#typescript

The motivation to implement a calculator using function chaining is to demonstrate how this pattern can improve code readability and can logically process actions from left to right. Here is a simple example of how some calculations are implemented with the use of pure functions:

JavaScript's reduce array method can be incredibly useful in data transformations and building data structures, while at the same time iterating through an existing data structure. It is great for building arrays, objects, strings, or keeping an integer count.

I was working on a React Native project that required my app to give the user a convenient way to filter payloads based on certain criteria of each field. I started building a data structure, then the methods to consume the data structures. Before I knew it, I had taken on a side quest inside my app.

Early last year I worked on a personal full stack project using AWS Amplify. I had abandoned the project since, and only recently decided to revive it. The issue that I ran into was that I had already deleted the existing resources off AWS and the Amplify codebase was still referencing those references.

Whenever fetching data from a backend server, you may be naive enough to think that the response is always predictable and your data's shape will always be the same.

Have you ever wondered why your component is re-rendering multiple time consecutively when you only expect it to re-render once? Perhaps you update some local state and somehow multiple renders occur as a result? Lets take this hooks based example:

Today we will be implementing Tinder like swipe cards in React Native using react-native's Animated API and PanResponder API. Disclaimer: the animations are created on the JavaScript thread and can be moved to the UI Thread using react-native-reanimated instead.

So recently, one of my clients had asked for some new features for a Dog Walking mobile app that was deployed earlier this year. I hadn't touched the code base in months and when I re-opened the code base to see how I would implement these features, it dawned on me that it was a bit of a dumpster fire 🔥. Keeping in mind that this was written about a year ago, a time where my programming skills weren't anywhere as polished as it is today. I decided, that the only way moving forward (with confidence) was to upgrade both the backend (Node.js/JavaScript) and frontend (React Native/JavaScript) to TypeScript.

Ever since I learnt how to create websites using React, my go to boilerplate starter code was to use Create React App. It is the easiest way to learn React and the fastest way to get a website up and running. After creating my own website using Create React App, I quickly found the pitfalls of having a client rendered SPA (Single Page Application).

Ok, the title is a bit dramatic, but I thought it would be fun to try this click bait thing. Now that I have your attention, I want to explain why I moved from JavaScript to TypeScript. For all of those living under a rock (much like myself up until now), TypeScript is a superset of JavaScript which gives JavaScript super powers to eliminate bugs during development time. It is basically JavaScript on steroids.

This year I will be looking to level up my web development game on the front end as well as the back end. Now that I have a foundational understanding of front end frameworks, back end frameworks and mobile development, this year I want to dig deeper into these nooks so I can move past being just an everyday web developer.