ArcGIS Developer Mapping APIs Quickstart

Todd Horn API Development, Articles, Development Technologies & Tools, Programming, Python, Tutorial Leave a Comment

I have always been interested in maps and GIS data. Whether I am planning a hike or a backpacking outing for scouts or helping the Ozark Trail Association with their website, trail building, and maintenance or needing directions from one place to another, a good map and mapping tools are a necessity.

ArcGIS has always been the gold standard for anything related to maps and GIS data. So, in this blog, weโ€™ll take a look at some of the mapping options that are available with an ArcGIS Developer account and their Mapping APIs.

Comments in Code

Comments In Our Code: Necessary or Not?

Robert Rice Articles, Development Technologies & Tools, Programming, Spring 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!

Saving The Environment With React Hooks

Using React Hooks To Save the Environment

James Bradley Articles, Node.js, Programming, React, TypeScript Leave a Comment

Attention: This article was published over 5 years ago, and the information provided may be aged or outdated. While some topics are evergreen, technology moves fast, so please keep that in mind as you read the post.Every application has some need for environmental variables that are specific to that environment. This can be database connections strings or URL to an …

Apple Silicon for Dev

Apple Silicon for Development

Lou Mauget Articles, Development Technologies & Tools, Programming, Python Leave a Comment

In June, Apple announced a two-year transition from Intel to Apple Silicon for the iMac and MacBook line. I knew Apple had lost their mind. But, before Christmas, I owned my very own chunk of Apple Silicon living in an attractive milled-aluminum case.

In this article, I’ll discuss the Apple M1 silicon-on-a-chip (SoC) used as a software development computer. I’ll cover installation, and I’ll also talk through running apps that support development on my M1.

Developer Experience First in Code

Four Ways of Writing Thoughtful Code to Think Less

Ryan Brewer Articles, Opinion, Programming 3 Comments

Long before I was offloading brainpower to Stack Overflow, I sought to offload it for my future self (ahem, and teammates of course). I have a book to thank for this. Steve Krug’s “Don’t Make Me Think.”ย  It’s a critique of complex user interfaces.

Steve likes them simple and intuitive: the users’ goals are evident and easily accomplished.

Steve’s adage–“don’t make me think”–also plays a fair critique of the code we write. We can take that adage and apply it as a “DX First” approach to writing code. (An approach that admittedly should be sacrificed to UX or Performance Gods as needed.)

In this article I illustrate four high-level ways of elevating the developer experience to the forefront, helping us grok more while thinking less.