Blockchain Basics: How It Works and Its Role in Technology
Blockchain has grown rapidly in recent years. Various industries have integrated this technology into their systems, changing how we conduct business and interact with digital information. This post provides a beginner-friendly explanation of blockchain. We’ll look at the foundations of blockchain: what is is, how it works, and its advantages. We’ll also go over some technical details to provide a good foundation for folks interested in blockchain development. What Is Blockchain? Blockchain is a digital database or ledger that stores information securely and transparently. Instead of storing this information in one central place, it’s stored across a network of computers called nodes. Each piece of this information is stored in…
What is SOC Automation?
This is the Make Me a Programmer glossary entry for SOC Automation. What is SOC Automation: A Quick Definition SOC Automation (Security Operations Center Automation) refers to the use of automated tools and workflows to enhance cybersecurity threat detection, investigation, and response. By leveraging machine learning and orchestration platforms, SOC teams can reduce manual workloads, prioritize real threats, and improve response times. SOC Automation, Explained Like You’re Five Imagine you have a big castle, and there are guards watching for bad guys all the time. But instead of the guards running around checking everything themselves, they have magical helpers that can watch, listen, and even chase away bad guys super fast.…
What is Data as Code?
This is the Make Me a Programmer glossary entry for data as code. What is Data as Code? A Quick Definition Data as Code is an approach that applies software development practices like version control, automation, and collaboration to the management of data. It treats data as a critical, versioned asset within the software development lifecycle, much like source code. By storing datasets in version control systems such as Git, teams can track changes, maintain a history of modifications, and roll back to earlier versions if needed. This makes workflows more transparent, reproducible, and collaborative, especially in contexts like machine learning, analytics, or data-driven application development. The concept also emphasizes…
What is Log Parsing?
This is the Make Me a Programmer glossary entry for log parsing. What Is Log Parsing? A Quick Definition Log parsing is the process of analyzing and extracting meaningful information from log files, which record various system, application, or network activities. Logs typically contain a series of time-stamped events or entries, each representing an action or state within a system, such as errors, warnings, or performance metrics. By parsing these logs, users can identify patterns, troubleshoot issues, monitor system health, and ensure security by detecting anomalies. Log parsing involves breaking down unstructured log data into structured components for easier analysis, often by using regular expressions, scripts, or specialized parsing tools.…
Can You Use Git Without GitHub?
Can you use Git without GitHub? The short answer is yes, you can. You can use Git with online services other than GitHub, with an in-house server, or on your local computer without any server at all. Git is a tool for revision control. GitHub is an online service that allows you to store, manage, and share Git repositories in the cloud. First, let’s look at what Git is. Then, let’s see what GitHub and other Git-hosting services have to offer. What Is Git? Git is a revision control tool. It’s most often associated with software development, but you can use it to track changes in any file. For example, Git…
What Is the Best Way to Learn C#? A Complete Introduction
Let’s talk about learning today. Specifically, let’s talk about learning a programming language. What’s the best way to learn C#? For the most part on this blog, we’ve answered questions that non-programmers might have about the world of programming when they’re thinking of breaking in. And while I suppose learning a programming language could fall into this category, it’s a little more specific. But I wanted to examine this topic with a blog post for a specific reason. I happened to Google “best way to learn C#” and find that something was consistently missing from the results. Don’t get me wrong. The results are helpful. It’s just that they seem to focus…
Is Programming Hard? Here’s What You Need to Know
Is programming hard? This is a question many non-programmers ask me. This makes it rank up there with questions like, “do programmers work from home” and “what kind of education do you need to be a programmer?” Inquiring minds want to know. But unlike some of those questions, this one is actually pretty tough. It’s a simple question, but the answer is very nuanced. So let’s dive into it, in detail, and help you understand whether programming is difficult or not. Is Programming Hard? The Short Answer So first off, let’s tackle the question with a short and direct answer. This will set the stage for the remainder of the…
Is Software Engineering a Good Career?
We all work a lot during our lives. But if we’re going to work our entire life, shouldn’t we do something that makes us happy? Let me introduce you a career you might not be expecting: software engineering. So, now you’re probably wondering if software engineering is a good career. Maybe you’re on your path learning how to program. Or maybe you’re not happy with your current job and decided to take a look out there to see if you’d find anything different. Whichever reason brought you here, you’re lucky: we’re talking about the pros and cons of a software engineering career. First, the Short Answer All right, before I…
What Is the Difference Between Coding and Programming?
Coding and programming are two terms used to describe the same process. There seem to be a lot of people out there writing very long posts attempting to explain the differences when, quite frankly, there aren’t any. At best, these people are splitting hairs so fine that an electron microscope would have a hard time seeing it. In this post, I’ll show you why coding and programming are functionally the same. I’ll also highlight a more important distinction to make: that between someone who codes and a professional programmer. Coding and Programming Defined Let’s start with the definitions of coding and programming from Oxford Languages via Google search: Coding the…
Improving Your Workflow: Steps to Becoming a More Productive Software Developer
Developers need to juggle tight deadlines, changing technology, and complex problems—all while trying to maintain their creativity and mental health. But what if there were ways to reach your full potential while remaining efficient and sustainable?In this post, we’ll discuss some techniques that will enable you, as a developer, to increase your productivity. We’ll look at approaches that go beyond merely “coding faster” and instead focus on developing your mindset, workflow, and environment. These methods will provide you with what you need to not only get things done, but do it with better focus, satisfaction, and a restored sense of purpose. Whether you’re an experienced developer or just starting out,…
