Recent stories by Stack Exchange
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Should commit history be used to convey critical information to developers?
A team wiki is a better place to store warnings and comments.
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Client-side coding: How to prevent malicious use?
Applications that run on a user-controlled device cannot be perfectly protected.
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In a dynamically typed language, is it a bad idea to return different data types?
In some cases, returning different types from a single function works.
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Why is polling accepted in Web development?
For real-time communication, polling works.
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How do I remember what I was working on and why several months ago?
To-do lists are lifesavers.
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Why was the first compiler written before the first interpreter?
Decades ago, compilation was much simpler.
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How to manage accidental complexity in software projects?
Practice makes better software.
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How do you avoid being forked into oblivion?
Licenses and trademarks allow you to maintain control over your software.
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Why throw early and catch late?
When handling exceptions, throw when the errors occur.
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Why is software OS specific?
Windows and OS X require different system calls.
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Should I follow the normal path or fail early?
The rules are not contradictory, so you can follow both.
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Am I being taken advantage of during the job application test?
A developer test shouldn't be a way for employers to use cheap labor.
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Should I break up code commits?
Splitting up the work is time consuming with few benefits.
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Is there a benefit to compiling your code as you go?
Compiling allows you to fix errors quickly.
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Should you go forward with a project if the code isn’t clean?
Bad code can be salvaged; resist the urge to rewrite the software.
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Keep a programming language backwards compatible or fix its flaws?
Switching to a new version isn't worth the time or the risk.
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Why is it so hard to make a Java program appear native?
One solution is to rewrite the application for each system.
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Why is multiple inheritance so abhorred?
MI can be a powerful feature when executed correctly, but it's hard to master.
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How to implement a self-destruct feature into free trial software?
A 14-day free trial is a nice idea but it has some practical problems.
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How to handle divide by zero in a language that doesn’t support exceptions?
It seems like there are three options... but things are always more complicated.
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Why do dynamic languages make it difficult to maintain large codebases?
Dynamic languages have costs associated with them that static languages don't.
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How to design a Web application with a 40+ year lifetime?
Every passing year brings changes, so think hard before building systems.
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At what point is version control needed?
A small group of programmers have hacked together a system to save work.
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Should I write tests for legacy code if there’s no time for refactoring?
In which a coworker advocates for "one big refactoring" rather than smaller tests.
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How can I make sure that I’m actually learning how to program?
The way you think might help you crack languages faster.
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Should a programmer have freedom in choosing a language and framework?
Hired for skills with JRuby, but the company is oriented toward C#.
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What is meant by “Now you have two problems”?
A Jamie Zawinski quote raises questions about regular expressions.
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Should you always pass just the bare minimum data into a function?
A look at two ways to the get a similar result—but one way is superior.
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Help: My manager wants to measure my team’s productivity by velocity
Is a significant increase in velocity possible in a scrum environment?
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How can I get colleagues to stop bickering about trivialities?
Teaching a bit of code is getting one professional a whole lot of bikeshedding.
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How has an increase in system complexity affected new programmers?
To our intellectual predecessors: please advise.
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Why should passwords be encrypted if they’re stored in a secure database?
It's not just about your programming problem this time.
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Can commented-out code be valuable documentation?
Precision is the goal, so maybe it's best to put comments in code.
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Information overload: I know too much to program quickly. What can I do?
It's not always a good problem to have.
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Is it reasonable to insist on reproducing every defect?
You have to balance the time you have with the need to be thorough.
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Can software be protected from piracy?
It's either easy to use or easy to protect; it can't be both. Right?