Blog - Arthur Dick

Code With Comfort

Friday, May 3rd, 2024

For software developers, spending hours pounding away at keyboards is practically a rite of passage. While the passion for coding burns bright, the toll on our hands and wrists can be undeniable. In the quest for efficiency and comfort, many developers have stumbled upon a hidden gem: the Dvorak keyboard layout.

Dvorak, designed in the early 20th century, is an alternative layout that rearranges the keyboard to place the most frequently used letters on the home row, minimizing finger travel and strain. This blog post delves into the potential benefits of Dvorak for software developers, exploring its impact on speed, accuracy, and ergonomic comfort.

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Tags: dvorak keyboardergonomics

Battling the Memory Monster

Friday, April 26th, 2024

Have you ever been happily coding along, querying your database with trusty PDO, only to encounter a cryptic Fatal error: Allowed memory size of 134217728 bytes exhausted error? It can be a real head-scratcher, especially when you're dealing with what seems like a reasonable amount of data. Well, the culprit might be hiding in plain sight: PDO's default buffering behavior.

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Tags: phppdo

What's in a Name?

Friday, April 19th, 2024

In the grand language of code, variables, functions, and classes play together to create the symphony of our programs. But what makes the music clear and beautiful? Just like a well-written piece relies on each note, the readability and maintainability of code depend heavily on one crucial element: naming.

Sure, you can technically name a function "doStuff" and a variable "temp," but future you (or any poor soul collaborating with you) will be left scratching their heads. Meaningful names are the cornerstones of clean code, and in this post, we'll delve into why they matter and explore best practices for crafting names that sing.

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Tags: software developmentclean code

Thriving in Silence

Saturday, April 13th, 2024

The stereotype of the programmer as a lone wolf, toiling away in a basement lit by a single monitor, holds a grain of truth. But for introverts like myself, this isn't some caricature - it's our happy place. While the world of programming might seem extrovert-central, filled with collaboration, meetings, and code reviews, introverts can not only survive but thrive in this field. In fact, I'd argue that our introversion grants us unique strengths that make us valuable assets to any development team.

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Tags: software developmentintroversion

The XY Problem

Friday, April 5th, 2024

We've all been there. You're neck-deep in code, staring at an error message that makes about as much sense as a cryptic fortune cookie. Frustration mounts, and in a desperate attempt to regain control, you head straight to your favorite developer forum, ready to unleash your question upon the world. But hold on a second! Before you fire off that question about how to manipulate the 17th element of a nested array within a specific function (solution X), take a step back. You might be falling victim to the classic XY Problem.

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Tags: software developmentcommunication