Computing Map

The Best VSCode Extensions

Thu, 13 Jun 2024 11:12:27 GMT

Live Server

It launchs a development local web server with live reload feature for static & dynamic pages.

Live Server

Nuget Package Manager GUI

It lets you update, remove, and install packages from NuGet server for .NET projects using a graphical user interface.

Nuget Package Manager GUI

REST Client

This extension allows you to send HTTP requests and view their responses directly from Visual Studio Code.

REST Client

Working With Nuget Packages

Thu, 13 Jun 2024 10:41:37 GMT

Using .NET CLI

List Installed Nuget Packages

You can list all the Nuget packages installed with the "dotnet list packages" command:

dotnet list package

List Outdated Nuget Packages

To see only the outdated packages, use the --outdated option:

dotnet list package --outdated

List Outdated Nuget Packages

Append the "--include-prerelease" option to consider prerelease versions:

dotnet list package --include-prerelease

Add Nuget Packages

To add a new package, use the "dotnet add package" command:

dotnet add package

It automatically installs the latest version of the package, but if you need a specific version of a package, append the -v or --version switch to the command:

dotnet add package  -v

Sometimes you need to specify the source of the Nuget package:

dotnet add package  --source https://api.nuget.org/v3/index.json

Update Nuget Packages

To update a Nuget package, use the "dotnet add package" as well.

dotnet add package

Restore Packages

The "dotnet run" and "dotnet build" commands automatically restores packages, but if you want explicitly restore them use the "dotnet restore" command:

dotnet restore

Remove Packages

dotnet remove package

Using VS Code Extensions

There are some extensions that allows you to manage the Nuget packages directly from Visual Studio Code. I use this one: NuGet Package Manager GUI

Among many features, it allows you to add, update and remove multiple packages at once.

You can install it from the VS Code Marketplace NuGet Package Manager GUI.

To use it, open the Command Palette (Ctrl+Shift+P on Windows or Command+Shift+P on Mac) and then select > NuGet Package Manager GUI

To update all packages:

Click Load Package Versions
Click Update All Packages

References

Add a NuGet source

Create Packages

Reinstall and update NuGet packages in Visual Studio

Nuget Package Manager GUI extension

Most Used Git Commands

Sun, 05 May 2024 15:53:02 GMT

The Most Used Git Commands

Command	Description	How to use it
git add	Add a file to the staging area (stage file changes for a commit)	`git add file1 file2 file3` or `git add .`
git branch	List, create, or delete branches.	git branch --list (list branches, the current branch is highlighted in green) git branch (list branches, the current branch is highlighted in green) git branch hotfix1 (create a branch called hotfix1) git branch -d hotfix1 (delete branch called hotfix1 if it is merged with the main branch; -D forces deletion) git branch -m master main (rename local branch from master to main)
git checkout	Switch to another branch.	git checkout hotfix1 git checkout main git checkout -b hotfix2 (create a branch hotfix2 if it doesn't exist and switch to it) git checkout -B hotfix2 (create a branch hotfix2 if it doesn't exist, otherwise it is reset, and then switch to it) git checkout e50c8e30ba79b6c6753d9b8fd9d74120a914e0b0
git clean	Undo changes on untracked files and directories.	git clean -di
git clone	Create a local copy of a remote repository.	git clone https://github.com/your_username/your_project.git\|
git commit	Save changes to the repository.	git commit -m "Some explanation"
git config		git config --list (list all config parameters) git config --list --show-origin (list all config parameters and their origins) git config core.editor git config user.name git config user.email git config --global user.email git config --system user.email git config --global credential.helper wincred git config --global init.defaultBranch main
git diff	Show the difference between the working directory and the staging area for a file.	git diff file1
git init	Create a local repository.	git init
git log	Show a list of previous commits.
git merge	Integrate changes from one branch into another branch.	git merge branch_name (integrates changes from branch_name into the current branch)
git mv	Rename or move a file without losing its commit history.	git mv old_file_name new_file_name
git push	Update remote refs(?)	git push origin branch_name git push origin --delete branch_name (delete a remote branch!)
git pull		git pull origin (updates the local repository) git pull origin master (updates the local repository) git pull origin some_branch (updates the local repository with a branch code)
git rebase	Integrate changes from one branch into another branch.
git remote	Display, include or update a repository's remote.	git remote git remote -v git remote add origin https://github.com/your_username/your_project.git (add a remote repository) git remote set-url origin https://github.com/your_username/your_project.git (update a remote repository) git remote remove origin
git restore	Get rid of changes on working area.	git restore file1 file2 file3 git restore .
git status		git status

Reminders

The default branch name for repositories created with the git init command is master. You can change the default using the git config command:

git config --global init.defaultBranch main

You can also rename existing "master" branches through the git branch command:

git branch -m master main

In Git, "origin" is a shorthand name for the remote repository a project was cloned from.

HEAD is the current commit a repository in on. Usually it is the latest commit, but when you checkout a branch at a specific commit HEAD points to that commit (in other words HEAD is not the tip of the branch anymore) and the HEAD is called detached.

Both git rebase and git merge integrate changes from one branch into another branch, but they do it in different ways. Use the golden rule of rebasing: never use it on public branches.

Untracked files are files that have been created within your repo's working directory but have not yet been added to the repository's tracking index using the git add command.

References

Merging vs. rebasing

Git Branching - Basic Branching and Merging

A successful Git branching model

Branching model

Git Clean

Rename Master to Main

Data Pipeline: the minimum you need to know

Tue, 13 Feb 2024 21:01:43 GMT

Data Pipeline: the minimum you need to know

A data pipeline is a set of processes that automate the flow of data from one point to another. It typically involves the extraction of data from various sources, the transformation of that data into a format that is more useful for analysis, and the loading of the transformed data into a destination for storage or further processing. Data pipelines are fundamental components in data engineering, enabling the efficient and automated movement and transformation of large volumes of data, which is essential for data analysis, business intelligence, machine learning models, and other data-driven applications.

Components of a Data Pipeline

Data Source: The origin where data is generated or stored. It could be databases, data lakes, APIs, or other external systems.
Data Extraction: The process of retrieving data from the source systems. This can involve querying databases, calling APIs, or reading files.
Data Transformation: The process of cleaning, aggregating, enriching, and converting data into a format or structure suitable for analysis. This may involve filtering, sorting, joining, summarization, and more complex operations like machine learning model inference.
Data Storage: After transformation, data is loaded into a storage system, which could be a database, a data warehouse, or a data lake, depending on the use case.
Data Consumption: The end use of the processed data, which may include analytics, reporting, data visualization, or feeding into machine learning models.

Types of Data Pipelines

Batch Data Pipelines: Process data in large, discrete chunks at scheduled times. Suitable for scenarios where real-time processing is not required.
Real-Time Data Pipelines: Stream data continuously and process it with minimal latency, allowing for near-instant data availability. Ideal for time-sensitive applications like fraud detection or live dashboards.
Hybrid Data Pipelines: Combine elements of both batch and real-time processing to meet complex requirements.

Designing a Data Pipeline

Define Objectives: Clearly understand the business and technical objectives the pipeline aims to achieve.
Select Technologies: Choose the right tools and technologies based on the volume, velocity, and variety of data, as well as the complexity of processing required.
Data Modeling: Design how data will be structured and stored at various stages of the pipeline.
Error Handling: Implement robust error handling and recovery processes to manage failures gracefully.
Monitoring and Alerting: Set up systems to monitor data flow and pipeline performance, with alerts for any issues.
Security and Compliance: Ensure data is encrypted, access is controlled, and all processing complies with relevant regulations.

Best Practices

Automate as much as possible to reduce manual intervention and errors.
Keep the pipeline flexible and scalable to handle increases in data volume and complexity.
Implement quality checks to ensure the integrity and accuracy of the data.
Document the pipeline thoroughly, including data sources, transformations, and dependencies, for easier maintenance and troubleshooting.

Tools and Technologies

Numerous tools and platforms can be used to build data pipelines, ranging from managed cloud services like AWS Data Pipeline, Google Cloud Dataflow, and Azure Data Factory, to open-source frameworks like Apache Airflow, Apache Kafka for real-time streaming, and Apache Spark for large-scale data processing.

Conclusion

Data pipelines are crucial for transforming raw data into valuable insights and information that can drive decision-making and business strategies. By automating the data flow, organizations can ensure their data is accurate, timely, and ready for analysis, thereby unlocking the full potential of their data assets.

Mac OS Shortcut Keys

Sun, 05 May 2024 14:56:46 GMT

"Command" is the key with a ⌘ symbol.

Basics

Shortcut Keys	What it does	Procedure
Command + A	Select All	Press and hold Command, and A keys together.
Command + C	Copy	Press and hold Command, and C keys together.
Command + X	Cut	Press and hold Command, and X keys together.
Command + V	Paste	Press and hold Command, and V keys together.
Command + S	Save	Press and hold Command, and S keys together.
Command + Shift + S	Save As	Press and hold Command, Shift, and S keys together.
Command + Z	Undo	Press and hold Command, and Z keys together.
Command + Y	Redo	Press and hold Command, and + keys together.
Command + R	Reload Page	Press and hold Command, and R keys together.
Command + H	Hide	Press and hold Command, and H keys together.
Command + M	Minimize	Press and hold Command, and M keys together.
Command + N	New	Press and hold Command, and N keys together.
Command + O	Open a File	Press and hold Command, and O keys together.
Command + P	Print	Press and hold Command, and P keys together.
Command + F	Find	Press and hold Command, and F keys together.
Command + G	Find Next	Press and hold Command, and G keys together.
Command + +	Zoom In	Press and hold Command, and + keys together.
Command + -	Zoom Out	Press and hold Command, and - keys together.
Command + 0	Reset Zoom	Press and hold Command, and 0 keys together.
Command + ,	App Settings	Press and hold Command, and , keys together.

Screen Capture or Recording

Shortcut Keys	What it does	Procedure
Shift + Command + 3	Take a screenshot	Press and hold Shift, Command, and 3 keys together. Click on a thumbnail in the corner of your screen to edit the screenshot or wait for the screenshot to save to your desktop.
Shift + Command + 4	Capture a portion of the screen	Press and hold Shift, Command, and 4 keys together. Drag the crosshair to select the area of the screen to capture. To move the selection, press and hold Space bar while dragging. To cancel taking the screenshot, press the Esc key. Release your mouse or trackpad button to take the screenshot. If you see a thumbnail in the corner of your screen, click it to edit the screenshot or wait for the screenshot to save to your desktop.
Shift + Command + 4 + Space	Capture a window or menu	Press and hold Shift, Command, 4, and space keys together. The pointer changes to a camera icon. To cancel taking the screenshot, press the Esc key. Click the window or menu to capture it. To exclude the window's shadow from the screenshot, press and hold the Option key while you click. If you see a thumbnail in the corner of your screen, click it to edit the screenshot or wait for the screenshot to save to your desktop.
Shift + Command + 5	Open screenshot tools	Press and hold Shift, Command and 5 keys together to open Screenshot and display the tools (Screenshot panel). Click a tool to use to select what you want to capture or record. For a portion of the screen, drag the frame to reposition it or drag its edges to adjust the size of the area you want to capture or record.
Shift + Command + 6	Capture the Touch Bar	Press and hold Shift, Command and 6 keys together.

Finder App

Shortcut Keys	What it does	Procedure
Command + Shift + A	Go to Applications	Press and hold Command, Shift, and A keys together when you are using the Finder app.
Command + Shift + C	Go to Computer	Press and hold Command, Shift, and C keys together when you are using the Finder app.
Command + Shift + F	Go to Recents	Press and hold Command, Shift, and F keys together when you are using the Finder app.
Command + Shift + G	Go to Folder	Press and hold Command, Shift, and G keys together when you are using the Finder app.
Command + Shift + H	Go to Home	Press and hold Command, Shift, and H keys together when you are using the Finder app.
Command + Shift + I	Go to iCloud	Press and hold Command, Shift, and I keys together when you are using the Finder app.

Preview App

Shortcut Keys	What it does	Procedure
Control + Command + A	Place an Arrow at the center of an image	Press and hold Control, Command, and A keys together when you are using the Preview app.

VS Code

Shortcut Keys	What it does	Procedure
Command + UP	Go to the beginning of a file/document	Press and hold Command, and Up keys together when you are using VS Code.
Command + DOWN	Go to the end of a file/document	Press and hold Command, and Up keys together when you are using VS Code.
Control + `	Switch between file editing and terminal	Press and hold Control, and ` keys together when you are using VS Code.

Data Structures and Algorithms (DSA)

Wed, 18 Jan 2023 01:10:49 GMT

Every software engineer should know about Data Structures and Algorithms because these subjects are the essential toolbox of our craft.

Algorithms go hand in hand with data structures, which is why they are taught together.

What is an Algorithm?

An algorithm is a finite set of unambiguous instructions to solve a problem.

We can give an algorithm in many ways, like a diagram or in a natural language like English. However, the software engineer is interested in algorithms specified in an appropriate mathematical formalism, such as programming languages.

There are multiple algorithms for solving the same problem. Algorithm Analysis helps us to determine which algorithm is the most efficient in terms of time and space consumed.

What is a Data Structure?

A data structure is a way of organizing data for algorithms to process them efficiently.

Variables

A variable is a name that holds a value.

Example:

x = 10

Computer programs operate over data stored in computer memory, but writing programs that work directly with memory positions is hard for humans. We are all familiar with variables in algebra equations, where letters like x and y represent values in expressions. So, using variables was the way computer scientists found to make data representation easier in algorithms.

Algorithm Design

When creating an algorithm, the main concern is to find out if it is correct, i.e., if it gives a solution in a finite number of steps. Then we can analyze it according to its efficiency, i.e., how much memory and time it takes to execute it.

Work in progress. Updated on 1/8/2