About the Author
Robert Rice

Robert Rice

Robert Rice is a software developer with 11+ years of experience with Java technologies. Long-time consultant working with the creation, enhancement, and maintenance of a complete insurance management system. Other interests include health, fitness, and winning the 2015 Keyhole Software Halloween Costume Contest.

Comments in Code

Comments In Our Code: Necessary or Not?

Robert Rice Development Technologies, Programming 1 Comment

No matter what your opinion is on comments, one thing is universally true: developers should create code that the next developer can understand.

Sometimes, comments are a safe, simple way to leave the code better than how you found it. Sometimes, extracting sections of code into a well-named method can be an alternative way of doing this, with the added benefit that (a) you can test this method individually and (b) it may help you to spot smells in your code or see places for further refactoring or simplification.

Each situation you encounter will require different treatment, but I hope this post has given you a starting place for creating clean, readable code in your own life!

React vs. Angular: A Comparison Between Two Great Options

Robert Rice Angular, Development Technologies, JavaScript, Opinion, React 1 Comment

Both React and Angular are very popular front end development frameworks. In this post, I will discuss the similarities and differences between the two, and consider when one should be used instead of the other.

React is an open-source JavaScript library introduced by Facebook to build dynamic user interfaces. It is based on JavaScript and JSX (a PHP extension) and is considered widely for developing reusable HTML elements for front-end development.

Angular is an open-source front-end development framework powered by Google. It is a part of the MEAN stack and is compatible with a large number of code editors and is considered for creating dynamic websites and web apps.

In this post, we will begin by going over the benefits of React and Angular, then break down the differences between the two frameworks using thirteen attributes. By comparing each framework side by side, it can help decide which is the best framework for your specific app project.

Using MongoDB and Spring Boot to Create a RESTful Web Service

Robert Rice Development Technologies, Java, Spring Boot 1 Comment

Spring Boot is a framework designed to simplify the bootstrapping and development of a new Spring application. The framework takes an opinionated approach to configuration, freeing developers from the need to define a boilerplate configuration. MongoDB is a simple set up and easy to use document database. A RESTful API is an application program interface (API) that uses HTTP requests to GET, PUT, POST and DELETE data.

In this post, I will demonstrate the process of creating a RESTful web application with Spring Boot and MongoDB.

Java 10 and Local-Variable Type Inference

Robert Rice Development Technologies, Java Leave a Comment

JDK 10, an implementation of Java Standard Edition, was released in March 2018. It brought with it Local-Variable Type Inference to help simplify the writing of Java applications.

Basically, it’s a new syntax meant to reduce some of Java’s verbosity, while still maintaining the enforcement of static type safety. In simpler terms, you are able to declare variables, but won’t necessarily have to specify the type.

In this blog, I give recommendations for best practice when using Local-Variable Type Inference in JDK 10 with an eye for common var pitfalls…

Explosive Tutorial With Unity3D and VRTK

Robert Rice .NET, Development Technologies, Tutorial Leave a Comment

Opinions on the emerging Virtual Reality market vary. One one end, there are those who say it’s just a gimmick and will pass shortly. On the other end, there are those who herald it as the birth pangs of a paradigm shift in how we interact with technology.

I sit somewhere in the middle. I own an HTC Vive and it is pretty dang awesome. The experience is not perfect, of course, but with interest growing and prices coming down, it’s just going to get better.

One expression of VR’s growing popularity is that Unity3D supports VR programming. And, with the free VRTK (Virtual Reality Tool Kit) framework, it’s becoming much easier to get started programming for VR. VRTK implements many basic components, such as various movement implementations, object interaction, and projectiles.

Working on a fun little side project, I noticed one implementation it did not have: a virtual reality bomb. So, I set upon to create one myself. This post details the process I went through for creating a timed, throwable, explosive object for virtual reality using Unity3D & VRTK.