miniblog.

Apr 23, 2018
Here's a wonderful example of live programming in an introspectable system like Emacs. Emacs lets you customise ('advise') any function. Today I advised code evaluation! With a record of code snippets recently executed, I can make my code completion smarter.
Apr 23, 2018
Finding a security bug in CouchDB due to different JSON libraries interpreting repeated keys differently!
Remote Code Execution in CouchDB
tl;dr There was a vulnerability in CouchDB caused by a discrepancy between the database’s native JSON parser and the Javascript JSON parser used during docum...
Apr 23, 2018
Programming in the debugger: https://willcrichton.net/notes/programming-in-the-debugger/ Discusses how notebooks enable incremental program writing, and contrasts with REPLs. Makes some interesting points regarding persistence, although resumable exceptions have similar upsides too.
Programming in the Debugger | Will Crichton
Jupyter presents a unique programming style where the programmer can change her code while it
Apr 22, 2018
Grasshopper is a super cool app for teaching programming to novices. It combines elements of Logo (visual feedback) with a great little editor that works well on touch screens.
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Apr 22, 2018
Understanding surprising JS syntax by visualising the parse tree:
JavaScript syntax tree visualization with Esprima
JavaScript syntax tree visualization with Esprima
One little feature I added to Esprima parser demo was syntax tree visualization (using YUI TreeView). While it is already possible to see the JSON version of the parsed AST, often a much more visual representation improves the syntax analysis workflow. It is also more educational. An example code that follows:
Apr 21, 2018
One weakness of online discussion is protracted debates or arguments. What if commenting systems only allowed one comment per user? (Assuming a robust mechanism to prevent duplicate accounts.)
Apr 20, 2018
'Golden tests' are tests that deliberately save expected output to a file, to make them easy to examine or regenerate. https://ro-che.info/articles/2017-12-04-golden-tests I'm familiar with the concept, but it's nice to see a handy label for it.
Introduction to golden testing
Golden tests are like unit tests, except the expected output is stored in a separate file. I learned about them in 2010 from Max Grigorev at ZuriHac.
Apr 19, 2018
If you're interested in alternative approaches to computing, I strongly recommend exploring the ideas in the Tunes project. There's a good overview here:
Better computing pipe-dreams with Tunes
Better computing pipe-dreams with Tunes
the ambition Tunes is a revolutionary, better way of computing, what includes programming. Unfortunately, Tunes is pure vaporware. It exists only in rough sketches in the minds of the participants …
Apr 15, 2018
GitHub is exploring some really interesting editor designs with Xray: https://github.com/atom/xray/blob/master/README.md It uses CRDT to represent text (rather than rope data structures) and mixes web tech (primarily JS) with Rust to produce a design that's fast but still extensible.
xray/README.md at master · atom-archive/xray
xray/README.md at master · atom-archive/xray
An experimental next-generation Electron-based text editor - atom-archive/xray
Apr 15, 2018
Whilst I've seen many teams use monorepos successfully, it assumes that there's a common contribution process for everyone. A PL community needs to have different projects with different processes, and that requires packaging tooling. I wonder what the size upper bound is.
Apr 11, 2018
Thoughtful criticisms of git from the sqlite developers:
Why SQLite Does Not Use Git
Apr 11, 2018
Great introduction to the AV1 video codec, inter/intra frame compression, and exploiting correlations to save bytes: https://people.xiph.org/~xiphmont/demo/av1/demo1.shtml The Xiph posts are always good with great explanatory diagrams/sample pictures.
next generation video: Introducing AV1
Apr 10, 2018
This is very cool: dynamically adjusting an Emacs theme based on the amount of ambient light:
Setting Emacs Theme Based on Ambient Light
I sit next to a window at work. On sunny days it’s easier to see a light editor theme, and when the sky is dark, a dark theme is easier on my eyes. So I decided to try to have my MacBook automatically switch the Emacs theme based on readings from the ambient light sensor.
Apr 10, 2018
Wow, gcc's codebase is amazingly lispy in places: prefix syntax with parentheses, foo_p for boolean functions.
gcc/gcc/match.pd at master · gcc-mirror/gcc
gcc/gcc/match.pd at master · gcc-mirror/gcc
Contribute to gcc-mirror/gcc development by creating an account on GitHub.
Apr 10, 2018
It's natural to worry about the practicalities of new designs. There's a wonderful discussion in https://medium.learningbyshipping.com/nikon-versus-canon-a-story-of-technology-change-45777098038c about camera owners worrying about *batteries* being unreliable. Times have changed!
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