CS373 Spring 2021: Jack Raney (Week 7)
What did you do this past week?
This last week was a LONG one. My group worked very hard all week to get our website prepared for the end of phase 1. I worked hard on designing the API and setting up the backend endpoints for the API. At the same time, I was working on a separate project to build a Proxy for my Networks class, and I was working on a midterm philosophy essay. I am exhausted right now, but I think most of the chaos has past.
What’s in your way?
Really, just time and energy at this point. I feel pretty spent, but also relieved at the progress that I’ve made. I’m just chipping away at things one at a time!
What will you do next week?
I have an exam Monday morning which I’ve spent very little time preparing for, so that's where the rest of tonight will go. For this class, I intend on starting to set up a database and start compiling data from our APIs. I’d like the backend to start taking shape by the end of this week. Most importantly though, I’m gonna take an afternoon to take a breath sometime this week.
If you read it, what did you think of the Open-Closed Principle?
I thought it was an interesting paper. Oftentimes when we write code we can get very focused on solving one very specific problem and we can neglect thinking about how that code might be used in the future. I think its very important to remember to build code that doesn’t need modification in order to be extended or built upon in the future.
What was your experience of iterators and reduce2?
Iterators are cool! I already put that knowledge to work in the group project. Reduce2 is also interesting, but I’m mostly interested in the idea of sending callables as parameters into other functions. Its kind of rare to do that, but Reduce2 makes it clear how useful that can be in select situations.
What made you happy this week?
I started playing chess kind of randomly. A few of my friends started playing and we all kind of picked it up. We play a game or two online every other night just about. Its a nice distraction that lets me focus on a task other than work for a bit. It holds 100% of my attention which isn’t the case for Netflix or video games. I tend to realize I’m wasting time much easier with those and that’s not enjoyable.
What was your pick of the week or tip of the week?
My friends and I have been playing chess on chess.com. Its a really amazing website that lets you play chess with anyone for free without downloading anything. Its 100% browser based. They even provide little chess challenges and lessons to teach you how to play and get better. After finishing phase 1 of our group project, I now have a lot more admiration for what they’ve pulled off. Building a solid website is a big accomplishment!
