugger.
37:59
I believe it's generally accessible
within whatever environment
38:07
that you're developing your project in.
38:11
So for example, again,
yeah, if you're working
38:15
on a web application, or using JavaScript,
38:20
an easy not having to get two
set up in a debugger option
38:25
is exploring your console
in the web browser.
38:30
And if you open up the developer tools,
oops, this is Firefox.
38:36
But Chrome and
38:43
other browsers have debugger located
somewhere within the developer tools.
38:44
And can easily Google how to utilize them,
and
38:51
there's usually plenty of
step-by-step tutorials for that.
38:54
But yeah, they live somewhere in
your developer tools in the browser.
39:01
And then from here,
you can just step into your code,
39:06
and then set these breakpoints,
wherever you want the code to stop,
39:12
and then be able to sort
of analyze each variable in
39:18
this call stack as you run
the code on a browser.
39:23
But yeah, there's also a debugger
available in node that you get for free.
39:28
So I don't believe you
necessarily have to install it.
39:37
It's just a matter of finding a tutorial,
and
39:40
figuring out how to get that set up, and
configured for your specific project.
39:43
And I use VS Code.
39:49
VS Code has the debugger built in as well.
39:51
So no importing necessary,
I just again There may be some things
39:56
you have to connect to that are specific
to your project to make best use of it.
40:02
And they're available.
40:08
And I think,
most if not every other text editor,
40:10
definitely available and
IDEs like IntelliJ, Eclipse.
40:14
And then, full disclosure, [LAUGH].
40:19
I'm definitely not a debugger expert,
I use them occasionally.
40:23
But honestly, I'm able to get by
mostly from using console log or
40:28
print statements when developing and
debugging.
40:33
Awesome, and then, Paula again.
40:37
How long should you wait for
until you ask for help?
40:43
This is a good one, definitely subjective.
40:46
I've had mentors or people recommend,
waiting a super short time,
40:51
even 20 to 40 minutes before asking for
help.
40:58
For me, that's
41:03
a goal to strive to.
41:07
But I guess, especially coming from
a self-taught coding boot camp.
41:13
We're so reliance on ourselves for
41:20
learning and
having to figure it out on our own.
41:25
I still can have those stubborn
tendencies where I'm just like,
41:31
no, I need to figure it out.
41:36
I got this.
41:38
And then where as the time goes,
suddenly it's been a few hours.
41:39
And that can be a workday sort of lost.
41:44
So I try to keep it within an hour or two.
41:47
But yeah, these things, they ebb and
flow over time, and again are subjective.
41:55
I know some coworkers who, they encounter
an error and it's very immediate.
42:00
[LAUGH] Post in the channel,
has someone encountered this?
42:06
Could someone help me?
42:11
So yeah, definitely,
kind of just feel it out for
42:13
yourself, see what feels best.
42:18
But like I said,
I generally keep it within an hour to
42:21
a couple hours before I ask for help.
42:26
But also depends on the urgency,
42:29
if it's super time sensitive
the task needs to get done.
42:33
Then that definitely means I'll like
ask within maybe 20 minutes or less.
42:39
So yeah, can be like feeling it out for
yourself.
42:47
And then Miguel asked, how do you jump
out of a tag when you're programming?
42:53
When a auto inserts a tag,
is there a way to jump out of it?
42:58
Jump out of a tag when you're programming.
43:07
I'm not sure if you mean
maybe an HTML tag or
43:13
something that is specific to
43:19
your text editor that's popping
43:24
up to try to help you code.
43:29
But [LAUGH] is it necessarily helpful?
43:33
Yeah, I'm not sure.
43:40
Cuz I don't know if I've
encountered this issue myself.
43:41
But if it is something that's like
some sort of autocomplete in your
43:44
text editor as you're coding,
that you're having some issues with.
43:50
I would definitely just try to dig
into exactly why that's happening.
43:55
Is it some default setting
that's configured on your
44:03
editor that is just kind
of continuing to pop up and
44:08
be annoying and not useful?
44:13
Then I would try to figure out
why exactly that's popping
44:16
up as you're coding and
figure out how to disable it.
44:21
Or how to change wherever that rule or
44:26
setting is defined in
your editor settings.
44:30
And either get rid of it or
make it more useful for,
44:35
what would be helpful for
44:41
you to have something appear like that?
44:44
I hope I understood that [LAUGH] properly.
44:48
But I haven't encountered myself,
so I am not 100% clear.
44:50
And then, again, I sometimes have
trouble with pulling data from an API.
44:56
What are some simple best practices
when encountering errors?
45:03
Having trouble in pulling data from API.
45:08
That's a good one.
45:10
So again,
kind of like I mentioned towards the end,
45:11
one common culprit for
errors being variables not being
45:17
assigned the values that you're expecting.
45:23
This is a common one for
API calls, where maybe something
45:29
isn't necessarily set properly
with how you're using the API key.
45:35
At least for me, with API calls,
I first kinda isolate,
45:42
well, here is my API key,
what I expect it to be.
45:47
And I also try calling it in different
environments to test it as well.
45:52
I could think of maybe a pep
project they did recently where
46:01
I was making an API call with
the provided API key just in the browser,
46:07
and was getting the data I
expected back from the browser.
46:14
But when I tried doing it in my project,
46:20
outside of the browser in
a different text editor.
46:23
Then for some reason,
46:27
I was getting an error code response back.
46:30
I don't remember exactly,
it was just something, maybe a 500 error,
46:36
something wasn't authorized.
46:40
And so for me, check the API key.
46:43
Clearly that was good because
it was working in the browser.
46:50
So honestly, at that point, it can just
be useful to sorta Google the error.
46:54
And again,
similar to what I mentioned when googling,
47:01
including the error that you received.
47:08
Maybe the API that you're using,
where you're using it,
47:13
and how you're using it,
what library are you using?
47:18
Is it the Axios library?
47:23
Are you using a fetch library?
47:24
And yeah, the exact error you're getting,
can add the error and
47:28
quotation marks just to get
a specific result back.
47:33
And, for me, that resolved my problem by
47:37
including the fetch
library that I was using.
47:42
It turned out that I was
missing some of the request
47:47
parameters that were
necessary in order for
47:53
the API that I was trying to hit,
to accept my response.
47:58
And be like, okay,
I have the proper request that I need.
48:04
So I was able to get
a response after that.
48:11
So a lot of times it's missing
certain keys on your request
48:15
within the library where
you're making that call,
48:20
can be a good place to start after
you're sure that the key is working.
48:25
Is that error stacktrace in the terminal?
48:34
That can vary depending on the project,
but,
48:38
well, in terms of where exactly it is.
48:42
If you're running code in your terminal,
then yes, it'll appear there.
48:46
But if it's a web application,
48:52
sometimes it'll just appear
inside of the browser console.
48:54
So if you go to your dev tools in
the console within your browser,
48:59
that's one thing I always
do when developing.
49:05
I'll run code in a terminal, but
on the browser, I'll also always have my
49:10
developer tools up with that console app
as well, just so I can catch any errors.
49:16
Because they can vary depending
on where they show up.
49:22
So just having both your developer
tools and your console up, and
49:25
then a terminal, and
then just keeping an eye on both.
49:30
And they can show up in either.
49:34
Sylvester asked, at my work, we don't use
any testing tools for our front end code,
49:37
and mostly checked by running the website
locally and test for expected behavior.
49:43
Is this normal for
front end web developers?
49:50
Or do you have any
advice on testing tools?
49:53
I don't believe that's normal.
49:56
[LAUGH] From what I know especially in
our company, we're pretty big on testing.
50:01
And so,
while behavioral testing on a browser is
50:08
absolutely important, and we do as well.
50:13
We try to do our best anytime we can.
50:18
And I do believe most
companies are like this,
50:22
we should be the goal.
50:28
Because like I mentioned, tester,
super useful when you're going
50:31
through debugging and coding,
because they serve as a document, right?
50:36
As to why code is set up a certain way.
50:41
So definitely recommend.
50:45
And for front-end code,
it depends on the library.
50:46
But for our code at Pandora,
we use React and Redux.
50:50
And so we'll use, Jest is a great
testing library for unit tests in React.
50:56
And we also use Airbnb's test library,
Enzyme, for
51:03
testing specific functionality
within the browser.
51:07
And ensuring that the CSS and
everything looks the way it should.
51:12
But whatever languages
you use in your project,
51:18
I would highly recommend
Google searching those.
51:22
And then getting the initiative
going on implementing those for
51:25
every portion of your project, absolutely.
51:30
Okay, awesome.
51:34
So I think that's time for
the presentation.
51:36
But thank you all so much for coming and
51:40
offering me the space to share
what I've learned today.
51:43
And also have my contact info here, please
feel free to reach out to me anytime.
51:47
I am happy to go into more detail of
this presentation or just any questions
51:54
about software engineering or
career development in general.
52:00
Happy to connect.
52:04
So, thank you.
52:06
Thank you.
52:07
And I'll go ahead and stop sharing.
52:08
Thank you so much.
52:14
Take care.
52:15
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