Jit Tech News 16

Save this edition of Jit Tech News so you can get back for recommendations from Amelia and Kamil when planning trips to IT conferences next year.??

You will also find here some tidbits from Pawe?, and this time he recommends the articles about the differences between API integration patterns and providing answers to the most important questions we ask ourselves about code review.

1. A conference in Vienna, the city of palaces, classical music and coffee? Why not! – Amelia Walter-Dzikowska ??

Software Quality Days is an annual event with a strong focus on scientific talks and case studies. As a significant part of the talks is presented by speakers from the DACH countries (Germany, Austria, Switzerland), it creates a great opportunity to observe the trends in this region and gain a new perspective.?

The conference kicked off with a series of online talks devoted to AI.? It was a great opportunity to discover a variety of ways to apply AI solutions. They stretched from the facilitating code creation in a demo, which was shown by a representative from GitHub (one of the current trend leaders with their GitHub Copilot), to using AI as a translator in multilingual customer support chats. Thanks to that we could see how this fast-growing technology is shaping the tech market. I also had a chance to contribute by presenting the talk “Can you become a QA with ChatGPT as a mentor?” in which I explored how AI chatbots can be harnessed to provide IT professionals with support in upskilling and developing their soft skills.

An eye-opening keynote was presented by Joshua Kerievsky ???? , the author of “The Joy of Agility”. It provided a fresh overview of Agile and challenged many assumptions on what it really is. It proposed regarding Agile more as an attitude, instead of to treating it like a management methodology. I left the room feeling inspired to take a fresh look at the notion of agility.

Some other interesting topics included reflections on software architecture. A talk by Philipp Seifert-Kehrer highlighted the advantages of monoliths compared to microservices which is not a mainstream opinion nowadays. However, the author brought our attention to the challenges connected with microservices management, proposing monoliths as a good solution in many situations.?

A talk which attracted a crowd was “Refactoring your E2E tests from an ice-cream cone to a pyramid” by Katrin Heiderer and Roland Germ . They presented a case study of a real project in which the test automation model was transferred/altered from a cone model to an actual pyramid-shaped one.?This change was done, as shown in a demo, by both introducing more unit and backend tests, along with removing a great part of E2E user interface test cases.

2. Local conferences are also appreciated – Kamil Mrzyg?ód

It is always a thrilling experience to talk about cloud computing due to the dynamic characteristics of that technology. People tend to have diverse expectations on what’s going to be actually delivered by your talk, hence you need to adjust confronting what you planned to present with what your audience is able to digest.?

Fortunately, the audience was keen on sharing their own views at ZS Bit, a local conference in Szczecin, which hosted my talk about the pros and cons of cloud technology with reference to upcoming challenges (AI included). It was a pleasure to share thoughts during a well-established event, especially during a Q&A session at the end.?

3. Everything you need to know about code review – Pawel Dolny

The article "Code Reviews FAQ" by Vadim Kravcenko addresses the importance and challenges of code reviews in software development.?

It emphasizes the necessity of constructive feedback and the role of the lead developer's opinion, suggesting that while it holds significant weight, it should not be the sole determinant of code quality. The piece also highlights the importance of standing one's ground when one believes their code adheres to best practices, advising to back up claims with solid reasoning beyond mere functionality.?

The article further discusses common pitfalls in code reviews, such as emotional attachment to one's own code and the "us vs. them" mentality between code authors and reviewers, advocating for a collaborative approach to improving software quality.?

Finally, it underscores the value of code reviews in identifying and mitigating potential issues, ensuring maintainability, and fostering a culture of continuous improvement within development teams.?

To dive deeper into the topic, consider exploring the full article for insights on standardizing code reviews, common issues to look out for, and effective communication strategies during the review process.?

4. Different API integration patterns – Pawel Dolny

APIs are essential tools in software development, enabling interactions between users, applications, and software without requiring deep knowledge of the software's internals. They utilize various integration patterns, including REST, RPC, GraphQL, Polling, WebSockets, and WebHooks, each suited for different scenarios.?

REST, RPC, and GraphQL are ideal for simple request-response integrations, while Polling, WebSockets, and WebHooks are better for real-time or near-real-time applications.?

The choice of integration pattern depends on the specific requirements and trade-offs acceptable for a given project. APIs abstract the complexities of server and database operations, allowing users and developers to interact with software through straightforward requests and responses.?

If you'd like to know more about the topic - consider reading the full article: https://www.freecodecamp.org/news/api-integration-patterns/?