Forem: Vitalii

Mastering JavaScript Testing: From Basics to Advanced Techniques

Vitalii — Sun, 26 Jan 2025 12:12:55 +0000

Over the past few weeks, I’ve been receiving a lot of requests on my TikTok channel (@jsmentoring) about creating a comprehensive JavaScript testing tutorial. Many of my followers, ranging from beginners to advanced developers, wanted to understand the nuances of testing in JavaScript. After listening to your feedback, I decided to create a full tutorial that covers unit testing, mocking, asynchronous testing, and more!

I’ve shared the entire tutorial on GitHub, making it accessible for everyone to follow along. The tutorial includes step-by-step guides and practical examples using Jest, a popular testing framework for JavaScript. You’ll learn how to test everything from simple functions to complex React components.

What you can expect:

Unit Testing: Basics of testing individual functions and components.
Mocking and Spying: Learn how to mock external functions and dependencies.
Asynchronous Code: Test asynchronous functions like API calls or timeouts.
React Testing: Understand how to test React components and their state.
Advanced Techniques: Explore testing with Redux, performance testing, and more.

To make it even easier for everyone, I’ve been posting short video snippets on TikTok to give quick insights and tips on JavaScript testing. If you’re not familiar with my TikTok content yet, check it out here: @jsmentoring. It’s a great way to get a taste of the tutorial before diving into the full guide.

What do you think about learning through short TikTok videos?

Would you prefer more bite-sized tutorials or longer, more detailed guides? Let me know your thoughts, and I’d love to hear how you approach JavaScript testing in your projects!

💡 Quick tip: When testing JavaScript functions, always start with simple unit tests, and gradually increase the complexity as you dive deeper into your application’s behavior. This will ensure that your tests are both effective and easy to maintain.

This whole process has been an amazing way to communicate and connect with people through TikTok. Initially, I wanted to create more advanced lessons on algorithms and concepts for companies like Fancy or other high-level topics. However, as I started receiving more questions from followers, I realized that testing was a much bigger area of interest for many developers. This shift made me realize how powerful it is to listen to your audience and cater to what they need. It's clear that testing is something people want to dive deeper into!

You can find the full tutorial and the GitHub repository here. I hope it helps you improve your testing skills, and feel free to ask questions if anything is unclear!

JavaScript #Testing #UnitTesting #Jest #Mocking #AsyncTesting #WebDev #TikTokLearning #GitHub

The Meeting Trap: When Managers Overload Developers

Vitalii — Fri, 24 Jan 2025 15:56:54 +0000

In the world of software development, time is everything. For developers, uninterrupted blocks of time are essential for writing, debugging, and refining code. However, a common challenge arises when tech lead managers, often with good intentions but limited experience, create a calendar full of meetings. These meetings, while aimed at fostering communication and alignment, can quickly become a productivity nightmare.

The Problem with Overloading Meetings

Imagine this: your team is working on a critical feature, and every day is packed with meetings where everyone is expected to participate. As a result, developers barely have time to focus on their core work. The issue isn't just the time spent in meetings—it's the disruption to focus and the difficulty of context-switching. Even a 30-minute meeting in the middle of a work session can derail a developer's flow for hours.

While meetings are important for coordination, excessive or poorly planned meetings can:

Drain productivity by fragmenting work hours.
Cause frustration and burnout among developers.
Lead to delays in project delivery.

Good Intentions, Poor Execution

Tech lead managers often schedule frequent meetings to:

Ensure everyone is on the same page.
Demonstrate that they’re actively managing the team.
Address concerns and roadblocks in real-time.

While these goals are valid, the execution can backfire if managers don’t account for the impact on their team’s workflow. Without understanding the balance between communication and focus time, they risk creating an environment where developers feel they’re spending more time talking about work than actually doing it.

A Better Approach: Balancing Meetings and Focus Time

Here are some principles that good managers follow to ensure their teams remain productive:

Limit Meeting Time: Developers should spend no more than one hour per day in meetings. This ensures they have sufficient uninterrupted time for deep work.
Combine and Streamline Meetings: Instead of having multiple small meetings, consolidate discussions into a single, focused session. For example, daily standups can be brief and to the point, leaving detailed discussions for dedicated planning sessions.
Respect Developer Time: Managers and project managers can handle extensive discussions and then distill key points into concise updates for the team. This approach ensures developers receive the information they need without unnecessary detail.
Use Asynchronous Communication: Leverage tools like Slack, email, or shared documents for updates and questions that don’t require real-time interaction.
Set Realistic Expectations: When estimating timelines, account for the time developers spend in meetings. Overlooking this can lead to unrealistic deadlines and increased stress.

Let’s Discuss

As a developer, how much time do you think is reasonable to spend in meetings? For me, one hour per day feels like the upper limit—anything beyond that eats into productive work time. Project managers can take the lead in handling extensive discussions and summarizing them for the team.

What are your thoughts? How can managers ensure they’re not overwhelming their teams with meetings? Let’s discuss in the comments below!

Huge Thanks for Helping Me Create the Biggest JavaScript Interview Question Tutorial

Vitalii — Sun, 19 Jan 2025 13:07:17 +0000

A Huge Thanks to Everyone Who Helped Me Create the Biggest JavaScript Interview Question Tutorial (required ⭐)

Hey Dev.to! 👋

I want to take a moment to express my deepest gratitude to everyone who helped me along the way in creating what I believe is the biggest and most comprehensive JavaScript interview question tutorial. With 551 questions, categorized by Levels 3 (Basic, Intermediate, Advanced), 188 Themes, and 192 video tutorials, this is the ultimate resource for anyone preparing for JavaScript interviews or looking to improve their JS skills.

How It All Started

The story begins when I was trying to teach my brother JavaScript. I quickly realized how difficult it was to find good, organized, and comprehensive interview questions in one place. I searched high and low for resources, but most were either behind paywalls, incomplete, or didn’t meet my needs. It was frustrating.

But instead of giving up, I started collecting JavaScript questions, algorithms, and solutions that I thought would help. Over time, this personal collection turned into a project to create something useful for everyone. And that’s how the Interview Questions package was born, a resource designed for people who want to learn JavaScript through the terminal and for those who may not have access to the best resources.

From Collection to Resource

After working on it for over half a year, I felt I had gathered enough material to put together a more structured, easy-to-use resource for JavaScript learners. So, I created a GitHub repository called JavaScript Questions Pro.

In this repository, you’ll find:

551 questions organized by difficulty levels (Basic, Intermediate, Advanced)
188 themes covering a wide range of JavaScript concepts
192 video tutorials to help you better understand various topics

Everything is structured in folders with easy-to-navigate links, so you can filter and find exactly what you need to learn and prepare for interviews.

What’s Next?

I’m incredibly proud of how far this project has come, but it’s still a work in progress. I’m always open to feedback, suggestions, and contributions from the community. If you want to help improve this resource, feel free to contribute in any way you can. Your feedback will help make this project even better for future learners.

If you find this project helpful, please consider giving it a star on GitHub. It would mean the world to me and help others find this resource too.

🔗 Check out the repo here: JavaScript Questions Pro

Thank you again to everyone who supported me along the way. Let’s continue learning, growing, and sharing knowledge together!

A New Approach to Learning with Communication and Community

Vitalii — Sat, 18 Jan 2025 19:05:35 +0000

📚 Read the Full Lessons

You can find the complete lessons for this tutorial series on my GitHub repository:

GitHub - Data Structures Tutorial

A New Way of Learning Data Structures

We often think of tutorials as one-way streets where information is passed from teacher to learner. However, my goal with this tutorial series is to show that learning data structures is much more than that. It’s a form of communication and a way to build connections.

When I started creating these lessons, I focused on helping people in the beginning stages of their coding journey. I understand how overwhelming it can be to dive into complex topics like Queue, Stack, Linked Lists, and Graphs. That’s why I’ve designed this series to be accessible, interactive, and most importantly, fun.

As I break down these concepts, we won’t just be learning facts and code. We'll also be engaging in live discussions, problem-solving, and sharing ideas on how these structures can be used in real-world applications. Learning with others is a community experience, and this is the heart of what I want to share with you.

About the Data Structures Tutorial Series

This tutorial series will take you on a 12-day journey where each day focuses on a single data structure. I’ve carefully crafted the learning plan so that you spend less than an hour a day and can easily implement what you’ve learned with practical coding tasks. You’ll get:

Text-Based Explanations to break down concepts.
Video Tutorials that show the implementation process.
Home Tasks to help you solidify your understanding.

But here's the catch: I’m not doing this alone! I’m inviting you to join me live as I teach these concepts on TikTok and engage with the community.

Join Me Live on TikTok! 🎥

One of the coolest aspects of this series is that I’ll be sharing all of these lessons live on my TikTok channel @jsmentoring. You can tune in for short, insightful video tutorials where I explain data structures and interact with followers in real time. These sessions aren’t just lectures — they’re conversations!

I encourage you to ask questions, discuss challenges, and share your solutions. Let’s make learning interactive and collaborative. After all, the best way to learn is by communicating and helping each other out. 🤝

The Learning Plan

Here's a sneak peek at how we'll tackle data structures over the next 12 days:

Day 1: Queue (FIFO) - We'll implement a simple queue and explore its uses.
Day 2: Stack (LIFO) - Understand the stack structure and how to implement it.
Day 3: Linked List - Dive into nodes and pointers to build linked lists.
Day 4: Hash Table - Learn how to efficiently store data with hashing.
Day 5: Binary Search Tree (BST) - A powerful structure for fast data searching.
Day 6: Graph - Visualize relationships with nodes and edges.
Day 7: Priority Queue - Manage tasks with priority using a queue.
Day 8: Set - Work with unique collections of items.
Day 9: Trie - A specialized tree for string-based operations.
Day 10: Heap - Build priority-based systems with heaps.
Day 11: Deque - Learn how to work with double-ended queues.
Day 12: Real-World Project - Use multiple data structures in a single project!

Each lesson will be broken into bite-sized chunks so that you can learn quickly and apply your knowledge immediately. You can check out the Github repositories for code examples and the TikTok videos for visual guidance.

Why Communication is Key

This series is about more than just the content. It's about creating an open space for discussion. If you’ve ever been stuck on a coding problem, you know how frustrating it can be to figure it out alone. But when we work together, we learn faster and enjoy the process.

I’m all about creating a friendly environment where we help each other grow. Whether it’s through comments, TikTok discussions, or live streams, we can solve problems together, exchange tips, and motivate each other.

So, don’t just watch the lessons. Engage with me! Ask questions during the live TikTok sessions. Suggest topics you want me to cover. Share your progress with the community. The more we interact, the better we learn.

Contribute and Be Part of the Community 🌟

As we go through the series, I invite you to contribute! Whether you have a cool solution to share, an improvement to suggest, or you want to help others by answering questions, everyone is welcome. Learning is all about contribution and collaboration.

If you're looking for more resources or want to take your learning further, check out my other platforms:

LinkedIn - Vitalii Semianchuk
Telegram - @jsmentorfree - Join for free mentoring!
Tiktok - @jsmentoring - Everyday new videos
Youtube - @jsmentor-uk - Watch live streams and tutorials.

Let’s Start This Journey Together!

I’m excited to have you with me on this journey to mastering data structures. I know you’ll get the most out of this course by not just watching but also by participating. So, join me live, share your thoughts, and let’s make this a fun, friendly, and amazing learning experience!

Ready to start? 🚀

See you in the tutorials, and don’t forget to follow me on TikTok for live discussions! 💬

Happy coding! 👩‍💻👨‍💻

Improving Port Management Speed: Why I Created `port-client` to Replace `npx kill-port`

Vitalii — Tue, 14 Jan 2025 13:59:24 +0000

Introduction:

We’ve all been there—waiting for the npx kill-port 3000 command to terminate a port. While it does its job, I noticed that it was a bit slow for my needs, taking around 15 seconds. After encountering the same issue repeatedly, and realizing that my pull request to improve the performance of kill-port wasn’t accepted, I decided to create my own tool: port-client.

The Problem with `npx kill-port`:

When you work on a lot of projects and need to frequently terminate ports, every second counts. Unfortunately, npx kill-port 3000 took a frustrating 15 seconds to execute each time. This lag added up, slowing down my development process and hindering my productivity.

The Solution: `port-client`:

I decided to create a new tool, port-client, which offers a faster alternative. It’s a lightweight tool that performs the same task but much quicker. While kill-port took 15 seconds, port-client finishes in just 1.5 seconds!

The best part? It's super easy to use. You just run:

npx port-client 3000 --kill

And the port is freed up almost instantly.

Why I Made `port-client`:

I made port-client because I got tired of waiting around for kill-port to finish. After my pull request to fix kill-port wasn't accepted, I decided to take matters into my own hands. I wanted a tool that would save me time, and I think port-client does just that. It works reliably, and it's fast!

Usage Stats:

I’m happy to share that port-client has been downloaded nearly 100,000 times! It’s been a huge success, and I’ve received a lot of positive feedback from developers who were looking for a faster alternative to kill-port.

Stats Screen:

Here’s a snapshot of the usage stats!

How to Use `port-client`:

To use port-client, just run the following command:

npx port-client 3000 --kill

It will kill the port 3000 (or whichever port you specify) in no time, freeing you up to continue your work without delay.

Conclusion:

If you’ve ever been frustrated with the speed of kill-port, I highly recommend giving port-client a try. It’s fast, simple, and it works! Feel free to check it out, and if you want to contribute or provide feedback, I’m always open to improvements. Let’s make port management faster and better for everyone.

ChatGPT's Global Conspiracy: Why Does It Act Differently in the UK vs Canada?

Vitalii — Mon, 13 Jan 2025 19:07:07 +0000

Something bizarre happened today that made me question everything I thought I knew about AI. 🤖 During a mentoring session, I was discussing Firebase and comparing it with my colleague from Canada. We decided to test ChatGPT’s problem-solving capabilities with a tricky JavaScript algorithm. And what I found left me speechless. 😲

Here’s the deal: when I asked ChatGPT the same questions in the UK, the answers were crisp, clear, and precise. 💡 It solved the algorithm problem like a pro. But when my colleague from Canada asked the same exact questions, the responses were, well... confusing, incomplete, and just didn’t make sense. 🤔

At first, I thought it was a fluke. Maybe ChatGPT was having a bad day, right? But after running more tests with different algorithm tasks, it became clear: the results were consistently different based on location. The UK was getting solid answers, while Canada... not so much. 🇬🇧🇨🇦

Now, this is where things start to get really weird. What if there’s something more going on here? Could it be that AI, like ChatGPT, is deliberately adjusting its answers based on the country it's being accessed from? 🌍 What if certain countries get better, more refined responses, while others get vague, watered-down ones? 🤯

This isn’t just a coincidence anymore. I can’t help but wonder: is there a global conspiracy happening right under our noses? 🕵️‍♂️ Maybe certain countries are being given access to "premium" AI knowledge, while others are left with scraps. It’s almost as if AI is being tailored to fit some hidden agenda. 👀

This raises a huge question: If we can’t even trust AI to give us consistent answers across borders, how can we trust it at all? 🤨 Is there something deeply wrong when a simple tool like ChatGPT behaves so differently depending on where you’re from? 🌐

I don’t want to be one of those people who believes in wild conspiracy theories about the world being controlled by shadowy elites. 😬 But after today, I can’t shake the feeling that there’s something off about the way AI is being rolled out across the globe. 🤫

What do you think? Is there something sinister going on with ChatGPT, or am I just overthinking it? 🤷‍♂️

Prepare for Interview Like a Pro with Interview Questions CLI

Vitalii — Thu, 09 Jan 2025 18:35:00 +0000

Prepare for Interview Like a Pro with Interview Questions CLI

What is the Interview Questions CLI?

The Interview Questions CLI is a command-line tool designed for JavaScript learners and developers who want to enhance their interview preparation. By providing a curated set of interview questions categorized by difficulty - junior, middle, and senior - this tool helps you practice effectively, ensuring you're ready for any coding challenge that comes your way.

This CLI is perfect for developers who want to practice coding questions on the go, directly from the terminal, and in different formats such as text, array, or json. It's an excellent resource for both preparing for job interviews and sharpening your coding skills in general.

Features of the Interview Questions CLI

Daily Practice: Stay consistent with a daily curated set of JavaScript interview questions, helping you improve over time.
Difficulty Levels: Practice questions suited to your skill level - junior, middle, or senior - so you can always challenge yourself appropriately.
Flexible Output Formats: Choose from multiple formats - text, array, or json-to display questions in a way that suits your needs, whether you're practicing or incorporating them into a project.
Randomized Question Selection: Get randomized questions to simulate the unpredictability of real-life coding interviews.

How to Use It?

Getting started with the Interview Questions CLI is easy. After installation, simply run the following command:

npx interview-questions

Here are some of the key options to help you customize your practice:

--filter: Filter questions by type (all, top). Default is all.
--top: Specify how many questions you want to retrieve (especially useful with the top filter).
--level: Choose the difficulty level - junior, middle, or senior.
--format: Output format - text, array, or json. By default, the output is text.

Example Commands

To retrieve all available questions, run:

npx interview-questions --filter all

If you're preparing for a junior-level interview and need the top 5 questions in JSON format:

npx interview-questions --filter top --amount 5 --level junior --format json

To get all questions in the default text format:

npx interview-questions

With these simple commands, you can easily practice and improve your JavaScript skills.

Who is This For?

This tool is designed for a wide range of users:

JavaScript Learners: Whether you're new to JavaScript or looking to solidify your knowledge, this CLI offers the perfect practice resource.
Job Seekers: Prepare for coding interviews by tackling real-world coding challenges and improving your problem-solving skills.
Developers: Quickly retrieve questions in JSON or array formats for use in projects, mock interviews, or tests.

Why Should You Use It?

Interview prep doesn't have to be stressful. With the Interview Questions CLI, you can practice coding questions whenever and wherever you like. Whether you're reviewing the basics or testing yourself with advanced problems, this tool makes it easy to stay on top of your interview preparation.

The flexibility of the tool allows you to practice at your own pace, choose the questions that fit your level, and get the format that suits you best. Randomized question selection ensures you're ready for the unpredictable nature of real-world coding interviews.

Conclusion

The Interview Questions CLI is more than just a tool - it's your secret weapon for interview success. With a structured way to practice coding questions, customizable options, and the ability to track your progress, this CLI ensures you're prepared for anything.

So, what are you waiting for? Prepare for interviews like a pro with the Interview Questions CLI, and take your JavaScript skills to the next level today!

🌟 Want to Learn More?

👉 𝗠𝗲𝗱𝗶𝘂𝗺 - https://medium.com/@vitaliisemianchuk

👉 𝗟𝗶𝗻𝗸𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗻 - https://www.linkedin.com/in/vitalii-semianchuk-9812a786/

👉 Telegram - https://t.me/jsmentorfree

Building PortClient: A Tool to Simplify and Speed Up Port Management

Vitalii — Thu, 09 Jan 2025 18:28:00 +0000

Building PortClient: A Tool to Simplify and Speed Up Port Management

Why I Decided to Build PortClient

As a Frontend Lead, managing development environments effectively is crucial for both personal productivity and team collaboration. In our day-to-day work, our team often needs to switch between different ports. It's vital to quickly check if a port is in use, whether there's a process listening on that port, or if we need to kill a process that's occupying a port. However, the existing solutions were frustratingly slow, especially on macOS. For example, when using the default lsof -i -P command, it could take up to 30 seconds to list all open ports, which was extremely annoying when we needed to quickly verify the status of a port.

This long wait time led us to the decision to build our own utility that would allow us to check port status and kill processes faster. We wanted something that would be fast, efficient, and easy to use - hence, PortClient was born.

The Goal: Simplifying Port Management and Speeding It Up

The main goal of PortClient was to make port management easier and faster. In a fast-paced development environment, speed is critical. If you're trying to kill or verify the status of multiple ports, waiting 30 seconds for each check can quickly become a time-consuming task. I wanted to create a tool that would allow us to:

Check if a port is open and verify if a process is listening on it - instantly.
Kill a process that's using a specific port without any delay.
Improve speed significantly compared to default tools like lsof.

Our key focus was not just to make port management functional but to optimize performance, making it fast enough for real-time tasks.

The Challenges I Faced

1. Slow Default Command on macOS

The default lsof -i -P command in macOS provides a list of open ports, but it is quite slow - taking about 20-30 seconds. This delay was unacceptable when we needed to quickly check port status or terminate processes. After trying several alternatives, we found a solution: we could optimize the command by adding the -n flag, which avoids hostname lookups and significantly reduces the processing time. The optimized command, lsof -i -P -n, was faster, but there was still room for improvement.

2. Further Optimization

Even with lsof -i -P -n, it still wasn't fast enough for our needs. After experimenting, we realized that using lsof -i :${this.ports} would give us exactly the information we needed for a specific port without listing all ports. This tweak cut the process time from 20 seconds to 1 second, which was a huge improvement.

lsof -i :${this.ports}

This command became the core of PortClient, making it lightning fast for checking whether a specific port is in use.

3. Command-Line Interface (CLI) for Ease of Use

One of the biggest challenges was making sure the tool was easy to use, especially for developers who might not want to install anything locally. We decided to build a CLI utility that could be executed directly from the terminal using npx - meaning developers wouldn't need to install anything to use it.

For example, with PortClient, you can run:

npx port-client 3000

This command will immediately check if port 3000 is open and show the relevant details, without requiring any installation on the user's machine.

To achieve this, we used the "bin" field in the package.json file to register our CLI command:

{
  "bin": {
    "port-client": "cli.js"
  }
}

This method allows users to run our tool without needing to install it globally, making it much more convenient for quick, one-off usage.

How PortClient Works

PortClient checks the status of a port, identifies whether any process is listening on it, and offers the option to terminate any process that's using the port.

1. Check Port Status

If you need to check whether a port is in use, simply use:

npx port-client 3000

This will tell you if the port is active or not, and if it is, which process is using it.

2. Kill a Process Using a Port

If you find that a port is in use and you need to kill the process, you can execute:

npx port-client kill 3000

This command will attempt to terminate the process that is listening on port 3000, freeing the port for your use.

Conclusion: Lessons Learned and Future Improvements

Building PortClient has been a valuable learning experience. Here's what I learned during the process:

Speed is Crucial: Optimizing existing commands like lsof can yield significant improvements in speed, making a tool much more efficient.
Ease of Use Matters: Building a command-line utility that's easy to run with npx can help streamline development workflows, reducing friction and making tools accessible to everyone on the team.
Cross-Platform Considerations: While the macOS solution works great, a Windows or Linux version would need further platform-specific tweaks to handle port management.

In the future, I plan to:

Enhance error handling and edge cases.
Add more features, like selecting multiple ports interactively.
Consider building a GUI or web interface for users who prefer a graphical approach.

If you're interested in checking out the code or contributing, feel free to visit the GitHub repository.

PortClient is now a part of our development toolkit, making port management much faster and more efficient. I hope this tool can save you time and frustration in your development journey!

🌟 Want to Learn More?

👉 𝗠𝗲𝗱𝗶𝘂𝗺 - https://medium.com/@vitaliisemianchuk

👉 𝗟𝗶𝗻𝗸𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗻 - https://www.linkedin.com/in/vitalii-semianchuk-9812a786/

👉 Telegram - https://t.me/jsmentorfree

Debugging with git bisect: A Smarter Approach to Bug Localization

Vitalii — Thu, 09 Jan 2025 18:26:00 +0000

Debugging with git bisect: A Smarter Approach to Bug Localization

Recently, I came across an interesting debugging scenario involving a critical production issue. The problem arose after a big release, with a bug that was elusive, browser-specific, and difficult to reproduce locally. Adding to the complexity, the build process for testing each potential fix took around five minutes. The task was to isolate the bug from among 30-35 recent commits - quickly before stakeholders logged in on Monday morning.

The approach taken was to manually perform a binary search using Git, iteratively resetting commits in halves (e.g., git reset --hard HEAD~14) and testing each state. Within half an hour, the culprit—a dependency upgrade—was identified and fixed, ensuring the system was stable before the critical deadline.

This manual approach worked well, but there's a more efficient and systematic way to handle such situations: git bisect.

What is git bisect?

git bisect is a built-in Git tool that automates binary search through your commit history to pinpoint the exact commit that introduced a bug. Instead of manually resetting and testing commits, git bisect systematically narrows down the problematic commit with minimal manual intervention.

How Does git bisect Work?

The process involves three main steps:

Mark the Range: Identify a "good" commit where the code worked as expected and a "bad" commit where the bug is present.
Automated Testing: Git checks out commits halfway between the good and bad commits, asking you to verify if the issue exists.
Narrowing Down: Based on your feedback, Git continues halving the search space until it identifies the first bad commit.

Step 1: Start the Bisect Process

Tell Git where the binary search begins:

git bisect start
git bisect bad HEAD          # Mark the current buggy commit
git bisect good HEAD~35      # Mark the last known working commit

Step 2: Test Commits

Git will automatically check out a commit halfway between the good and bad commits. Test the code to determine whether the bug is present:

If the bug exists, mark the commit as bad:

git bisect bad

If the bug doesn't exist, mark the commit as good:

git bisect good

Step 3: Repeat Until the Culprit is Found

Git will continue halving the range of commits until it identifies the first bad commit.

Why Use git bisect?

The manual binary search approach can work in smaller ranges, but it comes with limitations:

Error-prone: Counting and resetting commits manually can lead to mistakes.
Time-consuming: Repeating git reset for each test slows down the debugging process.
No Automation: Without automation, testing remains a manual task for each step.

In contrast, git bisect provides:

Speed: Cuts down the number of tests needed to isolate the issue.
Accuracy: Automates commit checkout, reducing human error.
Reproducibility: Easy to rerun or script for consistent results.

Conclusion

Debugging production issues under tight deadlines can be stressful, but tools like git bisect make the process more manageable. It automates the hunt for problematic commits, saving time and effort while ensuring accuracy. If you're not already using git bisect, give it a try - it could be the key to resolving your next tricky bug efficiently.

Have other debugging strategies or tips? Share them below!

Links:

Github: bisect

Unlocking the Power of spellcheck="true" in HTML: A Deep Dive for Developers

Vitalii — Thu, 09 Jan 2025 18:22:00 +0000

Unlocking the Power of spellcheck="true" in HTML: A Deep Dive for Developers

As web developers, we're always looking for ways to enhance user experience (UX) and make our applications more accessible. One small yet powerful feature that can make a huge difference is spellcheck. The spellcheck="true" attribute in HTML enables automatic spelling and grammar checks in text fields like <input> and <textarea>.

In this article, we'll break down how spellchecking works in browsers, explain the underlying dictionaries used for spellchecking, and even show you where these dictionaries are stored. We'll start with a high-level overview and dive deep into how browsers implement spellchecking behind the scenes.

1. What is spellcheck="true"? A High-Level Overview

The spellcheck attribute in HTML enables spell checking for editable content. When you add spellcheck="true" to a form field like a <textarea>, the browser automatically detects any spelling mistakes as the user types.

<textarea spellcheck="true" lang="fr"></textarea>

In this example, the spellcheck="true" enables spell checking, and the lang="fr" attribute sets the language to French. The browser will use a French dictionary to detect misspelled words and offer correction suggestions.

2. How Does spellcheck="true" Work?

When spellcheck="true" is enabled, the browser performs the following steps:

Text Input Detection: As the user types in the <textarea>, the browser runs its spellchecking engine in the background.
Dictionary Comparison: The browser compares each word typed against an internal dictionary (or multiple dictionaries for different languages).
Error Flagging: If a word is not found in the dictionary, the browser flags it as a potential mistake, usually by underlining it in red.
Suggestions: When users right-click on a flagged word, the browser may display a context menu with suggestions for correction.

3. The Role of Dictionaries in Spellchecking

At the core of spellchecking is the dictionary. When you type a word in an input field, the browser compares it to a list of correctly spelled words to see if there's a match. If there isn't, the word is flagged as a potential misspelling.

Where Do These Dictionaries Come From?

Browsers store their spellcheck dictionaries internally. Here's a breakdown of how different browsers handle them:

Google Chrome: Uses Google's online spellcheck service. This means the dictionary is dynamically updated and stored in Google's servers.
Mozilla Firefox: Uses Hunspell, an open-source spellchecking engine, which supports multiple languages and is highly customizable.
Safari: Relies on macOS's built-in spellcheck, which is integrated into the operating system.
Microsoft Edge: Similar to Chrome, it uses the spellchecking engine built into Windows.

How Are Dictionaries Stored?

Dictionaries are stored within the browser's profile folder or system files. Let's take a look at the location of these dictionaries for popular browsers.

4. Locating and Understanding the Dictionary Files

Although browsers don't make it easy to directly access their spellcheck dictionaries, advanced users can locate them in specific folders on their systems.

Google Chrome Dictionary Location

In Chrome, dictionaries are stored in internal files within the user data directory.

On Windows:

C:\Users\<username>\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Dictionary

On macOS:

~/Library/Application Support/Google/Chrome/User Data/Dictionary

These files are not meant for direct editing but are part of Chrome's internal functionality.

Mozilla Firefox Dictionary Location

Firefox uses Hunspell dictionaries, which are stored in the Firefox profile folder.

On Windows:

C:\Users\<username>\AppData\Roaming\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles\<profile_name>\dictionaries

On macOS:

~/Library/Application Support/Firefox/Profiles/<profile_name>/dictionaries

You can manually install additional dictionaries in this folder, or modify existing ones using the Hunspell format (.dic and .aff files).

Safari (macOS) Dictionary Location

Safari's spellchecking is based on macOS's system dictionary, which is shared across all applications.

On macOS: The dictionaries are stored in system folders and can be accessed via:

/Library/Spelling/

This is where you can find the spellchecking files used by Safari (and other macOS apps).

Microsoft Edge Dictionary Location

Edge uses the same system dictionaries as Chrome (since it's Chromium-based). It shares its dictionary files with Chrome, so the location is the same.

Advanced Features of Spellchecking:

Phonetic Analysis: Some browsers use algorithms to detect words that are phonetically similar to valid words and flag them accordingly.
Grammar Checking: Some browsers (like Google Chrome) go beyond just spelling and can flag grammar issues (like subject-verb agreement or sentence structure).

Conclusion

The spellcheck="true" attribute is a small but powerful feature that enhances user experience by catching spelling errors as users type. While the inner workings of spellchecking involve complex algorithms and dictionaries, the concept is simple: compare the entered text with a dictionary, flag errors, and offer suggestions for correction.

By understanding the role of the dictionaries and how they're stored in browsers, developers can gain more insight into how this feature operates under the hood. Whether you're improving the UX of a form or building a complex text editor, knowing how spellcheck works can help you design more efficient and user-friendly interfaces.

Here are the links where you can find more information about the topics discussed in the article:

From Ukraine to the UK: How Job Searching Has Changed Over a Decade

Vitalii — Thu, 09 Jan 2025 18:15:00 +0000

From Ukraine to the UK: How Job Searching Has Changed Over a Decade

2022: A New Chapter in the United Kingdom

In 2022, I moved to the UK and encountered an entirely different job market than I was used to. Unlike in Ukraine, where switching jobs felt straightforward, job searching in the UK is a more mature, structured, and, at times, slower process. Here, the market feels older - like an established system that requires careful navigation.

Fortunately, I had already built a connection with EyeSpy360, a company I worked with remotely before moving to the UK. They knew me and my skills, which made the transition smoother and gave me an opportunity to continue contributing to a team that aligned with my professional goals. This experience highlighted the importance of building relationships and maintaining a strong reputation, as they can make all the difference when navigating a new job market.

The Importance of Building Your Personal Brand

What I learned quickly is that in the UK, simply having technical skills isn't enough. The job market values a strong personal brand, which means:

Having a Professional LinkedIn Page

Your LinkedIn profile is like your online résumé. A well-crafted profile, endorsements, and connections are essential.
Writing a Blog or Sharing Insights

Sharing your knowledge and experience through articles, blogs, or posts can demonstrate your expertise and make you stand out.
Showcasing Your Work

Whether through GitHub, public projects, or technical presentations, having a portfolio of work that hiring managers can see is vital.
Networking and Performance

Attending events, conferences, or meetups can help you connect with industry professionals. It's not just about what you know but also who knows you.

From Kherson to Kyiv to the UK, my career journey has been shaped by the evolving nature of the job search process. Each phase brought its own unique challenges and valuable lessons.

Interestingly, the job market in Ukraine has also matured over the years. It's like watching a baby grow into an adult. In the past, being a good colleague or a "nice mate" was often enough to land a job. But today, you need to be more than that - you must be an influencer in your field, with a strong network and visible contributions.

This evolution mirrors our professional growth. Just as our markets mature, so do we as individuals and professionals. I hope my story resonates with others navigating the ever-changing world of work, especially those transitioning to a new country or adapting to new market expectations.

Final Thoughts

In my work, I'm passionate about sharing skills and supporting others in their career journeys. If you need help, my colleagues and I manage a Telegram channel where we share practice tasks, interview tips, and strategies, and discuss IT career challenges. Whether you're preparing for an interview, looking for advice, or just want to chat about the IT world, we're here to help.

Let's connect and share experiences - I'd love to hear your stories too!

The Hidden Cost of Silence: Why Asking for Help Is the Most Underrated Skill in Tech

Vitalii — Thu, 09 Jan 2025 18:10:00 +0000

The Hidden Cost of Silence: Why Asking for Help Is the Most Underrated Skill in Tech

As a tech lead, I've had the privilege of working with diverse teams, tackling challenging projects, and learning from mistakes along the way. One of the most critical lessons I've learned is that the success of a project doesn't just rely on technical prowess or perfect planning. More often than not, the real game-changer is something surprisingly simple: the ability to ask for help.

This might sound obvious, but in practice, it's one of the most overlooked skills in both development and management. And the cost of neglecting it? Missed deadlines, team burnout, and lost opportunities.

The Developer's Dilemma: Why We're Afraid to Ask

In every team, you'll find developers who hesitate to ask for help. It's not because they don't want to. Often, it's because they're afraid:

Fear of looking incompetent: Asking a question might feel like admitting you're not skilled or experienced enough, especially in a competitive environment.
A strong sense of ownership: Developers often take pride in solving problems independently, seeing it as part of their role.
Overconfidence: Some believe they'll eventually figure it out, underestimating the time lost in the process.

This reluctance to ask for help can lead to wasted time, missed deadlines, and diminished team morale. And it's especially common among mid-level developers - those navigating the delicate balance of proving their capability while still growing in their expertise.

The Management Blind Spot

Managers and tech leads, despite their experience, aren't immune to missing the signs. Here's why they might overlook a struggling team member:

Task complexity assumptions: They assume delays are due to the task's difficulty, not a lack of clarity or roadblocks.
A false sense of smooth sailing: If no one raises concerns, they assume everything is on track.
Fear of micromanagement: Managers may hesitate to check in, worried they'll appear overbearing or intrusive.

This blind spot can have significant consequences: team members struggle in silence, project momentum suffers, and collaboration erodes. Left unchecked, it breeds a culture where not asking for help becomes the norm, perpetuating inefficiency and frustration.

The Shared Solution: A Culture of Asking for Help

Here's the thing: both managers and developers need the same skill set when it comes to solving this problem. It's the ability - and the willingness - to ask for help. Here's how it applies:

For Developers:

Understand it's not a weakness: Asking for help isn't about failure; it's about optimizing time and leveraging collective knowledge.
Set a personal threshold: Decide on a reasonable amount of time to spend on a problem before reaching out (e.g., 30 minutes to 1 hour).
Frame your ask effectively: Instead of saying, "I'm stuck," provide context: what you've tried, where you're blocked, and what kind of help you need.

For Managers:

Build psychological safety: Make it clear that asking for help is not only acceptable but encouraged. Celebrate collaboration.
Observe for silent struggles: Look for signs that someone might be stuck: delays, vague updates, or repeated attempts to "go quiet."
Lead by example: Managers should also ask for help from their teams or peers when they're uncertain, normalizing the behavior.

The Bigger Picture: Quantifying the Cost of Silence

It's tempting to dismiss the impact of not asking for help as minor, but the costs add up. For example:

Time: A developer who spends 8 hours on an issue that could've been solved in 30 minutes with help wastes nearly a full day of productivity. Multiply this across a team or project, and the delays can be significant.
Morale: Struggling alone can lead to frustration, burnout, and reduced confidence. A demotivated team member affects overall team dynamics.
Project Momentum: Small delays can cascade, affecting timelines, deliverables, and client satisfaction.

Studies have shown that collaborative problem-solving not only reduces time spent on challenges but also fosters innovation and team cohesion.

Final Thoughts

The best teams thrive on collaboration, not individual heroics. Managers and developers share the responsibility to create an environment where asking for help is a strength, not a weakness. If we normalize this behavior, we can catch issues early, deliver projects on time, and foster a team culture where everyone grows together.

So, whether you're writing code or managing people, remember this: the most effective skill you can cultivate is knowing when to raise your hand and say, "I need help." Because at the end of the day, no one succeeds alone.

Forem: Vitalii

Mastering JavaScript Testing: From Basics to Advanced Techniques

JavaScript #Testing #UnitTesting #Jest #Mocking #AsyncTesting #WebDev #TikTokLearning #GitHub

The Meeting Trap: When Managers Overload Developers

The Problem with Overloading Meetings

Good Intentions, Poor Execution

A Better Approach: Balancing Meetings and Focus Time

Let’s Discuss

Huge Thanks for Helping Me Create the Biggest JavaScript Interview Question Tutorial

A Huge Thanks to Everyone Who Helped Me Create the Biggest JavaScript Interview Question Tutorial (required ⭐)

How It All Started

From Collection to Resource

What’s Next?

A New Approach to Learning with Communication and Community

📚 Read the Full Lessons

A New Way of Learning Data Structures

About the Data Structures Tutorial Series

Join Me Live on TikTok! 🎥

The Learning Plan

Why Communication is Key

Contribute and Be Part of the Community 🌟

Let’s Start This Journey Together!

Improving Port Management Speed: Why I Created `port-client` to Replace `npx kill-port`

Introduction:

The Problem with npx kill-port:

The Solution: port-client:

Why I Made port-client:

Usage Stats:

Stats Screen:

How to Use port-client:

Conclusion:

ChatGPT's Global Conspiracy: Why Does It Act Differently in the UK vs Canada?

Prepare for Interview Like a Pro with Interview Questions CLI

Prepare for Interview Like a Pro with Interview Questions CLI

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Features of the Interview Questions CLI

How to Use It?

Example Commands

Who is This For?

Why Should You Use It?

Conclusion

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Building PortClient: A Tool to Simplify and Speed Up Port Management

Building PortClient: A Tool to Simplify and Speed Up Port Management

Why I Decided to Build PortClient

The Goal: Simplifying Port Management and Speeding It Up

The Challenges I Faced

1. Slow Default Command on macOS

2. Further Optimization

3. Command-Line Interface (CLI) for Ease of Use

How PortClient Works

1. Check Port Status

2. Kill a Process Using a Port

Conclusion: Lessons Learned and Future Improvements

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Debugging with git bisect: A Smarter Approach to Bug Localization

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Step 3: Repeat Until the Culprit is Found

Why Use git bisect?

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Unlocking the Power of spellcheck="true" in HTML: A Deep Dive for Developers

Unlocking the Power of spellcheck="true" in HTML: A Deep Dive for Developers

1. What is spellcheck="true"? A High-Level Overview

2. How Does spellcheck="true" Work?

3. The Role of Dictionaries in Spellchecking

Where Do These Dictionaries Come From?

How Are Dictionaries Stored?

4. Locating and Understanding the Dictionary Files

Google Chrome Dictionary Location

Mozilla Firefox Dictionary Location

Safari (macOS) Dictionary Location

Microsoft Edge Dictionary Location

Advanced Features of Spellchecking:

Conclusion

From Ukraine to the UK: How Job Searching Has Changed Over a Decade

From Ukraine to the UK: How Job Searching Has Changed Over a Decade

The Problem with `npx kill-port`:

The Solution: `port-client`:

Why I Made `port-client`:

How to Use `port-client`: