Tag: fullstack

JavaScript for R — ebook

The R programming language has seen the integration of many languages; C, C++, Python, to name a few, can be seamlessly embedded into R so one can conveniently call code written in other languages from the R console. Little known to many, R works just as well with JavaScript—this book delves into the various ways both languages can work together.
https://book.javascript-for-r.com/

John Coene is an well-known R and JavaScript developer. He recently wrote a book on JavaScript for R users, of which he published an online version free to access here.

The book is definitely worth your while if you want to better learn how to develop front-end applications (in JavaScript) on top of your statistical R programs. Think of better understanding, and building, yourself Shiny modules or advanced data visualizations integrated right into webpages.

A nice step on your development path towards becoming a full stack developer by combining R and JavaScript!

Yet most R developers are not familiar with one of web browsers’ core technology: JavaScript. This book aims to remedy that by revealing how much JavaScript can greatly enhance various stages of data science pipelines from the analysis to the communication of results.
https://book.javascript-for-r.com/

Want to learn more about JavaScript in general, then I recommend this book:

A free, self-taught education in Computer Science!

The Open Source Society University offers a complete education in computer science using online materials.

They offer a proper introduction to the fundamental concepts for all computing disciplines. Evyerthing form algorithms, logic, and machine learning, up to databases, full stack web development, and graphics is covered. Moreover, you will acquire skills in a variety of languages, including Python, Java, C, C++, Scala, JavaScript, and many more.

According to their GitHub page, the curriculum is suited for people with the discipline, will, and good habits to obtain this education largely on their own, but who’d still like support from a worldwide community of fellow learners.

Curriculum

Intro CS: for students to try out CS and see if it’s right for them
Core CS: corresponds roughly to the first three years of a computer science curriculum, taking classes that all majors would be required to take
Advanced CS: corresponds roughly to the final year of a computer science curriculum, taking electives according to the student’s interests
Final Project: a project for students to validate, consolidate, and display their knowledge, to be evaluated by their peers worldwide
Pro CS: graduate-level specializations students can elect to take after completing the above curriculum if they want to maximize their chances of getting a good job

It is possible to finish Core CS within about 2 years if you plan carefully and devote roughly 18-22 hours/week to your studies. Courses in Core CS should be taken linearly if possible, but since a perfectly linear progression is rarely possible, each class’s prerequisites are specified so that you can design a logical but non-linear progression based on the class schedules and your own life plans.

Links to the contents

Links to the curriculum (v8.0.0)

17 Principles of (Unix) Software Design

I came across this 1999-2003 e-book by Eric Raymond, on the Art of Unix Programming. It contains several relevant overviews of the basic principles behind the Unix philosophy, which are probably useful for anybody working in hardware, software, or other algoritmic design.

First up, is a great list of 17 design rules, explained in more detail in the original article:

Rule of Modularity: Write simple parts connected by clean interfaces.
Rule of Clarity: Clarity is better than cleverness.
Rule of Composition: Design programs to be connected to other programs.
Rule of Separation: Separate policy from mechanism; separate interfaces from engines.
Rule of Simplicity: Design for simplicity; add complexity only where you must.
Rule of Parsimony: Write a big program only when it is clear by demonstration that nothing else will do.
Rule of Transparency: Design for visibility to make inspection and debugging easier.
Rule of Robustness: Robustness is the child of transparency and simplicity.
Rule of Representation: Fold knowledge into data so program logic can be stupid and robust.
Rule of Least Surprise: In interface design, always do the least surprising thing.
Rule of Silence: When a program has nothing surprising to say, it should say nothing.
Rule of Repair: When you must fail, fail noisily and as soon as possible.
Rule of Economy: Programmer time is expensive; conserve it in preference to machine time.
Rule of Generation: Avoid hand-hacking; write programs to write programs when you can.
Rule of Optimization: Prototype before polishing. Get it working before you optimize it.
Rule of Diversity: Distrust all claims for “one true way”.
Rule of Extensibility: Design for the future, because it will be here sooner than you think.

Moreover, the book contains a shortlist of some of the philosophical principles behind Unix (and software design in general):

Everything that can be a source- and destination-independent filter should be one.
Data streams should if at all possible be textual (so they can be viewed and filtered with standard tools).
Database layouts and application protocols should if at all possible be textual (human-readable and human-editable).
Complex front ends (user interfaces) should be cleanly separated from complex back ends.
Whenever possible, prototype in an interpreted language before coding C.
Mixing languages is better than writing everything in one, if and only if using only that one is likely to overcomplicate the program.
Be generous in what you accept, rigorous in what you emit.
When filtering, never throw away information you don’t need to.
Small is beautiful. Write programs that do as little as is consistent with getting the job done.

If you want to read the real book, or if you just want to support the original author, you can buy the book here: