In this episode: F# 3.0 syntax; a campaign against if statements; Visual Studio 2015 update 3; laws of software craftsmanship; vulnerability on Lenovo laptops; busting a counterfeit ring; and misuse of the word ‘agile’.
Sharpen the Saw is a somewhat delayed repost of a semi-regular newsletter of information I publish for the professional development of software developers. While targeted primarily at developers working with the Microsoft technology stack, content will cover a wider range of topics.
To subscribe, send me an email and I’ll put you on the list. Membership is moderated.
Techniques
Cheatsheet for F# 3.0 Syntax
F# is the functional language we all should be learning - not least because knowing the techniques will help you be a better developer day to day.
Anti-If: The missing patterns
The ubiquitous IF statement is commonplace in our code - but it can be overused. While the anti-if campaign might be going just a little too far, it’s useful to review some of the techniques for avoiding overuse.
Software and Updates
Visual Studio 2015 Update 3
A community technical preview of the next update for Visual Studio 2015 has been released.
- Improvements to debugging and diagnostics
- Changes to the way subscriptions and licenses are managed
- Performance improvements in the Roslyn compiler engine
- Architectural tool improvements
Being Professional
Newton’s 3 Laws of Software Craftsmanship
Newton’s three laws are a great approximation for the way the world works - in fact, they’re good enough that it is only when we start looking at the very small or the very fast that we need the better approximations provided by Einsteins theories.
Christian Mackeprang posts his take on three fundamental laws for software development.
- Under fixed circumstances, every solution will behave the same way unless it has been modified.
- The impact of a technical decision is directly proportional to the size of the project and to how much of it is affected.
- Every technical decision comes with an implied tradeoff.
Staying Secure
Lenovo Solution Centre puts almost every Lenovo PC at risk from attackers
The Lenovo Solution Center, preinstalled on most new Lenovo laptops and desktops, is intended to monitor the health of the machine.
Unfortunately, it’s also vulnerable to attack.
Wildcard
Fantastic Fakes: Busting a $70 Million Counterfeiting Ring
The story of the creation of a near-perfect counterfeit note that’s so good it is still in circulation.
Video of the Week
You keep using the word agile
I do not think it means what you think it means - Nathan Gloyn at NDC London 2016
Comments
blog comments powered by Disqus