What's the general Software Engineering rule of thumb again for frontend templating code?

If I look at certain websites, I notice some code smells in PHP such as:
$.modal = <?php echo $(base)["username"] != 'me' ?' ': echo 'style="display=none"' ?>

or just in general places in the code where PHP gets used as a templating engine for gluing together pieces of HTML code based on conditionals spread out over the codebase and the database itself too. To make things worse, this carries over to JavaScript ajax functions. As a developer, this to me just seems like spaghetticode.

On the other hand, many popular frameworks properly do templating, such as EJS, containing templating in one place and not mixing it with logic too much but just having simple output like <%= %>.

I know I've seen frameworks like Angular 1 contain pieces of HTML into directives, but maybe that's something different, more 'OO'-simulating or cleaner.

I tried to post a comment to someone's post and without UI feedback I get the API response in the HTTP request: "Comment not valid". This isn't enough information for me to troubleshoot what is a valid comment.

When posting a rant, what's the orange devRant option about (I've tried finding information about this everywhere)?

I've said it before and I'll say it again: I believe in theoretical study prior to proof of concept.

At least for me, it takes me a 100 times more time to make a proof of concept the 'quick and easy' way rather than properly studying the theoretical knowledge and then applying it.
For example, it took me one and a half months to build a small website in ReactJS without much prior knowledge. It took me exactly one day performing the same task when I properly had studied all its internals and theoretical knowledge before I started.

If I know what I'm doing, I can easily create; if I don't, then I'm just messing around, looping myself into problems ad infinitum.

Teach a man to fish..

Programming at a job to me is no longer creating something fun and valuable; it's more like figuring out why shit doesn't work, con-stant-ly.

It' s like coming in to your desk every morning, dreading the day because there's yesterday's shit to fix. "Hmm, what shall today be like? Oh yes, troubleshooting why my database model doesn't work, redesign it completely and break my mind over db details. The next day? Having to redesign my classes to implement new patterns because apparently the current design isn't good enough." Even if you work on new deliverables, that's just new problems in disguise anyway.

Pleasant? Not really.
lol.

I'm starting to rethink the 'Software Developer' title as 'Sanity Maintainer'...

Software Development is just convoluted.. and it often comes with stress; I hate stress.

One of the most headache-inducing things about being a developer is having to find a solution to every little ailment that software has.

An example would be: working with a particular stack. LEAN, MEAN, LAMP, WAMP,.. The nightmare of having to deal with every single error in PHP, NodeJS, Apache Server, Nginx, the HTTP spec intricacies, the HTML5 spec, API problems..

Sometimes it's just a lot to deal with and I'm trying not to lose my patience.

One of the things I find annoying about today's development is having to use package managers.

Here I am, trying to just simply install a package. Oops! The version of x you are running is not compatible with y. *fixes it and runs it again* Oops! The version of y you are running has dropped support for z.

How about! You just! Let me! Code! And stop! Making me waste time! On project scaffolding! For each! And every! Framework! Library! Or whatever!

*pulls my hair out*
lol

One of the major things I find irritating about looking for a job as a developer is that some companies ask you to make demo projects for them (and some of those projects can take days to make..).

It annoys me I have to spend energy on something that may result in nothing. And this gets more annoying if several companies ask it. It's like I'm working for free. I don't feel productive. lol

I don't know why, but even though I have years of experience doing agile both in school and at work, I seem to have a hard time adjusting to the agile work method because I always seem to want to do waterfall.

I don't like the stress of having to rush out a product, nor do I like working on an unknown piece of software (framework/library) without knowing it fully; it just itches me and I get obsessive.

I don't like creating just a piece of functionality and rush it out the door, but I rather like doing it in an R&D type way where I get years to finish a product that I slowly work on, like a modern-age philosopher and scientist.

I know there are companies out there that have this approach, but sadly most of them are agile 'cause they all wanna be cool.. LoL

I'm an old mind in a modern world..

*looks drowsy* Ugh my head..

You know what, guys? If you can freshly and directly remember how to do this:

- calculate the time complexity for each type of loop and code structure

- knowing how to write the following regex:
"A 15-digit number starting with a possibility of a group of 1-2 digit numbers, segregated into three 5-digit numbers tuples with three different separator characters, evaluated ahead"

- mentally work out how to reverse an array's indexes (swapping algorithm) without writing anything down

- know how to optimize a binary search in your head

then kudos to you. lmao
I'm rusty. It took me a while..

Developer's frustration..

I currently don't have the space (believe it or not) to accommodate two screens onto my desk.
I've been developing on a single 15" laptop for years (since 2010).

I'm getting tired of constantly having to switch between windows. lol.

Mmmmust figure out wayyyy to incorporate new screen into my setupppp. lol

!dev *applies to vacancy that says they're looking for someone with 2 years experience in Java, which I have*

*their reply later*: "We're looking for someone who aligns more with our technology needs"

I'm sorry, what? You're explicitly looking for a Java developer, your entire vacancy lists Java skills, yet this is your answer.

What the f. lol

!dev What pisses me off about today's job market is that the following idea is a naive one:

Let's just find a junior position and learn on the job so you can demonstrate your skills to your employer so they can promote you.

Wroooong. Reality: They only hire the most gifted geniuses who already know everything and they don't have the budget for someone who is rusty.

Welcome to the modern world of the CompSci market, where you are expected to have expert level knowledge in every language, especially in Software Engineering and Algorithms. And if you don't remember how to write an efficient Comparator algorithm in under 3 minutes, you're screwed.

Yaay.

!dev Job hunting is so exhausting. Nowadays it's not enough to have two degrees and some certificates. No, you have to 'prove' your worth by also showing really complex, enterprise-level projects you made on GitHub. Yes, why don't you make it more difficult to find a job. lol

!dev I knew this was true but I'll say it again because I recently was met with this situation again:

Rule: If the interviewer says at the end of your first interview: "We'll see", you didn't get the job.

I'm starting to think that getting a job these days is a rarity..

The art of not giving a fuck. Unplug.

A programmer's wife tells him:
"while you're at the store, get some milk".

He never comes back.

Why did the programmer quit his job?
Because he didn't get arrays.

*drum roll*

How do you deal with relatively complex Boolean logic requirements?

Here's a simple example, of which I missed 50% of the cases because it was non-intuitive to me:

A year is a leap year if:
- it is divisible by 4
- except it is also divisible by 100
- unless it is also divisible by 400

To my intuition, the logic tree is as follows:

if (year % 4 == 0) -> true
if (year % 100 == 0) -> false
if (year % 400 == 0) -> true

so I ended up with 3 cases and I initially missed all the others until I started coding.

The full solution is:

if(year % 4 === 0) {
if(year % 100 === 0) {
if(year % 400 === 0) {
true
} else {
false
}
false
} else {
true
}
true
} else {
false
}
}

I don't like it when I don't immediately see all logic paths.

!rant One of the better refactoring insights I've heard today: "With great power comes great responsibility".

Just because a language may not care about certain constructs, doesn't mean you should be relaxed about them (e.g. weak/dynamic typing/not caring about (variable name) consistency).

!rant Learned from an online course that you can use Chrome Snippets (JS) to run your own code as an entire file rather than writing it all in console (which only supports line by line unless you do shift + enter).

I had seen this before but I wasn't fully aware of it.

Most confusing sign-up form checkbox I've ever read:

"If you would like us to no longer continue to stop not sending you special deal and offers every week, please indicate you are inclined to yes by not checking the box."

source: online course

Urgh. One key skill that wannabes seem to forget is patience. Patience, patience, patience. Don't panic, don't be lazy, be methodical. This is the way of the analytical computer scientist. Don't panic all over the place or make assumptions..

Some techs..

!dev Employers (or, well, HR) are so judgmental. Every time, they try to burn you with their judgmental torch and ask in a very judging manner: "Ohh, I noticed your life between years x and y wasn't perfect. How do you explain that?" (e.g. having a year off due to depression).

Here's how I explain it: life has its ups and downs; chaos is a fact of life. People aren't going to be perfect. If you're looking at a candidate that has a near-flawless path, then I don't think it's worth hiring that person because their motivation and work ethic are likely different from a seasoned go-getter who struggled and worked years to become good at their field.

LoL, I swear, some of these job ads..

- You study Java every day
- You anticipate and you follow Java trends every day
- You go to our Java events

Oh so you mean I don't have a life? No thanks.

!dev I don't understand why in job ads they write: "Looking for 20 developers". What, are they raising a farm? LoL. Why so many developers.. especially if it's for a small company?

I'm getting annoyed with the increasing number of platforms that implement the "Oops, something went wrong" vague error message.

From my job applications I have concluded that there is a large surplus of front-end developers and a serious lack of back-end ones.

Alright, I'm getting tired of reading job applications that have roles described as:

"Seeking unicorn"
"Seeking heroes"
"Seeking alien"

What the fuck.