ProgrammingPro #15: C++ Enters Top 3 League, OpenAI Enables Code Interpreter for Plus Subscribers, and The Right Programming Language for dApps
Bite-sized actionable content, practical tutorials, and resources for programmers.
Hi,
"Any code of your own that you haven't looked at for six or more months might as well have been written by someone else."
-Eagleson's Law
You’d be forgiven if you’ve never come across this weird looking principle, but embracing Eagleson's Law, which basically states that code untouched for six months feels foreign, encourages continuous learning and growth as a programmer. That’s also something AI agents like OpenAI’s recently openly enabled Code Interpreter can prove invaluable for.
A very warm welcome to this week's newsletter edition, where we provide updates on the latest advancements in Programming and Software Development! In this edition, we’ll talk about C++ gaining ground in programming language popularity, OpenAI enabling Code Interpreter for all ChatGPT Plus subscribers, Claude 2, and Visual Studio Code introducing .NET MAUI extension.
We have also curated a collection of valuable programming resources, insightful tutorials, and secret knowledge on choosing the right programming language for dApp development and enhancing developer productivity with free APIs.
Also, in today’s issue:
TechWave: News and Analysis
Secret Knowledge: Learning Resources
HackerHub: Tools and Launches
Tutorials and Guides
My promise with this newsletter is to act as your personal assistant and help you navigate and keep up-to-date with what's happening in the world of software development. What did you think of today's newsletter? Please consider taking the short survey below to share your thoughts and you will get a free PDF of the “Mastering Malware Analysis” eBook upon completion.
Thanks for reading.
Kartikey Pandey, Vidhu Jain
Editor-in-Chiefs
Tell Us What You Think, Get a Packt eBook!
5 Days of Free Access - Coming Soon
Visit our platform, browse, and watch out this space for next announcement to get access to our full catalogue for free.
⚡ TechWave: News and Analysis
C++ Gaining Ground in Programming Language Popularity, Closely Chasing C: The Tiobe index of programming language rankings are determined based on factors like skilled engineers, courses, and search engine data. C++ has climbed to the third position in the Tiobe index, surpassing Java and edging closer to the C language. The demand for performance in fields like automotive, finance, medicine, and semiconductors has contributed to the rise of C++. JavaScript has also reached its all-time high, ranking sixth in the index, possibly due to the decline of Visual Basic. In a surprising development, Cobol has re-entered the top 20, highlighting its resilience.
OpenAI Enables Code Interpreter for ChatGPT Plus Subscribers: OpenAI has made its in-house plug-in, Code Interpreter, available to all ChatGPT Plus subscribers. Code Interpreter allows users to run code and perform tasks like data analysis, chart creation, file editing, and math operations within the ChatGPT interface. With the ability to generate charts, maps, visualizations, and more, Code Interpreter enhances data visualization, analysis, and manipulation capabilities. Early reactions from users and influencers have been positive, highlighting the tool's versatility and usefulness in various applications, including data science.
Expo Releases Expo SDK 49 Including React Native 0.72.1: Note however, there is a regression in the Hermes debugger for Android in React Native 0.72, so upgrading to SDK 49 is not recommended if the debugger is important for your workflow. The release includes new features such as integrated network debugging and React devtools, experimental support for debugging in VS Code with the Expo Tools Extension, and Expo Router v2.0. There are also improvements to various Expo SDK modules and Expo Modules API. EAS Insights, a data analytics service, is now available as a preview.
Anthropic Launches Second-Generation AI Chatbot, Claude 2, with Improved Capabilities and Safety Measures: Anthropic, the AI startup founded by ex-OpenAI executives, has introduced Claude 2, its new text-generating AI model. Claude 2, which builds upon its predecessor, offers enhanced performance in multiple areas, such as scoring higher on exams, improved programming skills, and increased accuracy in math problem-solving. The model was trained on more recent data and features a large context window, enabling it to analyze and generate extensive amounts of text. Anthropic claims that Claude 2 is "2x better" at delivering harmless responses, but the details of this metric remain unclear.
Visual Studio Code Introduces .NET MAUI Extension for Cross-Platform App Development: Microsoft has announced the first preview of the .NET MAUI extension for Visual Studio Code. Paired with the C# Dev Kit, this extension provides developers with the necessary tools to create cross-platform .NET mobile and desktop applications using Visual Studio Code on Windows, macOS, and Linux. The .NET MAUI extension enables developers to edit and debug their apps, offering features such as code completion, syntax highlighting, and device debugging. The extension is available for free and will be continuously updated based on user feedback.
📚 Secret Knowledge: Learning Resources
Choosing the Right Programming Language for dApp Development: When developing decentralized applications (dApps), selecting the appropriate programming language is crucial for compatibility, efficiency, and security. Solidity is widely adopted for Ethereum-based dApps, offering Ethereum compatibility, smart contract development capabilities, and an established developer community. However, other languages like JavaScript, Rust, and Go can also be used for dApp development on different blockchain platforms. Explore the factors to consider when choosing a programming language, including platform compatibility, developer community and ecosystem, security features, performance, and interoperability.
Go Stands Out for Modern Application Development: Selecting the right programming language for modern application development is crucial, and Go (Golang) stands out among other languages. Know how Go's simplicity and concurrency features make it easy to learn and write efficient code. It offers built-in support for goroutines and channels, simplifying concurrent programming. Go is optimized for performance and produces statically linked binaries, making it ideal for high-throughput and low-latency applications. Its strong standard library covers a wide range of functionalities, reducing the need for third-party dependencies.
Comprehensive Guide to JavaScript Methods: JavaScript is a powerful programming language known for its extensive list of methods that enhance its functionality. This article provides a comprehensive guide to JavaScript methods, covering various aspects such as working with the Document Object Model (DOM), handling events, and creating functions. Examples are provided to illustrate the usage of these methods. Understanding JavaScript methods is essential for creating interactive and engaging web pages. Read the post to learn and stay updated with the ever-expanding list of methods for maximizing the language's capabilities.
Choosing the Right Programming Language for Machine Learning Mastery: Machine learning has become crucial in various industries, leading to an increased demand for machine learning skills. This article provides a comparative analysis of the best programming languages for mastering machine learning. Python, with its simplicity, extensive library support, and frameworks like TensorFlow and PyTorch, is the most popular choice. R is specifically designed for statistical computing and graphics, while Java is suitable for production environments. C++ is preferred for high-performance situations, and Julia combines simplicity and performance.
Enhancing Developer Productivity with Free APIs: Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) play a crucial role in enabling software systems to communicate and interact with each other. They facilitate data exchange, service requests, and real-time actions between different software components. This article highlights six free APIs that improve developer productivity. Explore APIs like NewsData.io for accessing news-related data, Weatherstack for real-time weather data, PayPal API for secure payment processing, Google Maps API for location-based services, Fixer API for currency exchange rates, and WordPress API for seamless integration with WordPress-powered websites.
🔍 HackerHub: Tools & Launches
Reflexion: This repo holds the code, demos, and logs for Reflexion: Language Agents with Verbal Reinforcement Learning.
GPT Researcher: GPT Researcher is an autonomous agent designed for comprehensive online research on a variety of tasks.
carrierwave: The GitHub repository offers an elegant approach for uploading files in Ruby web frameworks like Rails and Sinatra.
minitest-snapshots: A Minitest plugin for comparing strings to a stored snapshot, inspired by the style of Jest.
actual_db_schema: Maintain a pristine and uniform database schema across branches during the development of a Rails application.
YouPlot: An interactive command-line utility that creates graphical plots directly within the terminal interface.
✨ Tutorials and Guides
Learning Rust: Hashmap, Closure, Option Combinator, Iterator, and User Input: This article provides a summary of the key concepts covered in a Rust online course by ZeroToMastery Academy. Learn about Hashmap, Basic Closure, Option Combinator, Iterator, and User Input. The article presents code examples and syntax explanations for each concept, demonstrating their usage in Rust programming. It also provides additional resources for further learning and references to external platforms for code execution.
Leveraging GitHub Copilot for Effective Learning: A Journey with p5.js: GitHub Copilot, an AI-assisted programming tool, can be utilized as an effective learning tool rather than a crutch. Developers can harness GitHub Copilot's capabilities to enhance their understanding of programming languages and frameworks. Explore a new learning methodology that involves steps such as conceptual pseudocoding, syntax familiarization, iteration, AI rubber ducking, and self-directed application. The author shares their experience of learning p5.js, a JavaScript library for creative coding, through GitHub Copilot.
GitOps with KCL for Simplified Kubernetes Deployment: GitOps is a modern approach to continuous delivery that leverages Git repositories to manage environmental and application configurations. KCL (Kushion Configuration Language) is a constraint-based language used for configuration and policy scenarios. Learn how to combine GitOps with KCL to simplify Kubernetes deployment configurations, reduce errors, and improve code readability and maintainability. The article provides step-by-step instructions on setting up Kubernetes cluster and ArgoCD controllers, enabling the use of KCL in the GitOps workflow.
Understanding the Benefits of C++ Vectors and the push_back() Function: C++ vectors provide a dynamic array-like container for storing and manipulating data, offering advantages over traditional arrays such as automatic memory management and built-in functions. The push_back() function is a key feature of vectors, allowing for the insertion of elements at the end of the vector and dynamic resizing. It dynamically expands the vector's size as needed, automatically reallocating memory and copying existing elements. The push_back() function is particularly useful when working with variable-sized data structures or when adding elements incrementally. Learn how it simplifies vector manipulation and enhances flexibility in C++ programming.